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Pacific Wonderland

Oregon in July

By Ashleigh Cropper

July 21^st, 2015

southern oregon

I felt incredibly fortunate to go to Oregon and document a lovely wedding in the Rogue Valley. Along with that opportunity came a chance to visit with friends and family since I am an Oregon native, after all!
I have learned some really important life lessons since moving away from my home state 5 years ago. One of them being that I feel it is valuable to leave where you grew up, so you can go back and appreciate it a thousand times more. That is what happens to me every time I go back home, which isn’t often. A Christmas or Thanksgiving, here or there, but never more than once a year. Each time I go back I totally kick myself for not appreciating the town I grew up in and the beauty I literally had in my backyard (no joke, my yard is full of pines and baby fawns and wild turkeys!) How did I miss this?! Oh wait, right..I was 15, 16, 17 moody and determined to move on in life and NOT be in that town. Sad truth. But this last time, I tried to absorb all I could. I tried to look up into the trees and close my eyes and capture a memory for myself. I ran the trails up in the Siskiyou Mountains over and over again. I adventured around with dear ones and tried to document it this time. I played with my nephew in the same park that I grew up at and wanted to whisper in his ear that he is the most lucky boy in the whole wide world. I hiked up Grizzly Peak with my family (the first time in 7 years that we have all been together, just the 4 of us) to see the most picturesque view of the valley. We winded through the clouds and I literally stared at the moss and greeness all around me. I got a bit misty eyed at one point having this feeling of never wanting to leave the mountain top. But that is what home can do to you, especially when you come back to such an amazing place.

I would like to think that I can make it to Oregon more regularly but the truth is, I know I can’t. I felt that this last trip. Even though I was there for work, I tried to escape and go to the places that scream “home” or “Oregon” to me and capture them for the first time with my professional camera. And now that I am back in Colorado, I have come to the conclusion that there are so many beautiful places. I landed back home and woke back up to the view of the Flatirons and thought, “did I just totally CHEAT on Colorado! Come on, this place is amazing!”

Without further rambling of Oregon, I think I should let the pictures show why I love this place so dearly. Here is to some great Lithia Park swing rides, walks along the creek, mossy trees, looking up endlessly, and getting lost in the clouds. Oregon, you are a Pacific Wonderland!