Embracing the Expected Beauty of Home

Sometimes the greatest sights are those that are too close to notice

When traveling there is an expectation that we will see the white sand beaches, vineyards and castles. That the beauty we see may be unmatched by what we have at home. This weekend, at home spending time out on the bike and the local running trails, I can’t help but enjoy the beauty that surrounds me here in the Northwest.

It is difficult, and in many ways unfair, to compare sights from one continent to another. The history, geology and geography create unique stories. Yet when I look at the photos of the Rhine Valley in Germany with the vineyards, it is hard not to compare this to the Columbia River Gorge and the vineyards and orchards of Hood River. When I look at Zermatt, it is hard not to think of the Cascade mountains. And when I see the valleys of the French wine country, I’m taken back to the Lorane valley, the Willamette valley and the McMinnville foothills of the Coast Range.

In the Northwest United States, our history is different both culturally and geologically to Europe. Geologically the area is newer, with the McKenzie Pass lava fields erupting during the Holocene epoch, when the Clovis culture was widespread in North America. During this same period, beer was first brewed in Iraq using barley. Mt. Mazama, which formed Crater Lake, erupted 7,700 years ago. The basalt lava fields are a defining feature of this part of the Cascades, creating a stark landscape of black rock and snow that rivals any in the world.

The expected beauty of home is what we have come to see nearly daily. It is the environment that surrounds us, the things we recognize but rarely take the time to appreciate with the thought these places deserve. It is only when we travel and see other places that we recognize the expected beauty of our home.