When Summer is in full bloom, it brings many moments worth celebrating—gardens overflowing with color, refreshing summer cocktails, trips with my mom to the Huntington in San Marino, CA, a peaceful Camano Island getaway, and perhaps the biggest milestone of all—the twins turned five! Watching them grow has been such a joy.
As many of you know, more and more empty nesters are choosing to move closer to their grandchildren—or to downsize into a new Lifestyle. I understand this completely. For us, it was absolutely worth it!
August marks five years since we left Southern California and made the move to the Pacific Northwest to be near our daughter and son-in-law. It wasn’t an easy decision to sell our home and start fresh in a new region of the U.S.—especially in the summer of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. What an uncertain time that was.
But looking back, it was one of the best decisions we’ve made. We’ve fallen in Love with the seasons, the wildlife, and the natural beauty around us. Visits from Family and friends have been a huge blessing too—and we love showing off how magical the Northwest can be.
The twins are officially five! Celebrating their “golden birthday” was so special, and watching them grow into their little personalities has been a true gift.
And we have even more exciting news—our son and daughter-in-law welcomed a new baby boy, Clark! He’s healthy, happy, and perfectly sweet. We can’t wait for the twins to meet their new cousin. Needless to say, Southern California will be seeing a lot more of us in the months and years ahead.
As you may recall from a previous newsletter, my mom lost her husband earlier this year. These past seven months have been difficult, but her resilience has inspired me every single day. At 85, she radiates beauty and joy for life. We recently visited the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, CA, and it was a wonderful reminder of her strength—and the healing power of family, art, and nature. Have you ever visited?
For the second summer in a row, we rented a small cottage right on the water on Camano Island, WA. Our days were simple but perfect: walking the driftwood beaches, rock skipping with the twins, and quiet moments in the sea air. Sometimes, island life really is the best kind of reset.
This Fall is already packed with adventures! We’ll be back in California for a wedding, then later this year we’ll head to Florida, Napa Valley, and back to LA for more celebrations. And I can’t hardly wait to share details about our holiday trip—we’re headed back to South America! Stay tuned.
I was recently interviewed by USA Today about life in the Empty Nest. The article ran in the U.S. and the U.K., reaching an incredible 220 million readers. Watching our grown children become parents has been one of the greatest joys of our lives, and I was honored to share that perspective. My time here on Adventures of Empty Nesters has given me the chance to hear from so many empty-nest parents. We are an important group of people who love fiercely and believe that family is everything. I sure do!
Coming up on Travel Connections, I’m excited to share my conversation with Erik Hulslander, who recently walked more than 550 miles across Spain on the legendary Camino de Santiago. His stories are insightful, inspiring, and full of adventure. Even if you never plan to walk the Camino yourself, I promise you’ll be captivated by his journey.
And yes—Craig is planning to walk the Camino when he retires! Stay tuned for that adventure, too.
Suzanne’s Substack is HERE!
Come on Tour with Us – Info HERE
Travel Connections Podcast is HERE!
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