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We’re in Washington! Our Story Of Moving To Whidbey Island From Across The Country

I’m so excited to finally write a blog post from our new home in Washington state! Here’s how the process of moving to Whidbey Island went for us.

We packed our belongings in Alabama and shipped them on the first weekend of April. Then we drove to New Orleans to take care of a few things, staying n a hotel for two days.

Finally, we got on the plane to fly to fly to our new home state of Washington. We arrived in Seattle late at night, rented a car, and drove to Whidbey Island.

The first few days were spent in a hotel while we searched for a place to rent. Then finally we moved into our new house here on Whidbey!

As of Monday morning, Rob started his new job, and I am able to update you about our whereabouts – as long as the pitifully slow internet connection allows that (the local telecom company is supposed to relieve my suffering sometime this week).

Let me tell you: Whidbey Island is absolutely stunning!

When we lived in Northwest Florida and South Alabama for eight years (biggest attraction – the beach), we ran out of things to do and places to go a long time ago.

Now that we’ve moved to Whidbey Island, I am amazed by the gorgeous views of this island located less than an hour north of Seattle (biggest attractions – Puget Sound, numerous state parks with breathtaking views, ferry rides, giant fur trees, snow-capped mountains, laid-back vibe, vegan-friendly community of nice but no-BS people).

View in Langley
The view in Langley, WA – Southern part of Whidbey Island

Apparently, a few types of whales frequent the area this time of the year, hence this sign in Langley:

Spy a whale

The most convenient way to get to the southern part of the island is by riding a ferry. It’s more convenient than it may seem because the ferry leaves every 30 min from 5 am until 1 am, and the ride only takes about 20 minutes.

While on a ferry, you get to enjoy gorgeous views like this:

Ferry

Another great thing about Whidbey Island – state parks with lots of trails!

I’m definitely going to try out this whole trail running thing as soon as my hyperventilating about our cross-country move goes down. Here’s a gorgeous view from Fort Ebey State Park:

Parasailing

To be honest, this picture doesn’t even begin to describe the breathtaking view of snow-capped Olympic mountains and the waterway leading to Seattle that opens up to you in Fort Ebey. Or maybe the tricked-out Instagram filter is making the picture blurry 🙂

All in all, Whidbey Island seems to be a great place for us so far – kind of rural, with lots of nature and things to explore, but very close to the urban jungle and hipster-y trends of Seattle.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you about our culinary adventures in the past week and a half. I’ll try to avoid complaining too much, but in short, I’ve never been hungrier for a homemade meal – thankfully, I’ve been able to calm down this hunger the past couple nights.

The Food Part of This Post

The thing is, we’ve been unable to cook at home during our entire transition because, well, we didn’t have a home.

All of our stuff – including kitchen – was packed and shipped the first weekend of April, and there’s little telling when it’s supposed to arrive at our new house.

Homemade stews, stir-fries and soups, veggie meatloaves, delicious muffins and cookies – I’m looking forward to the day we meet again!

Until then, we’ve been quite dependent on Thai, Chinese and Indian restaurants we’ve found in the area, countless Subway veggie subs, and just about any place that can wrap up a rice and bean burrito.

By the way, it was new to me to find out that Taco Bell has a couple good options for vegans – their bean burrito (no cheese, made fresco-style) and a veggie Cantina Bowl (hold the creamy cilantro dressing) are both tasty, cheap and filling. Okay, I don’t suggest eating fast food all the time, but if you’re deprived of a kitchen and tired of paying for restaurant dinners, it’ll do in a pinch.

Also, I found out that most places try to accommodate our culinary preferences, even if it means eating something very simple, like a plain baked potato and a side salad.

There’s no need to seek out all-vegan restaurants and get upset when you don’t find any nearby. We’ll always be better off looking for a meal that’s simple, tasty and healthy rather than searching for a place that can serve us a feast.

For the last couple nights, I’ve been able to do some cooking at our new house – yay!

So far my kitchen tools include a small frying pan, a pot and a very dull knife that we found at a local thrift store – much better than nothing! We’re still eating off of paper plates using plastic silverware, but once again, I’ll try to be grateful for what I have, and not bitter with what I don’t.

By the way, I wrote down a few quick recipes I’ve been able to cook using the few kitchen tools I have right now – once again, to show that healthy vegan foods don’t have to be complicated.

You might find those recipes useful when you find yourself in place that has a limited number of cooking tools and/or available ingredients, like when staying in an AirBnB, traveling in an RV, etc.

Oh, and the lack of furniture in the house had me write this post while sitting on Rob’s backpack, with the computer placed on top of an empty box from our new microwave. Resourcefulness at its best ?

That’s it for today!

More posts about Whidbey Island:

Where to find vegan food on Whidbey Island – my roundup of our favorite vegan restaurants, coffee shops, diners, etc.

Beyond Seattle – Fidalgo Island, Deception Pass, and the first time we visited Whidbey Island half a year before moving here.

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.
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Sara

Friday 18th of April 2014

Did you run the Whidbey Island Marathon Sunday? It was perfect weather and the course is a good one. Lots of great hills. Glad I remembers my sunscreen this year.

Alina

Friday 18th of April 2014

No, I didn't - I would have loved to, but we were just moving into our new house last weekend, so there was lots of cleaning and other things going on. Maybe next year, when I get better with the killer hills of Whidbey Island!