Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Road To and Fro


The open road. I felt a little carsick, it had been so long since I'd been a passenger. The road unwound before us and rolled over small summits, cut swaths through pine forests, and eventually curled it's way up to the old volcano lake. A perfect camp site awaited and my voice was lost (and the cough that never seemed to end was found...until I got home).

The next day, the road brought us closer to the ocean. It took us to an Enchanted Forest that thrilled little girls (and me) to no end. As it grew dark and we continued our journey, I felt as though we were being launched into space since it was all unfamiliar and the road twisted with unexpected turns through the dense forest. We reached our destination late: a small yellow house located a few blocks from the beach, generously shared by friends.

The beach! We spent days looking for shells, wading, hiking, searching for signs of sea life. Listening to the waves, feeling the mist (when it was there, it was a very sunny trip), watching the light flicker on the waves were all restorative.

Museums...Marsh's Free Museum and the Columbia River Maritime Museum, both excellent in their own way.

And then the road home. We were ready to return, making time, taking the most direct route. Now that I'm here, I wish I was there. Despite my newly discovered status as a not-so-great-traveler (why couldn't I loosen up and let go?), home brings an impossible heat wave, work, and short tempers. Today, I'll daydream about cool breezes while I wade through it all. And I'll also daydream about a new camera, since I dropped mine in the ocean. Photos will be scarce until I can find an old camera to use. Now I need to wander about and see what you've all been up to for the past week and a half....

7 comments:

Vanessa/NessieNoodle said...

sounds (and looks)like you guys had a great trip out of town.
:)

Ana Cristina Abreu said...

it's so wonderful to take a trip, but is even more onderful come back home!!!

look you had an amazing time at the beach!!

caitlin said...

Ooh sounds so nice. Welcome back!

Palmer and Co said...

Oh, it sounds like an amazing time!! So sorry about the camera! My heart aches for you!

Happy Day, Ani!

Bean said...

oh no, so sorry about the camera! our trip along the central & southern coast was a little more overcast, and had it's own drama too... It felt nice to greet the desert again heading home from Vegas.

Bean said...

btw - late august? we can be camping crazy together, haha!! <3

Emmett T said...

Lovely posst