An island in Puget Sound

What initially drew me to island life

Canadian-born and raised in the rural farmlands of Ontario, in my 20s I worked for UNHRC — United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees —and lived on an island off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

It’s where I first fell in love with “island life” and the need to be near water.

I first moved to Vashon Island, a small island in Puget Sound, just a short ferry ride creating a buffer from the stress and intensity of a job in a bustling downtown city.

Often like those seeking coaching, a major event serves as a catalyst for seeking change. Mine was when my father died at 54 from his final heart attack (he previously had 3). It was my “wake-up” call at age 34, given my similar workaholic lifestyle and a family history of heart disease; I knew something had to change. I also knew this about myself: I work best within a self-imposed structure. What better arrangement than having a time-restricted ferry schedule that “forced” me to stop working to catch that last passenger-only boat from this downtown city to this bucolic island in the Salish Sea. The pile of cases on my desk (working as a legal advocate for the City’s Prosecutor’s office) was not going to stop accumulating. Only my response to my work load could I change. Beckoning a slower pace and a simpler lifestyle, walking down the ferry ramp and up the hill to my simple home— void of light pollution —I took in all my senses: hearing the waves, the crickets and the frogs on my long walk home… seeing the moon, glistening against Puget Sound… listening to my breathing… smelling the island’s fresh air. On most evenings, I would turning around facing Seattle’s downtown skyline, telling myself. “My work will be there tomorrow. Tonight, it’s about recharging my batteries…”

Thirty years later —with no longer a daily commute — the island still nourishes my body, mind, and soul. As much as I love travelling the world and immersing myself in other cultures so very different from this island life—specifically, the Gulf region of the Middle East since 2014—Vashon Island has been my permanent “landing pad” over these 30 years. It’s where I feel grounded and a deep connection to Mother Earth and this island community. While the same size as Manhattan (an island borough in New York City with over 1.6 million residents), Vashon-Maury Island’s full-time population is just 11,000 islanders.

“When I would return from 11 solid months working across the Middle East, I couldn’t wait to get my hands dirty in my garden, sowing the seeds of nutrition for what will emerge upon my next visit, realizing that my property not only feeds my belly with foods from my garden, but also fills my soul.”

“I continue to feed this paradox of living and working between these two very different climates and cultures —going from the Northern Hemisphere to the Eastern Hemisphere—from moist, fertile, green landscapes of the Pacific Northwest; to the hot, arid, desert conditions across the Arabian Peninsula.“

I’ve created a garden sanctuary for my guests and retreat clients here at MiKo’s Retreat House. -Illustration by Annie Brule, 2008

Insights. Metaphors. Paradoxes.

Although I coach year-round— both virtually and in-person — I usually spend the months of April through September in the USA, which corresponds to the hot summer months of the Middle East. So you’ll find me in Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi between October through March, travelling across the GCC to coach my clients F2F, deliver in-person retreats, speak at conferences, and lead transformative on-site change events. I relish this dual bi-cultural life-style that challenges me outside my comfort zone and keeps me in a Growth Mindset, continually providing insights into my clients’ cultures and deep seated values. This paradox of living as a Western woman in two vastly different social cultures, climates, and political structures stretches me in ways that I can then mirror as I support, challenge, and “stretch” my clients.

While stateside, I also lead 1:1 and couples retreats, held at MiKo’s Guest House, a cabin on my property inviting introspection while immersed in nature. Perfect for a “look back in order to look forward” week of reflection, mindfulness practice, massage, soaking, letting go, journaling, and rejuvenation. What emerges is a calmer, more grounded, laser focus you with clearer goals for your future, and a structure (coaching app) to support you along your journey.

Click here to schedule a 45-minute complimentary Breakthrough session to learn how.

Once You Have Slept On An Island

If once you have slept on an island
You'll never be quite the same;
You may look as you looked the day before
And go by the same old name,
You may bustle about in street and shop
You may sit at home and sew,
But you'll see blue water and wheeling gulls
Wherever your feet may go.
You may chat with the neighbors of this and that
And close to your fire keep,
But you'll hear ship whistle and lighthouse bell
And tides beat through your sleep.
Oh! you won't know why and you can't say how
Such a change upon you came,
But once you have slept on an island,
You'll never be quite the same.

-Rachel Lyman Field

“In less than 2 months working with Karen and using the daily coaching app, I have already gained more confidence in myself, experience less daily stress with greater “ease & flow,” making better investment decisions, resulting in a $20k profit! I can’t wait to discover what I’ll create in Month 3!

— confidential Vashon Island client (June 2023)