I recently spent a week traveling Oregon and Washington State while visiting a cousin in Corvallis. This was my first time visiting the west coast so I was excited to be visiting somewhere I’d never been. Discovering unfamiliar places can be enthralling, and my recent travels were no exception.

My first discovery became apparent as my flight from Indianapolis began its decent into Salt Lake City. As soon as we broke through the clouds, mountains appeared on both sides of the plane. They were a rich gray with brilliant white peaks. It wasn’t until I spotted the airport that I could appreciate how immense the mountains were — this sudden shift in scale was fascinating.

(more…)