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Weekenders: Oregon Coast Edition

Joel and I have long housed a prejudice against the state of Oregon. Not only did the expansive state make for an extremely long drive between Redding, California (where we attended college), and Seattle, Washington (where Joel lived), but Oregon has a reputation of being worst drivers with the worst speed limit AND you have to let someone pump your gas for you (read: talk to strangers!).

And you guys, Washington drivers are bad, quite bad. But not Oregon bad. 

But truthfully, we've not seen very much of Oregon. Joel has lived in Seattle his whole life, so I am not sure what his excuse is, but I'd never seen the Oregon coast either.

So we did. We hitched up Bowie to Gma and Gpa (she was not upset) and took off for a very long drive in a very short weekend.

There's totally something about the Oregon Coast. It's not like California, where I grew up. But it's also not totally typical PNW like Washington Coast. I wasn't expecting the accessible tides, reflective sunsets, surfers, and nearly perfect weather.

Oregon was a backdrop, a lovely movie set to our weekend.

Segue:
We've made a way for parenting to be awesome. Basically, we still do what we want, but doing "whatever" we want no longer happens whenever we want.  It takes planning. But I'm a natural planner, so we've been pretty good about frequent dates, weekends away, and even longer vacations sans Bowie.

So it's not the getting away that I miss so much. It's the following our whimsy that we don't ever really get to do. On road trips, we don't just stop and enjoy lunch at a pub (sitting at a bar!) for an hour. Shopping trips are done solo or is planned during optimal toddler times of day, restaurants chosen accordingly. Going to movies? What's that?

With no plans at all, we stumbled into pubs for mid-day pints, wandered around stores, read books for hours, played with light and camera settings, and slept a lot. It was more restorative than I imagined it would be.

















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It's just that time never feels leisurely anymore. Is this desire to recapture how time felt as a child, like you had a ton of it to kill, is that not something we can have as adults? Only if we plan it.


crm
joel and i oregon coast travel
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Ten Year Celebration of Marriage















































We returned yesterday afternoon from a lovely anniversary trip to Whidbey Island.  The culinary treats we enjoyed were spectacular and the resting was restorative.  It was not as paralyzing to be apart from Bowie as I imagined it would be, though we both shared heart-pains when we spoke or thought of her. She had a wonderful time with Grandma and it looks like the feeling was mutual, as she explained how much she enjoyed Bowie while tearing up.  As always, it's lovely to be back to one's own bed, but we both agreed that this was the best anniversary trip yet.  

Tenth Anniversary of Marriage - Whidbey Island

To see more photos, explanation of our doings, and details of the entire six-course meal by Matt Costello at the Inn at Langley, click on album above.

The first morning, the ubiquitous fog of the Puget Sound lifted to reveal an unreal view of the neighboring islands and calm waters.  I rose before Joel, in rare fashion, and without disturbing his slumber, wrapped myself in a blanket and walked out onto our private porch.  It was terribly cold, but I felt  mystified by what I saw that I didn't care.  I leaned over the railing and stared long and hard into the deep waters, and for the first time in many years, a very heavy serenity pervaded my being.  It was as if all the shallow breathing my constant anxiety produces was replaced by a lung so vast that I almost never knew otherwise.  I began to hear Joel stir, and while I anticipated the breakfast and hot shower to come,  I desperately wanted to bottle this feeling to take with me through the next stage of our marriage.  However, if there is one thing I have learned, it's that you cannot rely on the bliss of the past to carry you into future happiness.  You must make new joy with each new moment.

Let it be known the world over that I am one happily married woman; that it is possible to be happy with one person, provided you both commit to growing personally as well as being honest with all the corners of your soul, dark and light alike.  Either that, or we've been very lucky and there is no rhyme or reason to it.  That, or God ordained it so.  Whatever you've been given the faith to believe, may it rest well upon you.

mrs. morris
anniversary dining out en images
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