Summer Fling

Unassailable proof of my country girl roots. Not pictured: Wranglers and pint-sized belt buckle.

We've already established that one of the best parts of returning to Eastern Oregon is the cute, rugged Eastern Oregon men. Can I get a Yee-haw, ladies? This is closely followed by Eastern Oregon's stunning natural beauty, it's pretty-as-a-picture sunsets, and the nicest, salt-of-the-Earth people you ever met. Nice try, Minnesota.

Seriously, I am in love with this place.

My lake's prettier than your lake.

Of course, it wasn't always that way. There was a time, not so long ago, that I looked at Eastern Oregon's wide open spaces as a sort of prison. One I was desperate to escape. To me it was a simple math problem: small town = small ideas = small minds. As far as my smarty-pants-20-something-self was concerned, there was no room for me and my big dreams in this little country town. At the first opportunity, I hightailed it to that land of open minds and big ideas...Washington, DC. 

Oh sweet irony!   

What I've gained in the nine years since is some much-needed humility, an extra dose of perspective, and a belated appreciation for everything this place, my home, has given me. It's quite a gift. Gratitude, I mean.

As my time in Eastern Oregon winds down and the next adventure beckons, I find myself trying to drink in as much country life as I can. I'm having a summer fling with my hometown -- savoring those sunsets over the Cascade Mountains, the lazy summer days on the river. Cheap beer and warm summer nights, pick-up trucks and country music. Because what I understand now, what makes this place so special, is the way it fills up all those little nooks and spaces in the soul.  

I'm a lucky (country) girl.
        

{Images via Elizabeth Farrar for Bella Vita}