A lot of people asked what brought me to Oregon on a solo 10 day road trip I recently took. The answer? Dreams. See, as some of you know all too well, being tied to a military lifestyle can often make you feel like you're blindfolded and living on a giant roller coaster, and they're still building the track at each twist and turn you meet. You never know where you'll be or what will come your way from year to year. It's exciting. It's freeing in a way. It's also maddening at times and can leave you feeling disconnected to your own life. Hence the dreaming.
Oregon is the stuff of our dreams. It's where we're planing to settle down... in a decade when Corey retires from the military (I realize we have no clue where our lives might actually take us in the next 10 years. Don't harsh the fantasy!). Oregon seems to have it all: the perfect location where every possible recreational activity is at your fingertips. A manageable cost of living. Good beer. It feels like CA meets MA (or at least has many of the things we each love about our respective home states). It feels like us.
So anyway, in our current less-than-perfect circumstance of being apart and missing our life together, a trip to the Pacific Northwest seemed like just the thing to boost our (well, my... and hopefully Corey's by extension) spirits and spark happy future fantasizing. It was a success!
I made a giant, 2100 mile loop (going all the way up to Seattle to meet my wonderful cousin Liz for a super fun night of good talks, seedy underground city exploration, bridge trolls, and erotic bakeries. Yep, she's definitely the person you want showing you around a city. Thanks again Liz!)
I made the drive up through central Oregon and then back down along the coast, seeing lots of awesome places. The highlights:
Bend, OR:
Ah-mazing. This is it! Our future home city. It was a thing of beauty. During my 2.5 days here, I narrowed down the 5 block radius where our future dream house will be. And stalked Matthew Fox a little.*
Crater Lake:
I've never seen water so blue! The 30 mile drive around the lake was one of the funnest mornings on my road trip. Such a beautiful place.
Portland, OR:
This is by far my favorite city EVER! Everything about it is just so cool. Love the vibe, love the food, love the planning. Just love.
Oregon Coast:
Definitely beautiful. Definitely wouldn't stay for more than a vacation.
I already want to go back! Until that day, I'll just keep dreaming.
*Just kidding about the stalking Matthew Fox thing. He was out of town, so I couldn't.
4 comments:
Those Crater Lake pictures are breathtaking. And isn't that the spot from Goonies along the coast?
I have a friend who recently moved to Bend and she loves it there. I've heard nothing but great things about it. Glad you took this amazing trip!
Beautiful! Nick and I want to settle in OR also, though we haven't been able to take a trip up there yet. Maybe next year! Love the pictures.
so pretty! yep...i think that is the goonies coast!!!! hope you and corey get to be together again soon..military life is exactly how you described it! takes a strong woman to put up with it all :)
I thought I had already commented on your post, but here it goes again! :)
I'm new to the "Blogger World" and I am sooo glad your posts was one of the first Ive seen. The pictures are absolutely amazing! Keep posting!
Beijos!
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