Realizations in the Pacific Northwest

It has been way too long since I have gone on an adventure and this past weekend was a perfect opportunity to fly up to the Pacific Northwest to visit my very best friend who is settling into her new home in Eugene, Oregon.

I could only be there for a few days so the short visit called for cramming in as much food, beer drinking, sight seeing, hiking and catching up as possible and although it has been too long since we have seen each other, being together during those few days felt as though we had never been apart. The rainy weather of Oregon did not surprise me, but the refreshing vitality that it brought did. The skies cleared just long enough for us to go for a hike around the Mount Pisgah Arboretum to get a view of Eugene's lush and expansive landscape (not what I have experienced in California so far).  As we explored, my shoes became water-logged and my toes started to lack warmth and feeling but the best part was I didn't even care. I felt like a kid again and couldn't be happier than in that moment, on that mountain, with a friend who brings out the best in me.


There was something incredibly rejuvenating about my trip to Oregon and the time I spent with my friend brought back a lot of joy that I have been missing lately. I realized how important making time to spend with close friends is, no matter how far away they are, especially as we grow older and begin to build our own lives as adults.

We are all trying to figure things out but it's the people you keep close to your heart that will be with you every step of the way.

Speaking of steps- I can't believe that I have lived here for almost an entire year! In just one short month, I will be traveling back across the country to begin my life's next adventure. Through the stress, anxiety and endless contemplation I have put myself through these past two months, I have decided that moving closer to life I have missed is what feels right in my heart. I have learned and experienced more than I could have imagined and I know that as long as I allow myself to stay open to the endless possibilities that lie ahead, the right opportunity will present itself.

If these peak your interest, here are some random moments that I've been capturing from behind the lens...