Nothing ever quite works out like you plan it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple fishing trip, or a cross country move. And when things don’t work out like you want, you get frustrated. And when I personally get frustrated, I go look at water.
I don’t even need to fish, or even have fishing gear with me. Just being by the water helps somehow. Throw in a bit of a drive, and you’ve got a pretty good afternoon. Putting in some windshield time is when my best thinking happens.
Yesterday was just an off day. They happen. Once noon rolled around at the shop, I knew I just wasn’t being productive. So I asked Erik if I could go back home to finish some video editing that I was right in the middle of. Driving out, I decided to go look at the water at the end of the harbor. Then, since I was already that way, I wanted to go get a look at Port Orchard. That turned into wondering what the Hood Canal looked like and before I knew it I was turning left on Hwy 101 in Port Angeles headed toward Forks.
Five hours and 200 miles from leaving the shop, I was strolling down the beach of the Pacific Ocean. Writing this now, I’m still not entirely sure how I talked myself into driving out there. I just needed to drive until I felt like I had driven far enough. Standing there with no one in sight, watching the waves roll in and the crashing of the surf filling my ears, I knew I had gone far enough.
By the end of the day, I had driven the entire Hwy 101 loop of the Olympic Peninsula. Not only is it a beautiful drive, but it takes you right through the heart of some of the most storied Steelhead and Salmon water in the US. It cost me $50 in gas and seven hours of my time. Writing this now, I have a long night of work to make up the lost hours on the clock.
But it was all worth it. I wanted to go look at water, and I think I found what I was looking for.
