Our time on Anderson Island came to a quick close once we returned from British Columbia. Our last week and half on the island was a whirlwind, working our final two weekends, hosting visitors, and saying good-bye to our island friends.
Our first workamping gig was truly an adventure to be remembered. We started out this journey in May wondering what was in store for us. Would we like the job? Would we hate living on an island? Would we be bored with both?
We've often found throughout our lives that leaping from the certainty of a comfortable existence into the uncomfortable unknown is rewarding and enriching. This experience was no exception.
California Visitors
The week before the Labor Day weekend, Anne Marie sister, Mo, made an impromptu visit to the island. She found a really cute Airbnb house to rent, and drove up from the Sacramento area with her pup, Indy, to spend five days hanging with us. We introduced her to island life: the dog park, walks in the parks, dinner at the restaurant. One day, Cliff stayed back on the island and Mo and Anne Marie drove to Gig Harbor to have lunch and see the sights.
The morning Mo left, Greg and Pat Paulsen, our neighbors from our community in Jackson, CA, arrived on the island on the same ferry Mo was boarding. They were camping in Olympia and drove a short 20 minutes to the ferry terminal to spend the day with us. We had a lovely visit riding our bikes around the island, taking a long walk through the woods, and having a leisurely lunch.
It was wonderful being with family and friends.
Our Final Good-Byes
The Labor Day weekend was a lot slower than we anticipated due to the weather. Saturday was busy, but Sunday and Monday were chilly and cloudy, so we had very few visitors at the park. And that was a good thing because we had lots of packing and cleaning to do before heading home. We also had lots of good-byes to say to the many people we met over the summer.
On Sunday, John Larsen, our "boss," and his wife Dianne, invited us to their home for an afternoon farewell reception. It was attended by all of the park commissioners and several other islanders. They all signed a thank you card and sent us off with Anderson Island t-shirts.
We had dinner with Patty and Scott, a couple new to the island, on Monday night and then said so long to our dog park friends on Tuesday morning.
We still can't quite believe how warm and welcoming the residents on AI are.
Until We Meet Again
We are both sad and happy that our time on the island has come to an end. Once we loaded our motor home and tow car onto the ferry, we took one last look at Mount Rainier, waved to the island behind us, and were on the road once again.
Good-bye Anderson Island. See you next summer...
Add comment
Comments
Thank you for sharing all your wonderful adventures with us. I have truly enjoyed reading about every minute of it.
What a lovely summer! Thank you for sharing your experiences in the blog. It’s such a pleasure to read. Enjoy settling in at home! ❤️
What a lovely experience. The place sounds wonderful. Hopefully next summer there won't be so much turmoil in my life and we'll get to come visit as well.
Pam, Believe me, we totally get what you are going through. We look forward to seeing you in better times!