HEADING WEST
Every once in a while, I take what I call a “pilgrimage,” whether it’s to a holy place amongst the ruins of Pompeii or the Italian coffee shop at the corner of Argyle St. where I come too close to stepping in dog shit while tweens in their North Face puffers and glorified Salomons stunt in Badiali’s lineup, reminding Toronto’s elite that Battlestar-Galactica inspired dress is indeed what’s cool right now. I nod in agreement yet smile in fear that I might get curb stomped in my own neighbourhood for not being cool enough. Nothing is more terrifying than walking past a group of tweens.
Anyway, my most recent pilgrimage took me to Oregon - not to be confused with the keyboard pipe instrument in its pronunciation - but a state residing in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Not knowing much about Oregon except for the 2011 unhinged sketch-comedy, Portlandia, I asked Chat GPT “What is so special about Oregon?” and she responded:
Oregon is known for its diverse landscapes, including the Pacific coastline, dense forests, and high deserts. It's celebrated for outdoor activities, like hiking and skiing. Portland, its largest city, is famous for its vibrant arts scene, craft breweries, and progressive culture. Additionally, Oregon emphasizes sustainability and environmental conservation. Oregon offers some example of every geographic terrain on the planet within its borders
Sounds pretty decent to me. My naivety stayed quiet on the 5 hour plane ride from Toronto… I was about to get my mind blown. I was about to find corners of the world that I would remember forever.
A rusted campervan with a weird paint job became home for the next two weeks. He took me all along the Oregon coast, down to the Redwoods (which is technically not in Oregon but at the Northern tip of California. I couldn’t possibly disrupt this curated documentation all about Oregon but I did indeed dip into California to see the biggest trees in the world… SUE ME), and finally back up through the interior of Oregon.
I sheepishly admit that ChatGPT was right. Driving around this one state, I witnessed every possible landscape. Empty beaches stretching for miles as the galaxy spun above me. In the middle of the night, I’ve never seen the sky so bright. Lush forests with towering trees turning humans into ants. I searched for synonyms for “big” as every tree swallows the next one in its size. Sand dunes waving to the ocean. Volcanos rising humbly from the immensity of the Cascade Range. Hiking to the top of a crater’s rim as the days turn blue. Floating in rivers that rolled through rugged canyons and valleys. A childlike wonder dances through my bloodstream. Bathing in natural hot springs surrounded by snow-capped trees. A dirty woodland fairy but make it cute.
Places like these keep me inspired. The idea that your life can be a pacifist version of Grand Theft Auto and there are countless levels that I’ve yet to unlock. The world is so big and life is so short. The whole thing is quite overwhelming.
I mostly shot film on this particular trip - constraining myself to the limited number of photographs I could take. This meant savouring, rationing, and wisely choosing the images that passed through my viewfinder. The emo version of Thoreau’s theory on intentional walking. Oregon left an impression on me that supplanted the typical allurement of travel and left me feeling insignificantly small. While I heard stories of panic attacks from claustrophobia walking amongst the giant Sequoias trees, it was an infinite feeling I will continue to search for as long as I live.
Pilgrimage over. Return home, gather thoughts, develop film, spew words. Publish.
In the short time I spent travelling around Oregon, I have a million thoughts and wandering ideas. Beauty requires little searching. Beauty meets you exactly where you are.
Go to Oregon.
