Yachats, Oregon
At the beginning of October, I took a restorative trip to the Oregon coast with my family in hopes of recharging and finding a place to de-stress as the hours of daylight fade away and the brisk mornings move into the Northwest. Even though the majority of days on the coast were cloudy and rainy I didn't mind because I was doing things that I had been wanting to do for a long time and hadn't had time to in my daily grind.
We stayed at this cozy beach cabin overlooking the rough ocean surf. Yachats Village Rentals offers over a dozen furnished homes for rent and many of them are steps away from the sandy beach.
During a day spent in a nearby town, Newport, we window-shopped and trudged along in the extremely persistent light rain. We watched the sea lions roll around on the dock and hoot and holler about whatever it is that sea lions worry about. They had a lot to say.
In Newport, we spotted the original Mo's Seafood Restaurant and chowder house, and we ate at a restaurant called Local Ocean, which the locals deem the best eatery for the freshest catch of the day.
The Oregon Coast is a very pet-friendly vacation location as there is a lot of exploring to be done outside. An important lesson can be learned on how to interact with our surroundings from these four-legged friends. Riley (below) made daily use of the entire beach, sprinting back and forth across the sand, chasing the sea gulls, digging holes, and hunting for crabs. Note: even after a week at the beach, he didn't quite learn which side of the crab was safe to pick up...
Most people that have spent enough time near dogs and children know that they have this ability to make the most of each moment, and pure joy can be seen splashed across their faces when they are truly happy. This is because they are living in the present. They aren't worried about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow, or the day after that. And, many of them vividly make it a point to remember what things and activities make them joyous and subsequently seek them out as often as they can. They constantly choose the track to bliss.
Somewhere along the way, as we get caught up in all the things we "should" be doing and "have to" get done, we can lose sight of what things once daily fueled our pursuits. Living in a world where we are expected to show up for a job or school each day can make it difficult to constantly choose to take the bliss track, but it is important to make time for the things that make us happy daily. Your homework: curl up on your couch/bed under a blanket, turn on some calming music, and make a list of the top things/activities that make you happiest. Not just happy, but totally joyous, blissed out and with a huge grin on your face. Are you doing any of these things daily? Could you incorporate more of them into your day?
One activity that makes me feel like I'm on my bliss track is spending time cooking with family and friends. I am happy knowing that we are putting together a dish, or a meal, that will feed our bellies fresh, healthy, and local ingredients, free of preservatives. It tastes better knowing everyone worked together to create it.
We brought home fresh crab and made Chipotle-Lime Crab Cakes. This recipe is incredible, so much so that we made them TWICE. A great wine pairing was Oregon's Erath 2014 Pinot Gris.
October 2016