All teenagers become disallusioned with life at some point. They become moody, sullen, wanting to be anywhere but.....here. When I was 16 or 17 years old I decided that I absolutely, positively did not want to life in the Pacific Northwest. This thought lingered through college, as I became increasingly bored with small town life in Eugene, Oregon. I wanted to live somewhere exciting and fast-paced, where gray skies were banished, and everything would be bright and pure. Southern California seemed like an exciting place to live, with its Hollywood nightlife and white sandy beaches.
Yes, I went through my phase where I wanted to experience life somewhere else, and luckily, that phase is long gone.
I love the Pacific Northwest. Sunny spring and summer days are a slice of heaven. I woke up this morning and played tennis with David outside in the sun, in a canyon of towering conifers.
"Is that an eagle?" David says, pointing to a bird circling high above.
"Not sure," I replied, getting back to my tennis game.
Where else could I say that? If I was living in LA I'd be pointing at surfers and boob jobs instead of eagles and deer.
Right now I'm commuting to work on a Washington State Ferrie. Blue water ripples as far as I can see, meeting blue sky scratched by the outline of trees. The chug of the motor beneath me is so peaceful, and I feel so blessed to live in such a beautiful place.
I now know that if I ever move away from the Pacific Northwest, I will always come home. The is the most pristine and divine place in the entire United States.
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2 comments:
I totally get that. I didn't move to the Pacific Northwest until 1983, but it truly is home to me. When I moved to Cleveland for 7 years, I kept looking at the horizon line, hoping to see the mountains that weren't there.
Everybody I grew up with wanted to move to NYC. I never saw the appeal.
I did it the opposite. I spent my teens figuring out how to get out of the concrete jungle of LA, and into somewhere more pristine, green and outdoor oriented (thus, here I am in Portland). I still like visiting family in LA, though, and getting those needed shots of sunshine during the gray parts of the year. I like the culture here, feels authentic to me.
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