Finding Home in the Pacific Northwest

Eight years ago, I moved from Arcadia, California, to the Pacific Northwest to start university. At the time, I thought I was simply coming here for school. I didn't really know what the next few years would look like, or that I would eventually build so much of my life here.

Growing up in Southern California, I was used to a completely different kind of landscape. Arcadia was familiar—busy, sunny, and surrounded by the things I had grown up knowing. So moving here was definitely an adjustment. But it didn't take long for me to realize how different, and how beautiful, this place was.

One of the things I love most about living here is that nature never really feels far away.

Over the past eight years, I've spent a lot of time exploring—hiking trails, driving through the mountains, visiting parks, finding beaches, and taking little trips whenever I have the chance. Sometimes I'll get in the car without much of a plan, and before I know it, I'm surrounded by towering trees and winding roads.

The drives themselves are one of my favorite parts. There are so many places where the trees are so tall and dense that it feels like you're driving through a rainforest. It's one of those things that I think you can get used to when you live here, but every once in a while I'll catch myself looking around and thinking about how beautiful it really is.

And I think that's what I appreciate most about this area. There is always something to see, but you don't necessarily have to be doing anything special to enjoy it.

The seasons have also become something I really appreciate.

Summers here are warm and beautiful, and they're perfect for being outside. It's the time of year when everything feels alive, especially in the garden. I love growing vegetables and being able to step outside and pick something fresh to bring into the kitchen. There's something really satisfying about eating food that you watched grow right in your own backyard.

Then winter comes around, and life naturally slows down a little.

Instead of always wanting to be outside, winter makes staying home feel like the right thing to do. It's a good time to cook, get cozy, catch up on things around the house, and spend more intentional time with family. I've learned to appreciate that change instead of wishing every season could feel like summer.

Maybe that's one of the biggest things living here has taught me: I don't always need to be going somewhere.

Some of my favorite moments aren't necessarily the big adventures. They're the quiet ones—being home, cooking a meal, working in the garden, going for a drive, or spending an ordinary day with the people I love.

That's not to say I've stopped exploring. If anything, living here has made me want to explore more. Even after eight years, there are still trails I've never walked, places I've never seen, and little corners of the region that I haven't discovered yet.

When I first moved here, I was just a student starting a new chapter. I never expected that eight years later, I would have so many memories tied to this place.

Somewhere along the way, it became more than just the place where I went to school.

It became home.

I still love California, and Arcadia will always be part of my story. But living here has introduced me to a slower, quieter way of appreciating everyday life. The mountains, the trees, the changing seasons, the garden, the long drives—those things have become part of my life in ways I never expected.

And I think that's what makes a place feel like home. Not necessarily because you planned to stay there, but because one day you look around and realize you've built a life there.