Port Townsend is great! So is my old neighborhood on Whidbey Island. In my opinion, so is much of the East Coast of the Pacific Ocean between Mt. Shasta in California and Juneau in Alaska. (Note: Pacific Northwest is a very parochial perspective. From the ocean’s perspective, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska are on the ocean’s eastern shore. From the Canadian perspective, British Columbia is Southwest, not Northwest. Canada has an entire province that really understands North and West.) Today I hiked along Hurricane Ridge, a part of the US Olympic National Park. There was even a view of Canada from up there. I suspect not, now. It’s raining. Friends have been asking about my move to this part of the world. Life is great, or at least much better than it had been. Location may be important, but being debt-free is a bigger influence. 

My move was about 23 miles, but really much longer because driving off one island, to take a ferry, to drive down a neighboring peninsula can take hours. And yet, on a global scale, that’s not much of a move. I moved from one tourist town to another one. (Loving Living Leaving A Tourist Town) Both towns are small-ish relative to The Big City (of Seattle or Vancouver, take your pick). Both have touristy offerings for food, art, amenities, views, etc. Both have wealth inequality on open display, which is sometimes celebrated as quaint as people find creative ways to live by necessity. Smile! You get better tips and sell more art that way. 

One big difference is that Port Townsend is bigger. That means more restaurants, more festivals, more art, and a bit more anonymity (though evidently, I’m not being as anonymous as I expected. Gotta quit volunteering as much, I guess.)

One other big difference is that I now live within 1.5 hours of Hurricane Ridge. That’s not 1.5 hours of the entrance to the Park or the Visitor Center. 1.5 hours and I’m at over 5,000 feet elevation looking deep into panoramic wilderness. Turn around and see the Pacific Ocean down there, and on a clear day, see Canada. It is a special place. I’m already healthier because I like mountains. I like oceans and shores, too, but for me, mountains encourage me to hike, hike, hike – and eventually ski and snowshoe.

Today’s hike was typical. Magnificent, of course, but also a multi-cultural event. Hurricane Ridge is visited by more than locals. I no longer try to count the foreign languages. I am no longer surprised when someone visibly is trying to remember how to say Hello or ask a question. They visit from around the world to drive a well-paved yet squirrely 17-mile 35 mph road from sea level to one mile up. Drivers pay attention and leave the gawking to the passengers. The shoulders can be narrow and the drops can swallow buildings. And I get to visit in less time than some will spend watching a movie or a football game.

How frugal is that?

Port Townsend is an expensive tourist town with affordable housing issues, expensive food, long drives to do real world shopping, but its natural beauty is inexhaustible and costs less than tickets for almost anything. I’m old enough to get a Senior Pass. For less than $100, I can visit as much as I want in a year. 1.5 hours of driving does cost gas, and whatever food I pack usually costs more than eating at home, yet I’m spending less than many people will spend on dinner, and what I do is healthier physically and mentally.

Whidbey was similar, without the mountains except as a backdrop, but island do not lack for shorelines and wildlife. Coastal towns and mountain towns emphasize nature, which is naturally frugal. Add in my appreciation for enough rain to sustain the local life, and my attraction to Shasta-Juneau may make more sense. 

Frugality takes many forms. At the barest of necessities, it can make sense to move to some place strictly on the cost of necessities. Fortunately, now that I sold my home, I can afford to find a place that some consider expensive (because it is) but live a lifestyle that is much more affordable.

Many of my Whidbey friends may never have recognized that, while Whidbey is covered with natural wonders (Hey, that’s why I was able to produce a ten-book photo essay of its nature.) I was so busy trying to make enough money to pay my bills that I rarely managed to visit the bay in my neighborhood, hike the local trails, or recuperate in the various nature sanctuaries. The necessities of debt and the realities of employment (never sufficient) meant living in a lovely place that I could glimpse but not fully enjoy.

There’s more here than a Ridge that’s over there. The local bike trail will eventually reach 135 miles to the Pacific – and I just learned that the next extension will go about a hundred yards from my new old big tiny house (MyTinyExperiment.com). Not everything has to happen outside. There’s lots of dancing (including one that’s happening as I type this, but there will be more.) And it has the same diverse culture, including people who act as if diversity hasn’t been here as long as humans have been here. Go on a hike and watch the diversity walk by.

Port Townsend, Whidbey Island, Mt. Shasta, Southwest Canada, Southeast Alaska – they all have something I like, but my point is that folks that like deserts may find a desert is naturally frugal, or someone who likes history can live somewhere with lots of history, or someone who likes growing things can live somewhere fertile. Living a life based on personal preferences can be more frugal than many realize.

These last few years meant I worked so hard that my body suffered. It’s getting better now. Being debt-free helps a lot; so does being able to do simple enjoyable healthy things. Frugality is about appreciating and respecting life and its resources. That’s a nice place to be.