It was parent’s weekend for my freshmen year of college and my dad came all the way from Colorado to visit me in Oregon. Instead of engaging in the customary parent weekend activities at the college we ditched the crowd and went off on our own adventure, a hike in the Mt. Hood National Forest. I had been deeply missing many things in Colorado including the Rocky Mountains and was in need of some time in nature.
We set off on a hike near Mt. Hood and visited Tamanawas Falls. The view of the waterfall was spectacular and the trail winded through a lush forest with trees changing their color for fall. We also visited the historic Timberline Lodge and got to experience a Pacific Northwest blizzard!
After not having seen my father for nearly two and a half months, I could not have imagined a better way of spending the weekend than on a scenic Saturday hike. We talked about college and my new adult life and the resulting trials and triumphs I had experienced over the past months. It had seemed that almost everything in my life had changed. Our hike in the Mt. Hood National Forest reminded me one thing that hadn’t changed: I am a Colorado girl who is in love with the truth and beauty of nature.
I just needed my dad to remind me of that.
