I didn’t anticipate this time last year that I’d be making a lantern in Hoi An, Vietnam on my international travels! Glad keeping an open mind and heart was one of my resolutions for last year!
I’m glad that I wrapped up my 2023 Review & 2024 Preview with looking forward to “Whatever might come next… (I’m trying to keep an open mind and an open heart!)” 2024 did indeed bring some surprises, most of them quite delightful! It ended up being the gap year I didn’t know I needed.
I spent January and February getting Valencia Cottage, my 2-bedroom, 1-bath house in Walla Walla ready for new renters. I didn’t anticipate The Lucky Penny’s Move to Walla Walla, but that happened. And I made plans for my Round the World Trip, including creating My International Travel Capsule Wardrobe. In March I had A Week-Long Send-Off as I embarked upon my adventures.
By the time I left I’d booked my ticket from San Francisco to Maui and from Honolulu to Tokyo. I had a ticket to a comedy show in Sydney. And that was all I’d confirmed. Luckily, more happy surprises were ahead of me. My international travels ended up taking me to 10 destinations in Pacific Rim in 4 months. I traveled to:
Hawaii
Japan
New Zealand
Australia
Fiji
Singapore
Cambodia
Vietnam
Laos
South Korea
(My hope is to share the blog posts I drafted on that trip but didn’t post because of tech challenges - like my e-SIM convincing all my tech I was in Poland!)
I dressed as a bee on Friday of Oregon Country Fair and it turns out there was an entire parade of bees and flowers that day! Had such fun meeting other buzzy bees On The Path.
I returned stateside just in time for My Annual Pilgrimage to the Oregon Country Fair. Summer included some bouncing around to festivals, catching up with friends and family, and celebrating another birthday. This fall I was back in Walla Walla getting the Lucky Penny set up as an official ADU. That project was challenging in many ways - and it was certainly more expensive that it seemed like it should have been - but it is so nice to know that the Lucky Penny is a legit ADU now! It was also wonderful to be able to do some projects I’d always been interested in tackling (like the Lucky Penny Tile Floor!) In early December I hosted a Lucky Penny Tiny Open House to show off the tiny to my neighbors, the contractors who had worked on it, and prospective renters.
Meanwhile, I met a fella this summer who is the cat’s meow. It’s hard to find the words to describe how wonderful this partnership has been for me. Let’s just say I searched the world over and I’m pretty damn sure he was worth the wait!
He and I had made a couple of trips to Corvallis over the holidays to spend time with my fairy godfamily and we talked about the prospect of moving there. I’d had Corvallis on my short list of possible home bases for over 20 years since my fairy godsister first introduced me to it the summer after our first year of college. We decided to try to make it happen and things fell into place quickly and beautifully. My sweetie landed a job he’s excited about and we were able to rent the house directly behind my fairy godsister and fairy god-brother-in-law, which is owned by some neighbors who are also fantastic folks. So I have dear friends as my back fence neighbors. As my fairy godmother said “when the stars align, you follow!”
Raffi and I bidding adieu to Valencia Cottage on our journey to Corvallis.
I’m looking forward to seeing what my next career move will be as I figure out the best way(s) to help create more small, smart, sustainable housing. I’m eagerly anticipating teaching in person at Yestermorrow again for the final two weeks of the upcoming Tiny House Design Build Certificate. I’m scheming some new e-courses and revisions to previous offerings. And, of course, I look forward to doing more consultations and design work, too. The times ahead are uncertain (as they always are, I suppose). So I’m glad to be in community again and ready to share my gifts, time, and talent in the best possible ways in the coming year.
We just moved to Corvallis a few days ago and my fairy godfamily helped us unload my Honda Fit and my honey’s truck. Then, in keeping with my family tradition, we had take out on the living room floor. We opted for Thai this time and it was such a yummy introduction to Corvallis’ food scene. The past couple of days we’ve been nesting and it’s been fun to find a place for everything and put everything in its place. There are sweet rolls in the oven as I write this. Life feels so cozy! Sending best wishes for 2025 and hoping our paths cross!