Living Life on Island Time

In 2007, preparing for my wedding, I moved more than an hour north of the Seattle suburb I had been living and teaching in for the previous 5 years.  This new home is out in the San Juan islands, a string of mountainous, tree-covered islands separating Washington state from Vancouver Island, home to Victoria, British Columbia.

As I slogged through rain to and from class in my first year at the University of Washington, I dreamed of living on an island;  the lush palm trees, the sparkling turquoise water, the sugar-fine sand, the warm tropical breezes.  All of this played front and center of my daydreams as I sat through class after class in soaking wet shoes with dripping hair.

Fast forward a decade, and I’m now living on an island, but it’s hardly the island I pictured during my treks across the UW campus.  There are no palm trees, the beaches are rocky, and the water frigid on a good day.  I’m beginning to see, however, that regardless of its physical locale and attributes, island living is a state of mind.

So, put on some Jimmy Buffett, blend yourself an umbrella drink, kick your feet up and join me in living on island time!

Cheers!

Jen