Oregon and I's Anniversary.

It was two years ago this month that I first came to Oregon and fell in love with it. Southern Oregon anyway, but it was enough for me to decide this is where I wanted to be. I was just friends with Dave at the time, we both really wanted to get out of Idaho Falls and needed each other to do it. I remember texting him from Shady Cove (we were there for a wedding) while my mom, my friend, and myself were driving down a particularly beautiful road. It said something like "Want to move to Oregon with me? It's beautiful here!" (half joking, but only half). He texted me back "Sure, lets do it."

For the next year, a LOT of things happened. A lot of them worked against my plan and made me hestitate the move. Financially, obviously, i was very naive for what it was going to take, but regardless I saved saved and saved and made it happen. The fall after that first summer trip to Oregon, Dave and I fell in love and started dating. As much as I loved it, I truly hated the idea of us moving as a couple at such a young age and so early in the relationship, but first and foremost he was my very best friend and so, we made the jump together. July 12th, 2008 we crammed everything we had (well most of it anyway) into a 5x8 u-haul and hoped for the best.

I still can't believe I pulled it off some days. I have set out to do a lot of things in my day, 90% of which haven't worked out, and I kind of half expected my dream of moving to a place I had never been to fall through or end badly. There is no way that I could be here now if it wasn't for David. He has been my support for everything I have done successfully and everything I have failed at. I didn't expect us to last through something so huge as moving with nothing but each other. But we did, and regardless of what happens in the future I will never stop being grateful for the friendship he gave me and continues to give me. It's the strongest and kindest friendship I have ever experienced in my life. Where my friendship has failed with others, Dave has perservered with me as so much more than a boyfriend.

I wouldn't be here without my family. Although they didn't think much of it when I first proclaimed my intentions to move to Portland, the more serious I got about it the more they wanted me to stay. But as the moving date grew closer, the more excited my mother became for me to experience my own life adventure, and the more my dad didn't want to see his little girl leave home. I miss them so much some days, it's so much harder to live in a city without any family than I wanted it to be. I am so grateful for their visits, their letters, and their calls. I have always tried to be as appreciative as possible to my family, but nothing makes you appreciate them more than their absence in your everyday life.

I wouldn't be as happy or as strong as I am today if it wasn't for the friendships that have grown stronger since I've moved, and the new friendships I've made since I moved here. I've fallen apart more times than once in the last year due to failed attempts to make connections with new people. It's taken a long time for me to create a new life with new friends and new jobs and new apartments and new everything. It certainly hasn't been as glamorous as I wanted it to be, but that's where the naievity of my first big move comes in, and I expected that on some level.

So, happy anniversary to Oregon and I, for I never thought our relationship would be so awesome. Can I just say how much I love Oregon? He never ceases to surprise me, very spontanious. Extreemly handsome, lots of lush foliage going on year round. Oregon keeps me wined and dined quite well, always has something up his sleeve that I have never tasted or seen before. Yes, Oregon is quite large, but in our relationship, it works to our advantage. Keeps things interesting, lots to explore if you know what I mean. There are even parts I have yet to see. He has great friends, like Idaho and Washington, and lets not forget the Pacific. California is nice, but definatly not house guest material. Oregon get's a little hot and humid somtimes... okay, he's pretty much always damp. But you learn to get past some things when you're in love. He's an amazing summer lover, always up for anything and usually keeps things hot for us. So here's to Oregon, perhaps not a life-long lover, but who knows, maybe so. Either way, Oregon will always be a lust-worthy state.