I live in an amazing state. Oregon truly has it all – natural beauty, perfect weather (yes, it’s true!), and kind people. Dan and I chose to move here two years ago based on a gut feeling – we both had a knowing deep inside that this was our forever home. I had never even been to Oregon, but I knew that this is where I needed to be. And I’m so glad we followed our hunches – I am still in awe of this state and what I have seen so far.
However, I work a lot. A LOT. And because of this grinding away each day from morning until night, I haven’t made time to see much of this beautiful state. I have spent my time waiting for the perfect time to explore – waiting until all of the orders are finished, enough money was in the bank account, and all of my other affairs were in order before I could feel on top of things enough to allow myself a break.
And then I realized that the checklist is never going to be empty. There will always be more that needs to be done. And if I keep waiting to live MY life, I will be waiting forever.
In light of this discovery, Dan and I made a spontaneous decision to play hooky for a day and spend some time at Crater Lake, which is about two hours away from us. It’s a park that I have wanted to visit since moving here, but the timing never felt quite right. We woke up one morning, put the orders aside, got in the car and drove to the most magical, beautiful place.
And in doing so, I learned quite a few lessons along the way.
- Keep the faith. As we were approaching the lake, we followed signs along the way stating that the park was just a few more miles ahead. However, we couldn’t see the lake at all. We saw no actual evidence (other than the signs) that this lake even existed. We were driving in complete faith that it was actually there. We knew the path to get there, and we just stayed on it until we arrived. This is a lot like life – we get a feeling that we are on the right path, and we know what we are meant to do with our lives – but we can’t see what’s ahead. We can only go off of signs that we come across letting us know that we are moving in the right direction. We are moving forward in complete faith that we are moving toward our best lives.
- Strive for greatness rather than perfection. When we arrived at the lake, we wanted to have a picnic in the perfect spot. So we began to drive around the lake looking for this exact spot. And we stopped at various points along the way, got out, and then kept driving – looking for something better. Before we knew it, we had driven around the entire lake and ended up back where we started. We got out of the car and found a great spot overlooking the lake – a spot that had been there all along. We were so consumed with finding the perfect spot that we missed this great spot that was right in front of us. And we were absolutely starving by the time we actually sat down to eat. I know that I tend to do this in my own life as well. I look for perfection – and in the process, I miss out on the good enough or even the greatness that I could’ve had with a lot less effort. Perfection is a myth, and driving all of the way around Crater Lake helped me realize this. Good enough and even great are actually attainable and perfectly perfect in their own way.
- Be kind to yourself. The elevation at Crater Lake is very high – 8,000 feet in some parts. I have always had trouble with adjusting quickly to altitude changes – I get really tired and find it hard to stay awake. So as we were getting closer to the lake, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. And the longer we stayed, the more tired I became. I was feeling disappointed in myself – in my body – for reacting this way. I wanted to be vibrant and fun and instead I was just trying to be coherent. My default setting has always been to be hard on myself – to let the inner critic take over. And I will admit that this is what started to happen, but then something shifted inside of me. Instead of being hard on myself for a part of me that has always been there, I accepted it and tried to embrace it. I saw the humor in it – as soon as we got back down to a low altitude again, I came back and was alert and chatty again. It’s sort of a funny quirk to my body, and taking the judgment out of it made the trip so much more enjoyable.
- The world won’t fall apart without you. We all want to believe that we are needed – that we are making a difference in this world. And I had this belief that somehow if I wasn’t at home ready to process orders and respond to emails that things would fall apart. Guess what – it didn’t happen. This was a great lesson for me. It’s okay for me to take some time off. It’s okay for me to put myself back on my priority list. It’s okay for me to play hooky for a day. Everything will be okay. Everyone will survive. Whew.
- Slowing down does wonders for the soul. After we ate, we sat and took in the magnificence of this lake. It was so calming to watch the sunlight dance on the water. It was soothing to feel the cool breeze on our faces. It felt so good to stop, sit, and just be still. It felt good to feel so small next to this enormous lake. It felt good to get out of myself for awhile – to take in the energy of this park and this lake. I felt like it was able to soak up my problems and give them back to me in the form of peace. Getting out in nature – being around something much bigger than you – is a great way to put everything in perspective. In doing so, you can soothe your soul and also recharge it at the same time.
