I love where I live. Today I got up and the morning was refreshingly cool after yesterday’s heat. All the windows were open, and I pulled on a sweatshirt, boiled water, then sat in my favorite chair with my steaming hot tea, the morning sun streaming over my back through the window onto the open Bible on my lap. I closed my eyes and had a truly perfect moment, and all I could think was, “Oh I love Oregon!” Don’t get me wrong, other states are perfect for other people, and I’m not trying to be a state-snob. I have family in New York, Utah, Arizona, and California, and they each love love love their own states and each one is perfect for them. But for me, oh for me Oregon is amazing. Today we also drove halfway across the state to Bend for a short weekend visit. Every time we make the drive, I am amazed again at the beauty. And because I’ve never taken the time to sing the praise of our state, I thought I would today. God certainly was perfectly genius in all His creation, but I happen to think He was exceptionally praiseworthy in His crafting of this little square of green. Why not give thanks for the ways we love where God has placed us?!
Why I love it where I live.
1. Snow is a novelty. Everything shuts down and we have an excuse to rest and play.
2. I actually like rain. I know, weird–I was made to live here.
3. Green! Green and green and green and green. Every time I drive through our town and see the tree-lined streets and rolling green hills I can’t help but thank God.
4. Fresh air! You don’t notice it until you don’t have it.
5. Mountains and ocean all wrapped up in one day’s drive. What a great idea, God!
6. Seasons. Just when I start to get tired of a season we get to move to the next one! Nothing like putting on jeans and a sweater around the end of September.
7. Portland.
8. PERFECT water. I will admit I am a water-snob. I adore Oregon water.
To be fair, there are downfalls. We don’t have In-N-Out Burger, HOV lanes, or H&M. With the addition of these, it’d be perfection. Until then, I’ll take it as is and thank God for His beautiful handiwork in all of creation … and especially here.
Why do you love where you live? List 8 things you love about your location…I’d love to hear!
11 thoughts on “Love Where You Live”
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Utah:
1. Incredibly close proximity to spectacular mountains. Dozens of trailheads (including high alpine) are within 40 min of where we live (still conveniently in suburbia).
2. Abundant sunshine. Numerous sunny days make it easy to spend plenty of time outside, and even rainy days tend to be characterized by awe-inspiring thunderstorms that quickly move through with more sun-breaks.
3. Dry, thin high altitude air. I love the low humidity, it lessens the affects of heat, and it is great for exercise because sweating is actually effective. The high altitude keeps our red blood cell counts up.
4. Plenty of snow in the winter. I love the beauty of the snow, I enjoy getting out and shoveling it, but with UDOT’s extensive snow plows it doesn’t slow traffic down (actually seems people drive faster in the snow).
5. Abundant rock. You can climb them. And its fun. The rocky canyons are truly beautiful.
6. Southern Utah. The desert sandstone landscapes are some of the most spectacular and unique places on earth.
7. Seasons. I too love the seasons. Real snow in the winter. It dries out and gets warm in the spring. And tons of aspens that turn brilliant yellows and golds in the falls.
8. Little traffic. The olympics spurred the expansion of freeways that are ridiculously large for a city our size.
BTW, what is H&M?
What is H&M?!!!???? Kris, I’m sorry you have never shopped at H&M. I miss the Boston H&M, Kari! Was just thinking about that the other day.
Honestly, I didn’t think there was much I liked about TX, so this was a good exercise for me.
What I love about TX (northern Dallas area):
1. Cheap cheap housing
2. Cheap tasty produce
3. Wide roads
4. Huge skies overtaken with amazing radiant colors in the glorious sunsets.
5. Taco Bell around every corner
6. Strangers will talk to you
7. Dry heat
8. Cute little geckos
I love it, guys! Thanks for participating! Anyone else? Maybe we can hit every state. 🙂 Kris, H&M is a clothing store that’s SUPER cute and super cheap. They’re even in Europe, but not west coast. Of your two I will admit I’d love the cheap cheap housing, produce, and abundant sunshine. Good stuff!
There is a West Coast invasion – there are now TWO H&M stores in Seattle…when I was up there last weekend, I went on a little spree. Let’s just say we were in the store long enough to take two bathroom breaks.
