longer entries

From LA to the PNW: Our First Stop

We left Los Angeles on Valentine's Day.

Most people celebrate with roses or dinner reservations, but we chose suitcases and that quiet mix of excitement and are we really doing this?

There's something poetic about beginning a new chapter on a day that celebrates love. And in a way, that's exactly what this was: choosing each other, choosing adventure, choosing to take the long way around.

Leaving Los Angeles

Goodbyes had been said. Possessions had been sold or hauled to different friends' homes. The weather was beautiful, in the lower 80s, and we were trying to remember what a 40 degree high felt like.

The movers took the bins of what was left of our stuff on Thursday morning. On Friday, we each packed what we thought was needed for the trip into two suitcases. Now carless and packed, we loaded ourselves into a friend's car bound for LAX on Saturday morning.

There wasn't a dramatic moment. No cinematic farewell. Just a quiet understanding: This is it. We're really going.

Arriving in Seattle

Our first stop: Seattle, Washington.

We arrived at SEA, grabbed our luggage, and stepped outside. The cold hit immediately, sharp and familiar, a reminder of what a Washington February really feels like. It settled into our bones in a way only the Pacific Northwest can.

Instead of rushing, we chose the light rail and walked through downtown toward the ferry terminal. It felt fitting. This wasn't just transportation. It was the first quiet act of taking the long way around.

The new ferry terminal brought back memories almost instantly: years of construction detours, searching for entrances, and countless crossings in different seasons of life.

We boarded and settled in, reminded that this might be one of the best forms of transportation in Washington state.

For me, growing up in Eastern Washington, the ferry was always the highlight of any Seattle trip. Driving onto a massive ship, climbing the stairs, and watching the shoreline drift away never got old.

For JA, it's something deeper. The ferry isn't a novelty. It's home. He grew up here. His parents rode this route daily into Seattle for work. What felt magical to me was simply everyday life to him.

And somehow, beginning here, in a place that holds pieces of both our stories, felt exactly right.

Why Starting Here Mattered

Beginning in Washington wasn't about going far. It was about going home.

It meant starting with family, reestablishing our home base, and rooting ourselves before stepping further away.

It was a way of easing into the rhythm of leaving, finishing travel logistics, yes, but also letting change happen gently instead of all at once.

We didn't want to launch into the unknown at full speed. We wanted to begin somewhere that already held pieces of us.

Sometimes taking the long way starts by circling back first.

A Different Kind of Valentine's Day

This year, Valentine's Day wasn't about flowers. It was about partnership. About trust. About building something together that feels bigger than comfort.

And this is only the beginning.

-- The Long Way Mac