My sister and I weren’t always friends. There was a point in my life when my young, cheery, bright attitude, didn’t mesh well with her well organized teenage certainty. Okay I’m lying. I was five years younger than her and I was annoying AF. She however, had little room for someone who wanted to play Christmas Carols in July. So really this is equally at fault. I mean who doesn’t love a little holiday cheer in July. Am I rite?

Anyway. My sister and I have grown closer with time. We have learned to lean on each other in moments of uncertainty and to celebrate with each other in moments of joy. She’s the one I call when I need a quick pick me up or a piece of activist advice.

Living across the US is best (she’s still not into July holiday tunes) because when we do meet up it’s purposeful and it’s full.

I like to think handsome took this photo because the second we were in the same space it was a rattling of conversation. It also might be that we look very similar. Or he was laughing at me. I think the first one is a far more beautiful reason to take a photo.

Another reason my sister and I have grown closer is because of food. I can always count on my sister to find food that warms the soul and kicks tastebuds. Here we went to a very fancy donut place. They have fresh made cake donuts that you dip in the sauces of their creation. I was a big fan of the classic chocolate with peanut butter. Handsome loved the lemon something. Nicole loved fresh strawberry flavor for July.

Then we headed to J’s Fish. I’ve been here before when I visited the year before. I had been dreaming of it since then. You see I really like fish. I don’t get to eat it much living in the lake-less part of midwest. I ate more than my share of fish. I would be lying if I didn’t say I was eyeing Carmen’s left over shrimp. I was politely offered their leftovers, but politely declined, because I would have eaten it all. 

We did more than just eat. Okay only because Handsome was with me. I would have been okay hopping from one food location to the next. Handsome wanted to hike. Okay I wanted to hike too. Okay so Nicole wanted to hike too.

We went to see the Devil’s punchbowl. We went to see the coast. We saw a lot of really cool things.

We saw a lava rock beach.

I spent some time in silence. Listening to the rocks.

I also got to look at SCIENCE. Here was I before touching a starfish!

I also got to touch the food that otters eat. This practically makes me an otter. Which practically makes me adorable.

Then we went to the Oregon Country Fair. It was an experience. This was a tree of loving wishes. I was mean to listen to my heart and ask it what it wished for. I placed my heart wish with all the others. I felt a bit like I was walking away with part of my heart exposed. It was an interesting exercise.

It was a beautiful trip. I wouldn’t have changed anything about it.

-Tomato Travels