In other posts, I’ve written about the joy of loving where you live, and I certainly do! (When I say “love where you live,” I’m not just talking about the space you occupy, your home, or the town you live in, but also the region you inhabit.)

Loving the region where you live can take a bit more work than simply loving the house you live in, making an effort to get out and discover it to appreciate it. I thought about that recently when I had the privilege of accompanying one of my sons-in-laws on an overnight backpacking trip to one of his favorite places: La Push, Washington.

Not all destinations are easy to get to and this was one of them. La Push is a wild place where land meets water and jagged rock formations make stunning silhouettes against the brilliant red sun when it sets over the Pacific Ocean off Washington’s west coast. First, Second, Third, and Rialto Beaches are highly recommended there; we chose Second Beach, a mile-long stretch with several freshwater streams that meander from sand to sea. It’s one of the few places I’ve encountered where you’re still free to help yourself to driftwood for a fire.

You can’t see Second Beach by just pulling off the freeway at one of those visitor viewpoints and jumping out of your car for a quick look. No, this is one of those places that requires some planning and attention to detail to get there. So, we diligently packed our backpacks, grabbed our bedrolls and—oh, did I mention our bear cans?—and set out.

Once on the beach, we found a place to make camp: close to fresh water but far enough away from other campers to make us feel like we were miles away from anywhere and anyone. The continuous sound of the waves was both our lullaby and our alarm clock. No cell phones, no computers. It is some of the best of the wild that Washington has to offer.

This kind of adventure reminds me that many times, the best things in life take work to experience and appreciate. Loving where you live can require planning and preparation, not at all unlike buying and selling real estate. Buying a home—or selling one—is admittedly a lot of effort. But it also can afford you that sweet spot of being in a place that’s perfect at just the right time in your life.

My ocean adventure was worth every bit of effort it took to prepare for it and get there. It reinforced my conviction that the best things in life require effort—and reminded me how much I love where I live!

(c) 2017 Doug Lawrence. All Rights Reserved.

Doug Lawrence is a licensed broker with Keller Williams West Sound in Gig Harbor, Washington. He loves the opportunities the real estate profession gives him to help people love where they live! If you’d like to buy, sell, or invest in real estate in the Pierce or Kitsap County area, give him a shout (or a call, or an email): dlawrence@kw.com or 253.341.5287.