I've been in Seaside for over a month now. It seems I am slowly making the transition from tourist to local. Mostly, I still feel like I'm on extended vacation, except when I'm at work. Right now, I have a love/hate relationship with living on the coast.
I love the fresh air, the ocean being right down the street, Astoria and the farmer's market being a few miles away, fresh seafood all the time, Sleepy Monk coffee and walking to work.
I hate not having a decent grocery store- Safeway sucks and is always full of tourists. I'm praying for a Winco to move into the old Costco in Warrenton. I know we will never have anything close to a New Seasons. I miss having access to any culinary ingredient my heart desired at any given moment. I'll just have to stock up whenever I am in Portland. Of course I miss being close to friends and family as well. Winter will be bittersweet, as it will wash away the tourists, but also limits visits from friends and family. I hope we can make it over the pass at Christmas time.
Overall though, I'm living my dream of living at the coast. It's taking a little getting used to, but honestly, I don't have much to complain about. Most people spend $100 a night just to visit our little town. I get to live here. I'm pretty lucky.