What a delight!! As a mom, how could I NOT be so happy that my kids love where they are. We are sad that we are not near our UT grandkids…that is a LOSS, but we are thrilled to know our kids are contented and love the place they are. (Kris just called and we chatted about this topic. As we talked, Jennika was proclaiming thunder and lightning.) Kari, thank you for initiating this subject. Love our kids and their kids! mom
Eight Things I Love About Oregon:
1 The seasons
2 High desert and Pacific Ocean, rain forest, Cascade Mts…all in one state.
3 Columbia River
4 Our home on the wild Molalla River
5 About one fourth of the nation’s wild rivers
are in OR
6 Our humidity (lower than UT),is less than the south IT is cool at night.
7 Trees! The fir trees are magnficent.
8 Some of those dearest to me live here!
9 My dear husband wants you to know HE is one my biggeset reasons for loving it here. mom
I could list 8 things I love about Oregon with enthusiasm, but I don’t live there right now. So, I’ll go ahead with California, which I do really like. 🙂
1. Targets everywhere. Think this isn’t special? Try living in Hawaii. But, oh yeah, they added one two months after we left…
2. Milk only costs $2 a gallon instead of $5 a gallon on sale. (Again, comparing with Hawaii.)
3. Cool air in the mornings and evenings. Not cool compared to OR, but still comparing with HI…
4. It is attached to other states.
5. Desert beauty, beautiful sunsets.
6. Plenty of parking and big, wide freeways. (And driving fast!)
7. Living within 45 minutes of the beach AND 45 minutes of the mountains
8. People who have known me since I was 14 years old. That’s huge for me.
I never thought I’d say it, but I really do love living in California.
P.S. Kari, you got a lot of responses on H&M! 🙂 Come to think of it, I haven’t seen one around here. I’ll have to keep my eyes open. 🙂
OH how I love Oregon! OH how I miss Oregon! Last time I was there I was going to post all the things I loved about Oregon and kept a numerical number. I think I got to at least 50. I almost choked on my ice water when you said you had a sweatshirt on this morning. That is one of my top 5’s about Oregon…mandatory sweatshirts for morning and evening almost 12 months out of the year. And you are SO not alone in loving the rain. PERFECT reading weather. So…I am falling in love with Beaufort the longer we’re here- but it still pales in comparison. I’ll try it out….
8 reasons I love Beaufort, SC
1. Our neighborhood (it’s a cute, quaint southern style neighborhood that looks like it’s straight out of Pleasantville…wrap around porches, colorful coastal colored homes, and over half the inhabitants are young Marine families like us)
2. Live oaks with spanish moss. EVERYWHERE.
3. Downtown- great playground for kids right on the water with a great local coffee shop and cutest kid shop and “lollipop shop” in walking distance
4. Porch talk. No matter what season, no matter what temperature (that goes on my least fave list, everyone sits on their porches at night & in morning…coffee in morn, wine by night.
5. Intercoastal waterway almost in our backyard- we even have dolphins off our deck at times
6. The southern accents and “yes maam’s and yes sir’s” out of all the kids.
7. That I can actually mention the word “spanking” in public and not have fear of passersby…
8. Crazy, impressive, and breathtaking thunderstorms.
Oh my gosh! I actually thought of more!!!
9. That jet sounds overhead are considered not a menace, but the sound of freedom.
10. The pro-military support we feel by living here.
11. 1 hr from Charleston (awesome city) and 30 mins from Hilton Head.
I can still go on! It’s amazing what thinking of positives can do! Thanks for the lesson kari!
correction….we don’t have dolphins off our deck…off the neighborhood DOCK.
Yay guys! Good work! Caila yes I do love Target, and the one about being near people who’ve known you forever is huge for me too. I live 15 minutes from the girl who’s been a best friend since birth. That’s cool to me!
Jen, I LOVE that you thought of so many! Woohoo. I actually think your little neighborhood sounds heavenly. Can I visit? 🙂 And I did raise both eyebrows at the “dolphins off the deck” claim…thanks for clarifying. 🙂 Love you all!