Intro from a non-traveled one-town gal

 Katie Goode - Eugene, OR 1986-2008

First, I should tell you why I find it so special to be able to travel the country. I was born and raised in Oregon. I went to one grade school, one middle school, one high school, and one college, all in the same town. Eugene is a fairly decent sized town. It's easy to navigate, rush hour isn't terrible, you don't need the interstate to get around, and there's something for everyone. 

If you like to hike, swim, walk in the park, shop, antique, go to college sports events, watch theater, etc, you can do so right in town. If you like to hunt, fish, camp, visit the beach, ski or snowboard, go boating, browse in a big city like Portland, etc, there's some place to do so in just a couple hours drive. It's a college town, so game days are big. In the summer, there are festivities such as the county fair...right in town; the country fair is a big hit and it's just a short drive away; the state fair is a huge hit and it's also just a short drive away. 

The weather is decent, though the locals say it rains most of the time. It rarely snows in town, but again, lots of snow in the winter is just a short drive away. The trees in the fall are gorgeous, and the weather in the summer is perfect. It's not too big where you feel overwhelmed by the crowds and the fast pace, and it's not too small where you feel like you know everyone. 

The people are nice. I've never felt snuffed by anyone. Mostly, people keep to themselves, but if you instigate conversation, it's not common for anyone to give you the cold shoulder. Don't be surprised, either, if you're in line at the store and someone behind you starts up a conversation. Eugenians are a welcoming and friendly people.

The biggest complaint about the town is that allergy season can be killer. Many years ago, Willamette Valley was unofficially renamed, Death Valley because of the severe pollen. I myself never had a single allergy until I was a senior in high school. My husband, however, no meds would work on his allergies. Either he took something and was super drowsy, or he didn't take anything and was energetic but miserable with sneezing, watery/itchy eyes, and a runny nose. I never knew any other place really. We went on trips to see family in other states, but most of my memories were made in and around the Eugene area.

Sure I had dreams as a teenager to get out of the town and explore the world around me. At times I wanted to escape and never come back. I had seemingly impossible dreams of going to Hawaii and swimming in the warm tropical waters with the fishes. I never thought I'd EVER see Hawaii. Though I got the greatest chance to tour Hawaii with my dance company (and I took it and had the time of my life), I owe my greatest adventures to the Coast Guard. 

To a girl who has only really ever known one place, it means the world to be able to see different places. Though Coast Guard life can be hard and dramatic at times, and the places you see are chosen by the CG and not yourself, it's wonderful still because the CG pays for it. I hope you enjoy my picture blog (haha Plog) of the different places hubby and I have been thanks to the CG.