Catching the Sunset

One of my favorite things about Oregon is the endless beauty on every. single. corner. Driving down the freeway? California poppies and evergreens for miles. Going to the dog park? Trees, flowers, birds. Going to Walmart? Enjoy this lake view (in Salem).

When we first moved here my goal was to explore as much of the state as possible. I wanted it to feel like home. When we lived in Idaho the farthest we ventured was to Yellowstone, just an hour and a half away. We never had a deep connection with the state and haven't missed living there. When we lived in Arizona, my husband's native home, we traveled a little bit more. We visited the rural cities in Eastern Arizona, the pine forests in Flagstaff, the red rock in Sedona, and the deep desert near Gilbert and Mesa. Arizona is truly a magical place if you're into the desert scene. For me, the heat and cactus was too much. I wanted to sit in soft grass under a shady tree. I wanted to hike next to a river and climb a hill to look out over the trees and valleys. As an Utah native I've been most at home in the mountains and Oregon has been able to deliver that and much more!

These pictures were from a hike just a couple days ago. There is a wildlife reserve just 20 miles from our home. One day, the clouds were just sparse enough that we could still see the sunset if we hurried! We zoomed out to this reserve and made it to the lookout point just in time. It reminded me of the photos from Pinterest of the sunsetting over the Italian vineyards in Tuscany.

Summer is starting to set in, the blackberries are blossoming, and I got to wear shorts for the first time this year! I'm excited to start catching more sunsets.