Media Room

My Trip To Oregon

Last week, I traveled across the country and took a trip to Oregon. This trip was for a food blogger workshop (for those of you that don’t know, my other job is working for my mom’s blog Low Carb Yum). The trip was just my mom and I and we definitely made the most of it.

I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t dreading the trip. Don’t get me wrong, I was REALLY looking forward to getting to do some sightseeing, but I was not looking forward to being away from home or the HOURS of flying. I will say though, my worrying was for nothing. The trip was great in more ways than one.

Even though this trip was for work, it was a much needed break from my regular routine of work work work and housework. While I was initially dreading the hours of plane rides, those ended up being a really enjoyable part of my trip. Being on the airplane was really my time to just unplug and I needed it way more than I realized.

On the first flight I was next to my mom and we talked for probably the first hour. After that though, the rest of my flights on the way there AND back I spent reading. Reading was something that had always been a favorite of mine. In fact, immersing myself into books was one of the ways I escaped from the shitty things that were going on in my life. Getting lost in books really saved my life when I was younger. Since I’ve gotten home, I have started to read before bed again. The trip reminded me that I do need to unplug even if it’s just for an hour. Reading does that for me.

The other part of my trip that I did genuinely enjoy was getting to spend that one on one time with my mom. My relationship with my mom has definitely had its ups and downs, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to have a much better relationship with my mom. Every time we do these trips, I find out more little bits and snippets from her life and we are really able to connect.

On this particular trip, we talked a lot about our anxiety and I found out that she really has dealt with a lot of the same anxiety related issues that I struggle with. While I was really going through it and struggling with anxiety in college, I had no idea that my mother would understand what I was going through. It was no nice being able to openly talk with her about it and connect.

Now that we are both adults, it’s so much easier to talk to my mom. When you’re younger, it always seems like your parents are out to get you, and maybe they are, but most of the time they’re really trying to do what’s best for you (even if the execution is very poor lol). Now that I am older, I really try to remind myself that my parents are just regular people trying to navigate and deal with their own issues and past traumas.

Now the other reason why this trip filled my cup was because I was able to get out in nature. We were hoping to hit at least one park, but we managed to get to four in the three days we were there (even though we were in the workshop for pretty much two whole days). My mom was a very good sport about getting out and hiking with me in the dry and hilly terrain.

Getting out in nature and taking photos has always been something that has helped to ground me. Being able to get out and explore the amazing landscapes Oregon had to offer was like a breath of fresh air (even if that air was super dry). It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get out and take pictures because I have been so busy with work.

While in Oregon we were treated to dessert like terrains, but we were also able to make it into the mountains. We saw two different waterfalls and rivers. For me personally, there is nothing more calming and relaxing than the sound of moving water.

Below you can see some of the photos I took while on my trip:

My trip to Oregon ended up being more than just another work trip. My mom and I really made the most of the trip. We had awesome food, we really were able to see a lot in what little time we had, and we were able to bond and have genuine quality time.

I was also able to reconnect a bit with myself by doing things I enjoyed while I was out of my regular routine. I reconnected with reading and I also was able to get out in nature and take photos for the first time in months. The trip was also such a great reminder for me to continue to do things for myself when I got back home. I cannot let work consume my life. There is so much more to this life than just working. The world has so much to offer.

@ohbabyitskailey thinkin about oregon💭#hiking #waterfall #tumalofalls #nature #oregon #centraloregon #canweskiptothegoodpart #fypシ #fyp ♬ The Good Part – AJR