You’ve heard the saying, “The Mountains are calling and I must go.” Well this past week, I learned the true meaning of this quote. The mountains truly can speak to you if you allow yourself to listen. 

My husband and I traveled out to the Pacific Northwest of the US, more specifically Portland, OR. We spent much of the trip doing things we often do when we travel, eating new foods (and some classic favorites), drinking lots of new beers (the husband loves his craft beer) and exploring the city and its various nearby neighborhoods. 

However, during this trip, I knew I wanted to get outside and see more of the Mountains. So with no car and not much knowledge of the area outside of Portland, we decided to book a Mount Hood loop guided tour. It was worth every penny. We spent the entire day being guided by a local, seeing waterfalls, having lunch in Fort Hood, eating ice cream at a roadside fruit market, and finally a stop at Mount Hood at the Timberhood Lodge. 

The mountains were giant and the forest and trees so many and vast, that you couldn’t help but feel minuscule compared to the mightiness of Mother Earth. The sound of water crashing onto rocks, along with the pines and leaves rustling in the breeze were such peaceful sounds compared to the normal hum of traffic and dings and rings of phones and electronics. 

This single day kindled a small fire in my soul to appreciate the beauty of nature. At home, in Northeast PA, we have mountains, from the Back Mountain to the Poconos, but they are minute compared to that in the PNW. However, I’ve made a conscientious decision within myself to explore more of my native home. We have hundreds of beautiful trails, waterfalls, trees and bodies of water to bask in if chosen. I just have to make the effort to go and find them, to explore, to see the beauty in my native “forest” no matter how big or how small. 

I don’t have any plans of moving out West, but seeing this new kind of magnificent wonder has truly opened my heart and eyes to nature, in a way it never has before. With these memories forever mine to keep, I will choose to listen to the mountains when they call, to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature and all that she creates and remember that they are right in my backyard when needed.