And Then the Phone Rang

Trey Smith

Three weeks ago in the post, Waiting For the Call, I shared with readers our mixed feelings about both wanting and dreading the phone to ring with news we might have a new place to live. Well, a call of that nature came Wednesday morning. While we aren't a lock to get the now-vacant apartment, I'd say the chances are 3 in 4 that we will get it and be moving soon.

We have applications out all over Western Washington plus a few in the central and eastern parts of the state as well as some for coastal Oregon. Of the more than 20 places we've applied, the two we are most interested in are both less than 1 hour from South Bend: Ilwaco in South Pacific County and Westport in Grays Harbor County. As luck would have it, the call came from the apartment complex in Westport. Here's a description of this small town from Wikipedia.

Westport is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The city's population was 2,099 at the 2010 census.

Westport is located on a peninsula on the south side of the entrance to Grays Harbor from the Pacific Ocean. The public Westport Marina is the largest marina on the outer coast of the United States's Pacific Northwest. The marina is home to a large commercial fishing fleet and several recreational charter fishing vessels.

The apartment we looked at has 2 bedrooms, but is less than 750 sq. feet or about one-half the size of where we live now. The kitchen is a lot smaller. On the plus side, we would be allowed to bring our two dogs, though not the cat. The apartment complex is located only about 3 or so blocks from the city center, so getting to the one grocery store, pharmacy and city hall wouldn't be much of an issue.

We will probably know within one week if all the paperwork we submitted is up to snuff and that we have been approved. If so, I am guessing that we will make the initial move in mid-June and then spend the next several weeks coming back to South Bend to work on cleaning up the house and property. By around the end of July or early August, we would give up all rights to our house to become full-time residents of Westport.

The transition to living in Westport (or anywhere else, for that matter) will be very difficult on me. I don't handle changes in my routine very well and moving is a major change. I had really hoped that, when we came to South Bend 6 years ago, it would be our last move, but the situation is what it is. I simply must muddle through it because, in time, wherever it is that we land, it will become my new normal.