Goodbye, 2020.
Wow. What more can anybody really say about this year? It kicked off early with a pandemic. It ramped up with racial tensions, murders and protests. Now it’s ending with the oncoming with a new president and hopefully a brighter future. That’s all the big-picture global stuff. Now let’s get personal.
This has been a big year for me beyond what we are all going through together. I officially ended my apprenticeship and am now a journeyman pipe fitter, and there were a whole FOUR graduations to celebrate. I only went to one. Any more than that felt like overkill. I went through another surgery with Kaylee which finally helped her even beyond the point at which she hoped. I focused on my personal relationships and building healthier connections. And now I’m officially engaged.
Yep. I’m gettin’ married. I don’t know when yet, but we are officially official. Kaylee and I took a trip last week for our fourth anniversary and I had the ring in my pocket the whole time, waiting for the right moment. We took four nights to go around the Olympic Peninsula from south to north, a little opposite of our usual route. The weather blessed us this time around and was clearer and sunnier than even most summers out toward the coast. Unbelievable for a Washington December.
K. Woo out swingin’ in the woods… as usual!
The trip started off at Robin Hood Village Resort down at the southern tip of the Canal. Originally built in the ‘30s, it is a very cute little complex of cabins old and new, tiny houses, trails, and a restaurant and lounge. Unfortunately we didn’t get to experience the restaurant due to COVID dining restrictions, so it’s a good excuse for a trip back! There was an instant sense of peace when we entered our little cabin, which was the oldest one on the property, and that sense kept up the entire trip. Hot tub and champagne were the real winners that night. I couldn’t have been more impressed with that Coleman hot tub. We might even be picking up one for ourselves! After the soak, we headed inside, watched some Home Alone, and I was out by 8:30.
The next day we made our way to the coast and an awesome little hotel at Ocean Shores. Not only did we take our time getting there (as in almost every destination while road-tripping), but it’s the off season for our Washington coast so there isn’t a whole lot to do come night time. Nonetheless, our short daylit hours at the coast were well enjoyed with a pint of whiskey and a love for the salty air. After a beautiful winter’s sunset, we made for a bar we’d never been to but had heard raving reviews of, Galway Bay Irish Pub. Kaylee and I LOVE a good pub, especially one that reminds us of our wonderful days in Ireland. This particular pub is now one of my favorite bars on the Washington coast. Despite battling COVID and winter in a small coastal town, Galway Bay has managed to stay open and made us feel right at home. We sat in their outdoor area and we guzzled some obligatory Guinness and Jameson to cap the night.
Next day, we headed for our final stop on the trip: Lake Quinault Lodge. With as much love for the Olympics as Kaylee and I have, I’ve only been to Quinault once quite a few years ago, and Kaylee had never been. While fairly remote, the lodge has all the accommodations to make anyone feel comfortable. More than enough for me and Kaylee. Once settled in, we explored the grounds. Kaylee sat by the lake with her book and I walked some of the trails that wound through the adjacent campgrounds. After the stroll, we decided to drive up the lake a bit. We found the general store, Salmon House Restaurant, and Merriman Falls just a few minutes up the road. A few photos at the falls, and some supplies at the store, and we were back in our room ordering dinner from the restaurant at the lodge. The food was killer and may have been the best of the whole trip. Full-bellied, and ready to relax, we set in on our new game of Olympic Mountains-Opoly prior to passing out to Christmas movies.
For the last full day of the trip, we took it pretty slowly and meandered up the coast to Ruby Beach. The weather held out beautifully the whole trip, and kept on going for us at the coast. Kaylee outran a sneaker wave, but the guy behind her wasn’t so lucky… We had a small lunch on a log, and I whittled a stick while Kaylee sifted through the beach rocks. It was incredibly peaceful, and one of those serene moments of presence. Most of the time it’s hard for me to feel truly present, but this trip provided so many of those moments that I left feeling more full than I have in a long time. A couple hours at the beach, and it was time to go home to our room. The night was slow, but exactly what we wanted. We ordered dinner to go from the Salmon House, and went back to pig out in our room before officially calling it a night.
Next morning was time to head home. Kaylee slept from Quinault to Aberdeen and left me alone with my thoughts and the one or two radio stations that actually came through. After Aberdeen, we approached Elma and I was washed over with another immense feeling of presence and appreciation. Little did Kaylee know, but I’d had her engagement ring in my pocket basically the whole trip. Feeling it there, and feeling such peace with my life at that moment set something off in me. My heart started beating a little bit faster, and my wheels started spinning. I thought, “Holy shit… what if I asked her here in the car?” At first it sounded stupid. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. So many of our memories and experiences together have been on these little road trips. So many of my favorite moments with Kaylee have been the little ones like that one in the car. So while she was staring out the window watching the world of McCleary, WA go by, I reached in my pocket and tried to calm my mind. I told her, “You know I’m not going anywhere, right?” She said, “Yeah, I do.” I followed with, “You promise not to go anywhere either?” I set the opened box on her knee. I waited a second for her to look, trying to see her reaction but keep us going straight down the road. She turned to look at her knee and once she saw it, her hand shot up over her eyes and she said, “Oh my God… Steven are you serious?” I said, “Yeah, I’m serious.” She finally took her hand away from her face and decided to look at the ring. She grabbed it from my hand and asked to try it on. I said, “Of course,” and she put it on. I was elated and so relieved to finally have asked. I don’t know why I waited so long! We awkwardly laughed about it for minute or two, when Kaylee reminded me that I hadn’t actually asked her to marry me. I laughed and said, “Okay, you’re right. Will you marry me?” She answered, “Yes,” and we teared up and laughed a little bit more. We reveled in it for the next 45 minutes or so of the drive back until we got to Belfair and had to celebrate at JR’s Hideaway, our favorite stop on the highway through town. At this point, both our phones were dead so we couldn’t tell anyone even if we wanted to. I couldn’t have been happier.
I’ll admit it wasn’t the most elaborate or dramatic engagement that’s ever happened, but I felt in my heart that it was right for me and for us. Our relationship has never been glamorous, nor are we fancy people. We’re earthy and dirty and simple, and we fell in love with each other for that. I’ll always remember giving her that ring and how it felt. I can’t wait to move forward in our relationship and life together. Can we end 2020 already?