By Living Room Realty, May 7, 2019
Late last fall, my husband and I decided to pack up our 4 boys, leave the inner city, and spend a few years soaking in island life on Sauvie Island while our kiddos were still young (and interested in hanging out with Mom and Dad). And…doing it in floating home. I get asked about our experimental living so many times, I thought it best to just make a blog post out of it! Here are my top 4 best reasons for Sauvie Island living in a floating home.
1. Kids, it’s time to unplug:
The daily struggle of the screen is real. And when you multiple that by 4, the task of limited screen time can seem that much more unacheiveable. A great shortcut is to move your kids to a location with dysfuncital Wifi and, poof, your problem is solved. Well, not quite. That’s a joke, kind of. Other options have to be accessible. Thats when we found wet suits to be our best friends for year round outdoor activities. Once the wet suit is put on, you almost feel amphibian- like you were made to live life aquatically! This space to unplug isnt even just good for the kids, but adults too. A lot less of netflix and chill, and more porch time and chat.
2. Sauvie Island Culture:
Sauvie Island is bursting with character and countless ways to soak up island life. On any given weekend morning in the spring and summer, you’ll be greeted by flocks of bicyclists riding through the flowing roads, or runners getting in their morning jog. There are windsurfers and kiteboarders taking advatage of the less intimidating waters of the Columbia River off of Walton Beach (also a popular destination for families wanting to frolic in the sand), before heading to the Gorge. When the weather cools off and fall approaches, there is no better place to pick your pumpkins and chop down your Christmas tree. And for the holidays, you’ll never see a more interesting parade of boats, dressed up in Christmas lights with varying hilarious themes. But my absolute favorite are Thursday nights at Kruger farm where they host local musicians of all kinds to play live music, serve local spirits, and delcious food cart cuisine.
3. Nature is a Narcotic:
OK, I might be exaggerting. Nature is not quite a narcotic, but does offers a way to find relief from anxiety, depression, and all of the other fun side effects of the over scheduled modern life. In a 2016 study, researchers from America and New Zealand found that simply living within site of water is associated with lower levels of psycholigcal stress
(https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2016/ocean-views-linked-to-better-mental-health/ ). As a busy working mom, who finds herself spread a bit too thin at times, living near water has really helped me stay more balanced and taking care of my mental health, as well as that of my family. Sometimes painting your bedroom blue just isn’t enough.
4. Farm to Table:
Although the you-pick season isn’t with us all year round, the conveinet access to it is well worth the wait. I love that my local grocery store is a farm! With the variety of small family farms nearby, you always have options for some of the best produce in Portland. And what’s even better is that since there’s no middle man, you get to directly support local business AND save money! But my kids would proably say they’re favorite part is getting to play with the all the animals while I shop, especially Charolotte the VERY pregnant pig (pigletss due…sometime soon?).
