TThis weekend we took a quick road trip back to Portland—specifically to my hometown of Lake Oswego—to celebrate my nephew’s high school graduation party and my niece’s voice recital. My husband doesn’t miss Portland much, but every return visit brings a wave of nostalgia for me. It’s where I grew up and where our children spent their early years, so it will always feel like my true home even though we now live in Seattle.
I can hardly believe our son Luke was only in second grade when we moved from Portland to Washington. He’s spent half his life in Portland and the other half in Washington, and he’ll graduate from high school next year. Time flies.
For context, we’ve lived in Washington for nine and a half years. I started this blog eleven years ago, so we moved about a year and a half after I began blogging. Looking back, it’s amazing how quickly those years passed.
My how time flies!
When we moved to Washington, my daughter Courtney was in her last year of high school in Lake Oswego; she graduated from college with her interior design degree five years ago. Our older daughter Kylee had just gotten married a few months before the move—she and her husband Lance will be married ten years this August.
We spent the first six years in Washington on the Kitsap Peninsula, then relocated to Seattle three years ago to bring our family closer while Luke finished high school. Kylee, Lance and Courtney all moved to Seattle during college and have stayed in the city since. Moving closer together has been a wonderful way to strengthen family ties.
This whole chapter of our lives—leaving familiar surroundings and starting anew—has been a whirlwind, but one we’re glad we undertook. Taking that leap brought many positive changes and opportunities for all of us. Even though we feel settled and content in our Washington home, I still enjoy driving through my old neighborhoods to reminisce and check on some favorite houses. I love sharing those photos so others can enjoy the ride with me.
The photo above shows the last house my family lived in during my high school years. It’s a beautiful English-style home situated on a small peninsula in Lake Oswego, with water on three sides. I loved living there. While the house has changed over the years, driving by still brings back many memories.
This view doesn’t capture the full perspective seen from the water, which is even more striking. If I can get additional photos from that angle I may share them in a future post, along with pictures of other homes where I’ve lived.
The house behind the iron gates above is another home I grew up in—the one we lived in just before moving to the lake house. It’s a lovely white colonial, but it’s tough to photograph because the property is very private. I nearly dashed down the driveway or pushed through the bushes to get a better shot—tempting, but not sensible. Maybe next time I’ll find a better angle.
The house tucked behind the hedge belongs to a neighbor I’ve always nicknamed “the Martha Stewart” of the area for her immaculate landscaping. I’ve shared that secret gate on the blog before; it’s one of those spots I love to pass by and admire.
I hope you enjoyed this little drive through my old stomping ground. There’s something comforting about revisiting the places that shaped your childhood and seeing how they’ve evolved over time.
Are you still living in the city you consider your hometown? Or have you ventured elsewhere like I have? How do you feel about where you live now—do you ever feel homesick? I’d love to hear your stories.
PS. Homesickness seems more common these days as people move more frequently. I’m definitely a homebody at heart, so it’s natural that I occasionally long to be back in familiar places. Those feelings are part of what makes revisiting so meaningful.