Girl + Camera: “Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

When I was little my Grandpa W.D. asked me, "What do you want to do with your life?" We were sitting in the shade of a willow tree in an almost-dead town called Dufur on a hot summer day. We camped there every summer and always chose a spot near the creek, where the branches of the tree could catch the moisture and rain relief down on our hot skin. I was young, maybe 8, so that was a big question. He always asked questions as if the question was more than it was, and I remember there was always a knowing smirk when I would respond.

My answer, "To see the world."

"Swimming" in Muncy Creek in Picture Rocks, Pennsylvania.

With my brother Kurrin at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

I knew from the age of five that the world was a great big adventure. My obsession with books and maps led me to believe that one day, I would (not that I just wanted to) see everything my heart desired. I would climb mountains and feel small looking down. I would put my toes in every ocean on this planet and tiptoe along the shorelines. I would see jungles and rivers and lakes. I would experience the world, because my heart said so.

Posing with wild horses in Wyoming with my Aunt Ella and little brother Kurrin.

But, it wasn't the answer that mattered. It was the smile on his face and his response, "You should start with your home, Lydia. You should see the places you come from first." And the lesson stuck.

After hiking in to Munising Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I started traveling when I was just a baby. My Mom and Dad took me on long road trips across the country from Oregon to Nebraska, to Michigan, to Texas. I slept in the Uintah Mountains of Utah with my father and brother. I hid in the trunk of our Honda Accord during a rainstorm camping on the beaches of Lake Superior. I walked in the ruts of wagon trains in Oregon, Nebraska and Wyoming. I rolled down dunes on the Pacific Ocean. I've escaped raging flash floods in the jungles of Okinawa. I've seen the Florida Keys and ferried across the ocean to The Dry Tortugas. Traveling, exploring and seeing the world has filled me with curiosity, patience and appreciation.

Camping in the Big Bear Mountains of Wyoming.

Sometimes the rain is even too much for this Oregon girl. Hiding in the trunk during a thunderstorm on Lake Superior.

After hiking and swimming at Tadake Falls in Okinawa, Japan.

If I ever gave advice to the masses it would be to explore. Find the beauty in your own neighborhoods, towns and states. Visit the museums and historical sites. Cultivate the knowledge and curiosity in yourself.

One of my favorite quotes is by Terry Pratchett in his book, A Hat Full of Sky, "“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

The view at Hedo Point, Okinawa.

My weekends are dedicated to exploration, whether it be a local park or a full blown road trip. Last weekend was the latter. My friends Aaron, John and I spent 7 hours doing a loop from our hometown out East towards Maupin then north to the Columbia and back around. It was full of waterfalls, history, abandoned buildings and a lot of wet weather.

Most people know Oregon as a place of beauty in terms of nature but don't realize how rich the history is despite it's young age. I love searching for places that have been left behind and forgotten. I feel like I can feel the stories echoing in the emptiness.

Wapinitia Schoolhouse near Maupin, Oregon.

A lot of these old building ended up being used for farm storage. This one was full of bits of hay, parts and some old equipment. Lack of historical interest keeps them off the historical registry.