Today’s almost daily dispatch is being fine tuned and edited from a hotel room in Nanaimo, Canada. More on that later.

As my three-part series wrapped up, I have taken you through my 20s, 30s, and 40s. (linked below)

2022 marked my fabulous fifties, and I was determined to make myself a priority for the first time in my life. A quick side note before we get too far into today’s dispatch: I am a big “woo woo” girl. Some basics that I live by:

• No such thing as a coincidence.
• There are signs and confirmations all around; you just have to be open.
• Spirit guides lead sometimes with a whisper and others with a sharp kick in the ass.
• Always, always, trust your gut.
• We are divine beings, housed in human, mortal flesh—tap into the magic.

Seemingly out of nowhere, 2022 also ushered in a reconnection with an old friend. She and I had lost touch, but we were the type of friends who could pick up right where we left off. Through a series of text messages, she let me know that she had found her true self—that she was gay and living her authentic life in Ohio. Over the course of a few weeks of texting, she shared that her family of origin had rejected her due to her coming out, and that she was engaged and going to marry.

From the time we met, I had taken on a big sister, “substitute Momma” role. I could feel the ache she was experiencing—finally finding her love and her happiness, yet being unable to share that with her family. I did my best to cheer her on from afar. When she asked me to attend her wedding in a “Mother of the Bride” type role, my hands typed out the words—yes, of course—purely on a gut hunch.

And then my logical brain caught up.

What the hell did I just agree to do?

You see, I had become quite the hermit during the pandemic. Due to having two immunocompromised adults in my household, we took precautions very seriously. Living in Washington state and being at the forefront of the pandemic did not help matters; it was a very scary and uncertain time. As I mentioned previously, not only was I not dating, I was also not socializing.

So, imagine my surprise when I gave an immediate “yes” to this invitation.

This wedding was a casual affair planned on very short notice, to be held in the bride-to-be’s lovely backyard on a warm fall night under the Ohio moonlight. As the days got shorter and my travel plans loomed, I quipped: “Hey, are there gonna be any cute boys at this wedding?”

My phone alerted; a new text message had arrived. Five small words—one complete sentence—that changed my life:

“As a matter of fact…”

There is no way to describe in words the whirlwind of that weekend. I flew in on a Friday afternoon, secured my rental car, and made it to my hotel room. I quickly showered and got dressed, ready to drive to my friend’s home for a night of pre-wedding celebration.

As I walked up to the house, I could hear the chatter of lively souls engaged in conversation. My friend greeted me at the door with a big hug and happy tears. We had not seen each other in years, and it was so good to reconnect.

And then I saw him.

Scott Beatty: gentleman extraordinaire. An old soul wrapped up in the heart of an Eagle Scout teenager. Kind, wise, smart, witty, and the first person willing to sacrifice everything for me. He chose me—and most importantly, he chose my family and a brand-new life in Washington over the path he was carving out for himself.

I flew home two days later, landing back in Seattle with my entire plan for the future shattered in the most glorious way. All I knew was this, and it serves as our relationship mantra to this day:

“I don’t know, but we will figure it out.”

Please follow all of Scott’s adventures at www.scottabroad.com

As a historian and excellent storyteller you will find that he is currently weaving the tale of our purchase of a home in Japan.