around the bend

ode to oregon

Ever since I can remember, I have always felt a longing to witness the continual birth and death of nature. Summer turning to Fall, Fall to Winter, Winter to Spring, and Spring back to Summer; a spellbound metamorphosis of the Earth’s natural environment. Growing up in the cookie-cutter suburbia of Orange County, the seasons seemed to blur into one another, making it almost impossible to differentiate one from the next. Perfectly placed succulents and expertly trimmed shrubs lined my neighborhood's overly-watered front yards. Palm trees suited to withstand nuclear warfare and plastic flamingos stood proudly and in pristine condition, uninfluenced by the course of nature. The closest I came to living out my fantasy was through movies and tv shows that depicted the wonders of the natural rhythm of the world. 

Now that I am in my twenties and living on my own, I have been able to take matters into my own hands and scratch the itch I had been missing all this time. About two years ago I packed my bags and moved out to Bend, Oregon on a whim, and now I finally get to experience the extraordinary phenomenon I had been longing for. My most treasured attribute of this foreign world is that nature is intertwined into everything, from the infrastructure of downtown to the houses scaling the surrounding buttes. The city was built between rich, dense forests and open high desert, allowing visitors and residents alike to experience and explore a vast range of landscape in just one day. Trees older than the town itself speckle the land and are woven naturally into neighborhoods. Within these neighborhoods, houses are built to blend in with the natural environment as to not overshadow the beauty and elegance of Central Oregon itself. In nearly every nook and cranny of the city, you can find gorgeous parks which showcase the native vegetation of the land along with a variety of wildlife in their natural environment. Rushing through the middle of town is the Deschutes River, which is not only beautiful but has also become my favorite place to be. In the scorching Oregon summer, hundreds of people venture out to the river to float, kayak, paddleboard, and swim, bringing the community together in such a wonderful way. 

My experience in Bend has been absolutely stunning with its colorful and cool fall, snowy wonderland of winter, lush and rainy sprin,g and toasty summer. The seasons have truly come to feel like seasons to me, and for that, I am so grateful to experience such a wonderful place.