pacific wonderland
it's been nearly nine months of planting roots here. many of the days have felt like simply a dream, and perhaps that's all this life or experience truly is when you really think about it - each moment, a new miracle and offering. I love these photos because they are able to so accurately depict myself in all forms - navigating the waves of this lovely, precious gift called being a human. here are a few heart reflections from the last few weeks ~
woke up in a cold sweat on a ninety degree day in july in portland. walked gingerly by sparrow bakery in saint john's, the aroma of ocean rolls and cardamom pleasantly filled the warm air. passed an elderly woman that greeted me with the most kind smile - a loving reminder that the eyes tell the most beautiful of stories. ventured off to tabor, film camera in hand. the faint chirps of the nearby birds at play all around allow me to feel as if I'm journeying back home. summer in the pacific northwest.
carving out time and space to admire the beauty of each blooming flower, bursting with colors harvested from the sweet earth. the sun makes Her presence known, overlooking the skyline resting along the endless douglas firs that span for miles and miles. the soft, tangerine glow of the sky before it succumbs to rest - an image forever ingrained in my mind. the way the light from the sun travels between each divine tree and greets you with a gentle kiss on the cheek. savoring it all.
the dirt path into the kind, forgiving, luscious green forest invites me to lay down my burdens at a park bench, where I choose to sit, remove my shoes and encounter the earth beneath me, becoming one with the thousands of beating hearts around and above - the trees. how much you've taught me about what it means to simply be alive. offering my immense gratitude to you in this moment does not suffice, nor will it ever. overcome with emotions, I pause as tears trickle down my cheeks, and droplets of sweat simultaneously marinate into my forehead. and I simply allow for it all to happen. i've arrived and returned all in the same breath. being welcomed into oneness, invited to come be, simply as I am. enough. feeling free. life's lessons.