Valley Girl
by Jen Walker
Junction City, OR
Even as a small child who had never been anywhere else, I knew I was lucky to live here. I grew up chasing my brother on deer trails in the woods, exploring anonymous creeks, barking at sea lions. I was lucky enough to live in the Valley, with a Grandpa at the coast, an Aunt east of the Cascades, and an uncle in Grants Pass. My father never missed an opportunity to share his knowledge and love of our region.
We hiked and fished and treasure hunted endlessly…always ending with a nice cool dip! My epiphany came, though, on our return home from a month-long trip to Arkansas when I was 14. We had driven there and back, through eight states. Upon descending into the deep green that is the Willamette Valley, one word came to mind: ALIVE. This place is so alive! Even the air! Wild, rugged, graceful, complex, simple. It FORCES a sense of adenture.
Today, as I raise my three children in the place of my birth, I feel more fortunate than ever and hope to pass the magic of this place on to them.
