Quote Originally Posted by Crankin View Post
One of the saddest things I have on videotape is my 2 and 4 year old kids playing in the foundation plants of my house in Tempe, saying, "We're in the woods!" I think you can hear me say in the background, "I am outta here!"
This totally made me LOL! I'd have thought/said the same thing.

In fact, when I moved to NC, at first I felt it was too brown and barren! I grew up in New England, Michigan and Wisconsin...so I'm used to trees. A lot of the Greensboro, NC area is farmland, so it felt really barren to me. It wasn't until I got a chance to visit the NC mountains that I felt the beauty of the state.

As we drove from NC to Oregon (in February, mind you), I was constantly amazed at the changing landscape. We live in a VERY big country here! The west was amazing - and felt very foriegn and kind of 'powerful' to me (not sure that's the right word, but it'll do for now). I enjoyed seeing it, but it wasn't until we passed thorugh the Columbia River Gorge that I started to feel 'at home'. I think that's why I love it here in the western part of Oregon. I get the big trees and green forested areas like I grew up with, rolling hills, small farms, mountain views, etc...(oh and rocky beach shorelines)...but I also get the western laid back attitude that I'm learning to love. It's like the best of both coasts all rolled into one!