In Which An Opportunity Presents Itself and I Journey Westward...

So, I've mentioned here and there in fits and starts that change is afoot in my life. This change involves a whole new geographical location for at least the next 12 months.

Simply put, I'm moving to Langley, Washington.

Langley, for those who aren't familiar with the Other Washington, is not the location of CIA Headquarters. It is a quaint little artists' haven on the southern end of the fifth longest island in the contiguous United States. For any of you with a military background, and especially those of you in the Marines or the Navy, Langley is situated on Whidbey Island, which is home to a naval air station on the northern end.

How did I come to this point where I'm moving away from D.C., you ask?

Seems last year, a friend of mine inherited a house, a cottage, and some property from her late aunt and her partner. Said friend tried to sell the house, the cottage, and the property, but as the market has been less than favorable, she's been unsuccessful. Sure, it's a fixer-upper, but we're talking nearly two acres of real estate with a four bedroom, two bathroom house and an adjacent cottage for less than half a mil.

Anyway--that's not the point. Or, actually it is the point. The house/cottage/acreage wasn't selling, so the friend took it off the market. In November, we were at the Mormon Temple protesting Prop. 8 when she turned to me, told me about the house, and asked, "Do you know anyone who would be interested in living in the house for a year or so for free?"

Um, hello?!?! ME. I would be very interested.

That, in a nutshell, is what I'll be doing for the next 12 months. Living in a cottage on Whidbey Island in the town of Langley for free. Rock on, right?

I'm going to keep this blog going, because moving to the Left Coast does not diminish my interest in things D.C. Plus, I'll be back for family visits and business. I'm keeping my house here and renting it out for now. I will not, however, be starting a new blog.

Well, that's not true. I've set up a blog for my photography, but that's all. I won't be starting a new place to rant and rave or spout forth or whatever. I'll still be here, signing in as Tewkesy and being as snarky as ever. Or maybe not.

Maybe the clean air, the Cascades, island life, and uncongested traffic will give me back my sweet spirit and I'll be pleasant and jovial all the time. Or not.

I'll be back in a day or two with my top five reasons to love and hate Washington, as well as my top five must-sees-in-Dee-Cee.

In the meantime, check out Whidbey Island Confidential if you want to see where I'm living and the things I'm experiencing in photos.

And now the question is, can I squeeze in a final happy hour before I hit the road on April 15?