Getting lost in order to be found

I got lost in Portland yesterday.

That in and of itself is rather inconsequential, I'm still new in the city and do tend to end up taking the long route to get just about anywhere. I enjoy it though! I find it's a great way to get myself acquainted with the city.

Yesterday I took one wrong turn and ended up pleasantly surprised by the lush, green alleyway that I encountered as a result. If that's not some kind of wonderful analogy for the hidden surprises that life may bring, I don't know what is.

I am kind of enamored with the idea of being lost.  Maybe it's because I spent 6 months "lost" in the mountains without reception and connection to the world and relations I once held dear. In this day and age there is very little means in terms of actually being geographically lost.

The belief that I hold is that it is too easy to become stagnant and comfortable in routine. There is no harm done in taking yourself out of your comfort zone in order to experience something new, that is after all what life is made of.

“Getting lost was not a matter of geography so much as identity, a passionate desire, even an urgent need, to become no one and anyone, to shake off the shackles that remind you who you are, who others think you are.” 
― Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost

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WOODBURN :: Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

The fact that Stephanie and Matt drove up 7 hours from Arcata to Portland to be able to experience a new city and celebrate Stephanie's birthday with me made me put on my best friend cap on and do something awesome in return for them. Luckily I had the tulip festival up my sleeve as a nice little surprise for them! I like to think I nailed it.

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TRAIL JOURNAL //Harford Springs Reserve

Going home felt like, well, going home. There will always be a comfort in driving down the familiar streets and feeling the hot California sun beating down on my brown skin that I can't get anywhere else in the world. I spent as much time as I could seeing everyone and getting all caught up. I've been gone from home a long time and I didn't realize how much needed to be said, it's a shame because 5 days simply wasn't enough. Some day I'll get a chance to stop by or return longer, I know it. That's probably why I'm putting off going back home for now.

The entire week I was there was sunny! Having been in Oregon now since December and experienced the majority of Winter/Spring (i.e. what real seasons look like elsewhere), I realized how much I missed the sun. While a friend invited me out for a movie I felt too restless to sit inside a dark theater for 2 hours. So when Daniel, a fellow adventurer and photographer invited me out for a small outdoor excursion, I happily obliged.

The difference in environment from where I am now currently in Oregon was a welcoming sight. I love the lush greenery that Portland and most of Oregon has to offer, but it's nice to go back to the golden, rolling hills and chaparral that California has.