We are a family of 6 that call the Pacific Northwest home. We love water and mountains and do as many activities as we can to appreciate and help preserve these gifts. We are always up for a good adventure and have travelled to many beautiful places with our two sets of twins. Something that we are really proud of is that in 2023 and 2024 we sailed across the Pacific Ocean from Washington State to New Zealand. You can view short videos highlighting that adventure and many others on our blog. Thanks for reading!
Mike: I grew up in Michigan, was completely ordinary, didn’t get my first passport until after college and have spent the last twenty years trying to make up for all of the above. I first met the Cascade mountains in Winter 1998 and immediately fell in love, and I finally got to move to Washington permanently in 2008 after surviving 10 years on the east coast. I was lucky to meet Laura Jean in 2010 and life has been a sprint ever since — three careers, 4 kids and many, many trips. “Why not now?” is her default response whenever I mention something I’d like to do when I’m retired… I never imagined having a big, chaotic family but now I wouldn’t want any other life. In a past life I was an experimental particle physicist and, before that, a philosophy major. My favorite place is our cabin on Orcas Island, and one of my dreams (that scares the crap out of me), is for our family to sail out of our cove, out the Straight of Juan de Fuca and across the Pacific.
2025 Update: My name is Mike and I just turned 50. I’ve done more than I ever dreamed and enjoy sailing and passage making. I safely transported my family across the Pacific Ocean 2023-2025 and it felt like an incredible accomplishment.
Laura Jean: Hi, I’m LJ: aka mom, daughter, first mate, hydrogeologist, builder of things, adventurer, climber, musician, etc. I was born in Maine to adventurous parents who took me along on a six year sailing circumnavigation on a Whitby 42 ketch between ages 6-12. My days were filled with snorkeling, searching for waterfalls, playing with locals, reading, crafting, legos and homeschool. After returning to Maine I spent my teenage years exploring the mountains and woods of Maine and trying to catch up to pop culture, sports and hobbies that didn’t exist in pre-internet 1980s cruising life. In my 20s I pursued a career in hydrogeology and got back into sailing through racing in San Francisco Bay, Seattle and Perth, Australia. I was lucky to work in amazing parts of the world, but as I turned 30, I felt the Pacific Northwest mountains and snow calling my soul and I moved there where I currently reside.
2025 Update: Orcas Island has embraced our family with enthusiasm over the last decade and I feel so lucky to be a part of this special community. From playing my french horn in the community band, to watching my kids thrive on stage at the Orcas Center, to spending countless ferry rides walking laps and chatting with friends on our adventures to the mainland…..it is all wonderful. As I contemplate my bucket list and goals for the next decade, I’m excited to continue planning meaningful adventures of my family and to be involved in our community as a listener and advocate for music and youth.
Forrest: I am 5 years old and I like to ride my awesome green mountain bike on single track trails, skiing and sledding with my twin sister, building big mega airplane cars with legos, playing with my friends, adventures on our sailboat and exploring the beach at our cabin on Orcas Island. Sometimes my dad will let me drive the Whaler boat there and I love that. I sing in our churches childrens choir and every week I get to rock climb, draw, play soccer and dance with my friends. I also like sleeping in, snacks at bedtime and movies with my family. Take a look at my personal blog here!
2025 Update: I’m almost 12 years old and love soccer so much that I play it every day. My socks have soccer balls on them. My underwear has soccer balls on them. I love soccer. I also really like skiing and mountain biking. Dessert is my favorite meal. I really like singing karaoke with my friends. I practice the trumpet and tried the guitar a little. I use product in my hair so it makes a natural visor and I don’t have to wear a hat. It took me a little time to get used to middle school but I’m enjoying it now and my favorite subject is math. I really enjoy cribbage and will play anyone who challenges me!
Sierra: I am 5 years old and my favorite thing is doing puzzles. I could do puzzles all day every day, and sometimes I do. The last puzzle I put together was 500 pieces and my mom helped a little. I also really like to be outside in the snow where I can ski or sled with my younger sisters and twin brother. I like crafts, riding my mountain bike, helping my mom with anything, picking out my own clothes, dance class and above all other things going to the rock climbing gym. I really like rock climbing. Take a look at my personal blog here!
2025 Update: I am going to be 12 soon and my favorite things to do are skiing and puzzles. I enjoy crafts of many types and also joined the sailing team! Middle school is so fun for me because I enjoy learning. I can’t even identify a favorite subject because I like them all. I play the violin in school and have recently been cast in a musical where I play and sing a song all by myself and I am practicing really hard so I do a good job. I love butterflies and the color green. I am working on my silver award project for Girl Scouts which is to visit and connect with a village in Nepal when we take our family trip there in 2026.
Aurora: I’m 2 years old and eating is my favorite activity. I will eat at any time of day. I’m also really fast and like to run around the house making sure everybody can hear how much fun I am having. There is a closet in our house that is really fun to play peek-a-boo in and I do that a lot. I am a good sleeper but have a hard time if I don’t have my favorite soft purple hippo blanket.
2025 Update: I’m 9 years old and love running and dancing. My favorite foods are spaghetti and bread. I just got my ears pierced and I’m really responsible about brushing my hair, cleaning my ears and getting myself to all of my dance classes on Orcas Island. I am very picky about my clothes and wish that all pants, shirts and underwear were made out of puffy fleece clouds. I still can’t sleep without my purple lovey, which has multiplied into 3. I am very obsessed with pandas and am really excited that we are going to visit a panda sanctuary in China in 2026. School is really fun and my favorite subjects are math and writing.
Coral: I’m 2 years old and I like to laugh. I also like to throw tantrums if I don’t get what I want. My favorite things are singing baby shark, wearing my shark slippers, sitting at the piano with grampy, running with my sister, and exploring new places with my family.
2025 Update: I am 9 years old and my favorite thing is sleeping. I really like strawberries and music. I am in love with the ocean and snorkeling and can’t wait to be old enough to complete my junior open water dive training (next year). I share my bed with ~300 stuffed animals that have individual names, personalities and stories. I have big feelings and a big heart which sometimes makes me feel different and excluded. I am practicing to put those big emotions into fun activities like musical theatre and crafts.
Astra: I am the newest addition to the Miller 6 and joined the adventures in 2025 after they came back from New Zealand. I am a boykin spaniel and my life is pretty great on Orcas Island. I live right by the water and get to swim in the ocean or the pond. Swimming is my favorite thing to do and I’m really good at it.
Meet the Millers 