I celebrated my 27th bday last week and it was WONDERFUL!
So much better than my 26th.
I left work early and headed to Auburn, AL where 2 of my good friends still live. We made dinner and they made me a tiny cake, my favorite, wakey cake. And we ate vegetable pot pie. SO good.
My very wonderful friend Cassie decided to take me to the airport at 3 in the morning because I had scheduled a 7am flight.
Thanks be to Cassie for that sacrifice.
Flying to the west coast is awesome because I gained 2 hours! I left at 7:20AM and arrived at 9:45. It was awesome!
Out of state.
STAT.
I visited the Pacific Northwest last week after my 27th birthday, and I have to tell you that I have a crush.
Crushing on the state of Washington, Oregon, and I feel very certain that I would be into northern California as well.
I traveled to Seattle to visit my best friend after A WHOLE YEAR of not seeing her.
And oh it was so good to see her.
I also got to see my good friend and former roomie, who I love so much.
THEN a bunch of my college friends had a reunion in Portland, Oregon.
To say that my heart was full is an understatement.
We all traveled from multiple locations, as far south as Alabama and as far east as Maine, and one traveled from Northern California.
We got to spend a whole day and night together. Oh me oh my. How I love my Auburn people.
Lets get back to my crushes.
I have never seen anything like what I saw. Driving down the interstate while gazing at Mt. Rainier in the distance like it was a cloud. I couldn't get over the beauty and grandness of this snow capped mountain. We don't have mountains in south Alabama, so it was difficult at first for my brain to understand that this is what a mountain was. I have also never seen a mountain in real life.
Now I have!
THEN. The trees. Can we talk about the charm of these pointed firs? Christmas like trees lined the interstates and highways.
I felt like I was in another world.
I am only used to oaks, maples, pears and such. But the trees. These trees were grand. They were a dark grey-green-blue. And I loved them. I also saw a few redwoods, and I am just so in love with these trees.
I think this is the first time I have ever had a crush on nature.
Out of the 5 days I was in Seattle and Portland, it was overcast and misty for only one of those days. Sunshine dominated the rest of the trip.
Seattle is a cool city, with tons of people my age.... which I love very much.
Portland is too cool for words. Like, I immediately came home from Portland and began pricing Subarus. Everything is good, the coffee(the coffee is SO good), the food, the fact that there are people my age, AND nearby mountains and wilderness that I can go for a day hike.
Lets not forget that TRADER JOES is the store of choice in that area. There is not one Trader Joes in Alabama, they are actually almost finished with one in Birmingham(which is 3.5 hours from where I live). I also have a crush on Trader Joes. And Kroger.
And with all sarcasm set aside, I felt closer to God when I was looking at Mt Rainier.
And I felt like my soul blossomed. AND I was not smoking pot when I was feeling all of these things.
I have never felt that way around nature, and even though I'm not a super outdoorsy person, I see a bright future ahead.
One filled with hiking boots, tents, and sleeping bags.
One where risks are taken!
