A Walk through the Park

The other day, I wrote a post about familiarity and how important it is when you move to a new place. Today I'd like to write a post about the flip side of that.

One of the most fun and wonderful things about moving to a new place is the amazing discoveries you can make every day! It's harder to do that when you've lived in a place for a long time--possible! Just harder.

I went on a walk today through Washington Park in Portland. For those of you who have never heard of Washington Park, neither had I! I stumbled upon it when I was going for a "run" in the morning (the run quickly turned into a walk when I was faced with stairs--ha!) I headed out for the walk keen on going wherever my feet took me. To my pleasure, they led me to a beautiful set of stairs that led up to a fountain. I found myself in a quaint grassy area, full of trees, and seemingly out of the city--despite the faint sound of trucks and cranes, which I promptly masked over with the Nature Sounds playlist on Spotify.

As I wandered the park, listening to recorded birds and crickets, I took pleasures in Nature's gifts to me. This tree branch being one of those gifts. I was tickled pink to see that this tree was beginning to bud! Spring must be just around the corner (which makes me oh so happy!) Don't get me wrong, I have loved winter in Portland, but I am also fantastically excited for the green beauty that is legendary in the spring and summers in Portland.

The walk continued deeper into the park. Here's the thing I love about "parks" in Northwest Portland: they more resemble national parks rather than playground parks. Washington Park, Forest Park, both are are much more wild than I picture when I think of the word park, from which I imagine manicured trees and pathways.

I loved wandering through the trails in the park and stumbling upon old women walking their dogs, historical memorials, outdoor theaters, rose gardens, and quaint sheds like these. I'm pretty sure I contracted a paper mache version of this shed in 3rd grade history class when we studied medieval communities. Graffiti aside, I find this structure rather charming.

I mentioned historical memorials. I found myself standing in front of these statues, captivated in awe. The memorial on the left is a statue of Sacagawea, being the only woman in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. I pondered how she must've felt. She was was the single representative of femininity, as well as taking on the role of guide, translator, and middleman (or should I say middlewoman). Talk about a heavy load! Not to mention she was thrown into a culture worlds different from what she was used to.

I pondered Sacagawea and her legacy of courage and strength. I desire to embody her adaptability and resiliency in my change of lifestyle. This move to Portland is my first step of my personal expedition: stepping into unknown grounds: in a different culture, in a different lifestyle, and with a different purpose.

I found myself equally entranced by the second statue. The statue depicts a young man giving word to his chief of the arriving white man. Here, I felt a little powerless. One one end of the spectrum, I'm grateful for the cities we have today and for the exploration of this wonderful country. On the other hand, I feel sad for the thousands of Native Americans that were uprooted from their land and lives. I guess this statue made me think of how I hope to be accepting and loving of all people, and to never be pushy or forceful for a selfish cause.

While finding/creating familiarity is important to my move, I believe exploring the newness of it is equally essential. I gained a lot from this simple walk. Simply walking through a park affected my day: putting a smile on my face, lifting my spirit, and inspiring me.