Islands...

Islands are gradually becoming home for many of my extended family. One of my sisters has lived on an island in Puget Sound for more than 40 years, raising three kids who moved away, then gradually moved back to the island of their birth. With spouses and kids, that makes eight. On the other side of the world, my nephew moved to an island for work, and stayed to raise a family and put down roots. My sister (his mom) and husband bought land nearby, and plan to build a house there and put down roots of their own. That's seven out of twelve.

On DW's side of the family, Whidbey Island is becoming home to a growing number of family members. First our niece moved to the island for work, and married an islander. They just bought a house on acreage near the middle of the island, and have sunk even deeper roots. A year ago, her parents bought property on the north end of the island, and are building a house there. In a year, they will move, along with my mother-in-law. Another niece, who grew up on Whidbey, now lives at the south end of the island; her parents just bought a house between Freeland and Coupeville. That's eight of the fifteen of us, pulling up roots and planting them in new soil.

I could live on an island, I think... as long as I can drive off it and go for road trips. And as long as there are mountains within view. Kind of sounds like Washington, doesn't it?