I've had a friend from Nashville visiting since last Wednesday.
She's never been to Oregon before, so I've been showing her around. We drove to the beach for the day, wandered around the Alphabet and the Pearl districts, drove up the Gorge, and visited a variety of my favorite places to eat. She met my family and endured a faintly riotous dinner on our new deck with all of them last night.
And because I've been showing her around, I feel like I've been seeing my hometown and environs with new eyes.
It is the same kind of freshness of outlook that comes from traveling, I think. When you approach a place either for the first time or with someone else for whom it is the first time you just see things differently.
That photo to the left is the Oregon coast. Pretty inspiring, huh? It is a short drive of about one and a half hours from Portland.
The photo to the right is the Columbia River Gorge, taken from Crown Point, looking east. It gets even more beautiful as you go.
I'm appreciating anew how I live admit the most gorgeous and scenic country in the world. Plus, we have had a spectacularly perfect summer, temperature-wise, with highs in the 80s most days and low humidity. I am sorry to tell those of you sweltering through 100+ heat that.
Anyway, my task now is to translate this fresh new outlook to my writing.
How about you? What is your favorite way to get yourself a new viewpoint on life?
J.D. Frost
Yes, I am in the sweltering South. I love living here–when it’s cool enough to breathe. We even have scenery (I’ll post something later), but we have nothing to compare with what you’ve put up. The coast line shot is just gorgeous. As for a new viewpoint, finding myself absolutely alone helps. And dark. Taking my computer to a closet and turning the lights out would be ideal, but I don’t want my wife to think I’m strange.
Charlotte Dixon
J.D., don’t you think your wife already knows you are strange? Kidding! I love the south also and think it is beautiful, though I love my home here, too….
Jessica
I’m still sweltering, although the weather this past week has been balmy compared to the week before that.
I tend to get fresh perspectives thrust on me at strange times. Usually when I’m walking down the street. I suddenly realise I’m in China, dodging three wheeled motorcycle/car thingos (I’m not sure exactly what to call them in English) on my way to buy vegetables from a street vendor, watching people sitting on the side of the road eating their morning noodles. I get shocked into the moment, as if I hadn’t realised where I’ve been living until now. This happens to me every week or so, and each time it feels like the first time I’ve ever felt it. It’s so difficult to put into words. It’s uncomfortable, and yet intoxicating at the same time. I still haven’t put my finger on exactly what triggers it.
So in actual fact, that whole paragraph does nothing to answer your question…apart from proving I understand what you’re saying. :)
Charlotte Dixon
Jessica, I know exactly what you mean and I think you described it really well. Sometimes when I’m in another city for awhile suddenly it will hit me that I’m driving through downtown Nashville. It all seems so normal until I remember that I’m traveling. Of course, China is a far sight more exotic than Nashville….