Once again I haven’t updated in forever!! Its New Years day, 2012. I’m working in the Cincinnati area for awhile. I had been working in North Dakota for several months prior to this.
For a few reasons 2011 has been one of the tougher years of my life, I have mixed feelings about it being over, but I’m ready to move forward. I leave 2011 stronger and more reflective than when I started.
I’ve had a hard time putting in to words the way I feel about relationships ending and life changing. Its hard to let go, but at the same time I’ve always felt that things are exactly the way they are supposed to be.. Regardless of how painful it is, or how hard it is for us to accept, we really don’t need to be upset about it, I feel its more important to be thankful for the experiences, good and bad that we have taken from a relationship. What happened was exactly what was supposed to happen. Really.. That’s the way life is. We can try and blame this or that, or say “if I would have just done this differently” but in reality the only true way to understand it is to be thankful for everything that you had, and appreciate how it made you grow as a person. I’ve always been fond of the saying “thats just the way it is….”
Now as I move forward in to 2012, I’m excited about the future. I’m putting together plans for moving to the Pacific Northwest. I don’t feel like I have much choice with that, it’s a place that tugs at my soul daily..
I haven’t fully decided on which city I want to live in. I’m leaning towards Bend, I always feel at home there... Like much of Oregon, It’s a dreamland for a person that loves the outdoors. One thing that I really like about Bend is the amenities that the city actually offers. Being in such an isolated place, several hours from the nearest freeway, (think about that for a minute, how far are you from a freeway??) I wouldn’t expect it to have most of the higher quality offerings of a much larger city, but it does and yet you can be in the wilderness in 5 minutes...
People in Bend are happy. They really want to be there. I have visited Bend many times, and everytime I go I am impressed with how happy most everyone I meet is. Bend is a city of transplants, transplants united by a love of the outdoors, physical fitness and quality of life. The passion of Bends residents as a whole contributes a lot to the vibe of the city. People are so willing to say hi and start talking to you randomly. In a lot of cities it seems like people are unwilling to expand their ideas, or the social circle that they have always had/been in and it tends to make for a vibe of overall depression.
The biggest thing missing from Bend in my opinion is any sort of urban grittiness. I love cities, and I’m not sure how I will feel in the long term about being in a wonderland that is in the middle of nowhere. I suppose I can always take my trips to Portland!! Here is a little blurb that someone else wrote about Bend, I think that most everyone that goes there falls in love.
I miss you all and I hope that everyone has a great 2012!
