Making Tracks

By Kat Bryant

Have I mentioned lately how much I love living and working on the Harbor?

I will admit, three months of almost constant rain was not the most positive way to start my new life in Aberdeen. Still, I’ve had some deeply gratifying experiences since I arrived in March — both personally and professionally.

And as I’ve settled in, I’ve become more comfortable exposing myself (figuratively speaking) to my new community. I find I’m pushing myself in ways I never have before, and it’s largely because of the overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received from all over the Harbor.

Both during and outside business hours, I’ve met a horde of terrific people and started building new friendships.

As part of this, I have to say I’ve witnessed neighborly kindness unlike anyplace else I’ve lived. Just one example: When I injured my knee in April, one person offered to travel 22 miles to spend a day helping out around my house. She and I hadn’t even met face to face at that point — only exchanged emails. (I was touched by her offer, but declined.) We bumped into each other about a month later at a small gathering in Westport and have become friends.

On my own time, I’ve taken my dog on some long, gorgeous walks close to home and am looking forward to taking her to other locales as I explore farther out. I feel like summer’s already slipping away, and I have so many hiking trails still on my list — but I’m confident that I’ll be here a long time, so I have no doubt I’ll get to all of them and then some.

For the Fourth of July, I set foot on a tall ship for the first time. It was a tad crowded on the Lady Washington, but I’m so glad I went! She’s a lovely lady, her crew is a lot of fun and the light show was spectacular — not just the official Splash fireworks, but many others all around.

Also, I’m proud to say I’ve now climbed one historic lighthouse on each coast: one on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and now the one in Westport. I’d like to visit more of them here in Washington, starting with the other four along the outer coast.

On the professional side, I’ve branched out like never before. I’ve been a copy editor, page designer and project manager for most of my career — never a reporter or photographer. The most writing I’d done before this was a twice-monthly “editor’s notebook” in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s. Now, I’m writing features about things that matter to me (and, I hope, to you) — and I’m basically opening a vein on a weekly basis for this column, which makes me insanely happy.

This week, I’m opening myself up in yet another way: With encouragement from my new friends at the North Beach Artists Guild, I will be entering a few photos in the group’s amateur competition.

I’ve enjoyed taking pictures for years. Birds are my favorite subjects — probably because my dad and brother are avid birdwatchers, and that’s rubbed off on me. But I’m also fascinated by other elements of nature, from clouds to critters. Before I came here, the only place I’d displayed them publicly was on Facebook.

As I write this on Friday, I’ve narrowed about three years’ worth of pictures (from Arizona, North Dakota and here) down to a couple dozen of my favorites. And by the time you read this, I will have decided on three to have printed and framed for the show in Ocean Shores.

I’m a little nervous anticipating how my work will be received. But no matter what, as a lifelong introvert, I’m thrilled to be in a place where I feel comfortable taking such a big step.

And I can’t wait to see what I’ll try next.

Kat Bryant is lifestyle editor of The Daily World. Reach her at kbryant@thedailyworld.com or on Facebook at Kat Bryant-DailyWorld.