This Valentine’s Day, I want to take the opportunity to tell the world how much I love my home state. It is, after all, Oregon’s birthday today!
I have a confession to make, though. I’m not technically a native Oregonian. I was born in Germany. However, Germany looks a lot like Oregon, just with more castles (a lot more! the only ones I know of in Oregon are Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at the Enchanted Forest, and the bouncy castle at the county fair), so I figure it counts. All my conscious life I’ve lived in Oregon, aside from last fall’s short stint living in China. And that even had mountains and a giant bookstore nearby, so I felt right at home.
At any rate, no matter what journeys I take in my life, Oregon will always be my home state. There’s just so much to love here. Mountains of every size and shape and geological formation, hundreds of waterfalls, rugged coastline, sage-green high desert, and even a geyser (yeah, I’ve been to Lakeview!). How could I ever want to live anywhere else?
However, I want to see the world. Live in other places. Soak up other cultures and histories and geographies. Make new friends. And all these I will. China was just the beginning. Now, I’m enjoying soaking up rural Southern Oregon life. Next year- who knows?
But this I do know: no matter where I go, I will always look forward to being in Oregon. Whether returning home to visit or happily living in a new part of it. Because it’s my home.
Oregon, I love you. Happy Birthday!
The Compass Rose Queen 