Bellingham, WA it is.

We were going to take the whole week to mull over Portland v. Bellingham. But it quickly became obviously that both Molitor and I were instinctively leaning towards Bellingham. Portland has a larger population and the associated benefits -- public transit, denser retail areas, more career options -- and is possibly not quite as rainy. But we can wrap our minds around Bellingham very easily. It is a pretty focused community, as opposed to a more spread out larger urban area. From the neighborhood we want to live in, we can very easily bike and pretty easily walk to a food co-op, Trader Joe's, a regular grocery store, a huge aquatic center, a YMCA and downtown. The neighborhood has a park with playground. The homes are generally the size we want. From our airbnb cottage today, we walked to the public access park on Lake Whatcom, and discovered that there's an avid crew community here, and people also sail on the lake.

I sometimes feel it is remote, but I am reassured that it's connected in several ways to both Seattle and Vancouver. We have checked out the airporter shuttle from SeaTac to Bellingham and it seems convenient and reasonably cheap (so all you loved ones who want to come visit, please don't despair! It's not like a trek into deepest Alaska.). I also checked out bus and Amtrak access to Seattle for weekend jaunts, and it is abundant. And I know access to Vancouver is quick and easy (customs permitting).

So now the hunt is on, probably for a rental for the next year or so (make sure I can survive the winter rains before buying!) and then buy a house of our own. I am finally ready to settle. Get a house, a dog...the whole catastrophe!