I am always amazed at what form life lessons take. Here I thought I was simply taking a much-needed trip, and I came back with clarity, calmness, and a better sense of who I was.
A big thank you to Crater Lake for helping me. My next trip will be to the coast, and I can’t wait to see what lessons will be learned there!
The older I get the more I realize that there is much more to life than making money. You memories will always be more important. Great post to remind people that the old saying “The best things in life are free” is so true.
Very true, Linda! Thanks for a great reminder.
I’m so glad you finally got to see Crater Lake. It’s not just a street anymore. Nature is a great teacher when you relax and acknowledge her.
So true, Cheryl! It was a much-needed trip!
I really enjoyed reading about the life lessons you got to practice at beautiful Crater Lake. I believe there are experiences everyday which can be used to help us grow toward a higher version of ourselves. What is so beautiful about your experience is that you recognized this fact and allowed those lessons to flow into your awareness.
You mentioned that you drove around the entire lake. I can’t resist asking if you have seen my photo album on Facebook dated Sept 22, 2011. Cheryl and I rode our bikes around the lake that day. We never imagined it would be so difficult! Hills, hills and more hills! It was so incredibly beautiful though. I’m very glad I did it. Now that you’ve been there maybe you’ll enjoy checking out my album : )
Thanks for sharing your lessons learned.
Hi Susan, Thanks for commenting! Your pictures are amazing – I love the chipmunks! I can’t believe you two rode your bikes around the entire thing. I was exhausted just driving around it. 😉
Your words here are so wise and so poetic – thank you for sharing them. This line especially stuck out, “…there are experiences every day that can be used to help us grow toward a higher version of ourselves.” Beautifully said!
Jodi,
I so loved your share of your trip to Crater Lake. The consciousness we have is a tricky, simple thing. Every day the blend of what we are given exposes and we have to be open enough to see the beauty. I love to read your shares because they remind me that every minute of every day anything is possible.
Thank you.
Love Light and Gratitude… Marcia
Hi Marcia, Thank you so much for such a thoughtful comment and for your kind words. It means so much to me that you are here. And it’s so true – anything is possible and there are opportunities to learn in each moment. ♥
Beautiful pics! You deserve some R&R time.
Thanks, LeAnn! I could definitely get used it a little R and R. 😉
Those pictures are gorgeous! I’m so jealous.
Hi Kelly! It really is amazingly beautiful, isn’t it?
Hi Jodi,
Not sure if my first comment went through. Your post speaks to my heart. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I hope to see Crater Lake some day. I live near Baker Lake and hope to visit that soon. I also moved to a city that feels like home to me and followed my hunches.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks so much for commenting! That’s so great that you also followed your heart and moved somewhere that felt like home. It really is such an amazing feeling! I’m so glad you stopped by!
Awesome post!!
All of my art is inspired by nature (particularly geology and volcanoes) so I really want to visit Crater Lake some day soon!!
Great to meet you from EtsyBloggers!
~Mary
Thank you so much, Mary! I’m so glad you stopped by! You definitely should visit Crater Lake – it’s even more beautiful in person. And the history behind it is amazing.
Crater Lake is a very special place. I’m glad you got to experience it. The color of the lake is incredibly beautiful. If you get the chance, it is well worth it to hike along Castle Creek and see the “fossil fumaroles”. It is an easy hike, very scenic.
Hi Connie, thanks so much for stopping by and also for the great tip! I haven’t heard of Castle Creek, but I will write it down and check it out next year when we go back.
I LOVE this post! My husband and I dream of moving to Oregon. We have wanted to go to Crater Lake but it was the off season both times. Such a lovely post. xoxo
Hi Lori! That would be wonderful if you both moved to Oregon! It’s such an amazing state, and I’m only just beginning to explore and see how truly wonderful it is. I love it now, and I have a feeling that I’ll love it so much more the more I see. ♥
Beautiful post about a beautiful place. 🙂
Your post perfectly illustrates what I love the most about travel: how it jostles you out of your set ideas and wakes you up to the world around you.
~Tui (visiting from Chasing Joy’s #FBF list!)