Goodbye Gorge....

Jeni Stembridge photography... Love you Jeni

I feel blessed in my life to have been able to see many parts of this world, so many places of beauty and magnificence. Places that have made me feel completely enamored and so ridiculously small in significance to the exquisiteness that was surrounding me. As I think about the Colombia River Gorge, this special place that is by far one of the most amazing places in this world, I smile to think it is this magical place that has brought together some of the most amazing, diverse, colorful, and beautiful people that I have ever met. As I get ready to say goodbye to my special place, I can’t help but reflect on the people that I have met along the way.



In the last few months I have met remarkable women whose eyes sparkle with a passion for life and for their art, which ranged with such a rich diversity. I have met men with the same sparkle in their eye, the love of water and their passion to see it all, makes them a continuous inspiration for those they meet on their journey. We all added something different, inspiring each other to see the world in a different way. We all are different, yet so similar, living life by the moment and taking it as it comes. Our distinct paths and unique stories created colorful relationships and one of the things we all have in common is we are completely in love with our little area of the world.



Our time is slowly coming to an end… the life of tents and wilderness, is reaching the closing stages, the time of moving forward. As Tom Petty puts it oh so well, “it’s time to move on, time to get goin”. Talk has slowly turned into what will become of the coming months, each of us a different path and a different direction. For some; months of travel to foreign lands and for others work is calling in other fabulous parts of this world. We will move on, see new life and feel new loves. We all will be a little different when we meet again, a little changed by life and our paths. We will have new stories to tell, all while making new memories as we tell them.



I feel more like myself when I am here.I will forever remember and describe this area as I did the first time I came here… when I am here... when I am laying on that dirt road, looking at the endless skies and the stars that seem to go on for miles, I still feel that I am in the middle of nowhere, yet completely in the center of everything.This place has my heart and now more than ever it holds a special place for the countless memories that have been made by remarkable people I have met in my middle of nowhere.

Figuring it all out..

Currently I am figuring out this life. I am in this moment, this time that continues to surprise me and change me. I thought of these words today, thought of what it even means to have it all figured out… Does it mean that I figured out that love is more important than money, or that I figured out a job title will never bring you happiness nor will it succeed in making your soul feel content or fulfilled? Or does it mean that I have realized we need so much less than we have. I have figured out that we need only few things in this life, a house full of stuff, a garage with countless toys, or elaborate set ups with rooms that are not even filled, seems to me to be beyond comprehendible or justifiable especially with what I have seen that others have in this world, or for a better account, lack thereof.

As we grow, age with grace, there seems to me to be continuous change in the way we view the world. We change perceptions on what is important in this life and who we decide to spend our time with, who is worthy to share our loves and hopes with. We start to acknowledge that our time is better spent sharing our dreams and our views with people that will love you through everything you do. The people that guide you through every storm you encounter and help you pick up the pieces along the way.



As we grow we make fewer excuses for wrongs done to us. We realize through trial and error that we are worth more than what some can give. Realizing this one can set you free. Once you can see the light that you shine, it is only then that it is easier to see when someone is putting it out.



So to figure out this life… I am beginning to understand that when I am looking ahead to the next chapter, looking at my new hopes and new loves, new travels and new ideas, I will continue to be conscious of the current chapter I am in. While yes my head is swimming with all my ten thousand words I have for my next chapter, it is also overflowing with the time that I have had these last few months. The amazing, diverse, colorful, and beautiful people that I have met and times we have shared. The beautiful landscape and gorgeous rivers that have stolen my heart, all while getting to share it with the only person on this planet I can imagine sharing it with…



So maybe that is what it means to figure out this life… Sharing your time and your moments with the people that make you feel more like yourself when they are around than when they are not.. Loving with all you have and opening your heart to do so. Opening your mind to new loves and dreams all while staying true to the loves you have already found. As we venture forward, I have a feeling we will continue to “figure it out” all while being changed and shaped through circumstances and fate, into the people we are meant to be in this ever changing life.