Coming home to Oregon is always an adventure. It never ceases to amaze me, how quickly my four brothers and my sister grow and change. It's awesome to see them growing into their beautiful and unique personalities, exploring different passions and hobbies, and developing such a great sense of humor. Laughter unites.
And every time I come back - which is certainly not often enough - I always wonder how I could have forgotten the beauty of the Rogue Valley and its surroundings.... Mountain trails, serene lakes, grassy plains, pine forests, sandy beaches, rocky coastlines... we have it all!
We like to dabble a little in a lot of different outdoorsy things. This past month has been a lot of fun as we show my Finnish friend Sini around the West Coast. We met in Helsinki and - after spending a lot of time together playing soccer, relaxing in her family's summer cabin, and hanging out with friends this summer - she moved to work in Toronto this autumn just days after I left on business to the US. Perfect timing to catch up in North America over the holidays, and we've had so much fun welcoming her to our family Christmas and taking her on LOTS of mini family vacations.
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| New Year's Morning in Eureka, northern California - with my sister Tori & friend Sini |
