A Familiar Fondness

You know that feeling you get when you see, hear, smell, or taste something that just takes you back to some other time, years prior? There are parts of Portland that do that to me. It's always the same areas and it's always the same feeling. A "familiar fondness".

I grew up in Sacramento, California. We lived a couple of hours from the Bay Area, depending on traffic. I have many memories of going there and all of them are positive, happy memories. Going with family, on a school fieldtrip, or with a church youth group, and later on dates. :) There was more than just the beach. We would go to the museums, the piers, the Gunnysack outlets, the Oakland temple, aquariums, sandcastle building contests... and of course, the beach too. ;) As a young adult, I would go to Sausalito to visit a marine mammal rescue facility in hopes to work or even just volunteer there. I never did get that opportunity and I really don't remember why, but I did eventually get a job at Marine World Africa USA in Vallejo (which isn't QUITE the Bay Area but it was almost there! lol). While my job had nothing to do with the animals, since I was an employee, I could volunteer with the research animals. I did that as much as I could! I helped to feed mama dolphins and sat for hours documenting observations on the mom and babies.

Even though I have never had the desire to live in the Bay Area, I have always enjoyed visiting there!

There are a couple of areas in Portland that really remind me of the Bay Area. One is on the way to the temple and the other is on the way to Ryan's work. Both are green, tree covered hills with slight turns on the highway. Yesterday, I went down to the LDS bookstore, which is very close to the temple, and I thought about the Bay Area as I passed that particular spot. I even thought about blogging it. But then the tornado happened and "blew" (LOL, I crack myself up) that idea right out the window. ;) Today, Rori and I met Ryan for lunch near his work. Again, with the Bay Area memories and that "familiar fondness". :)

It's funny too, because when you think of the Bay Area, you think of... oh gee, maybe THE BAY, or the super steep streets and trolley cars, or Alcatraz Island and The Golden Gate Bridge, or Rice-a-Roni, or Full House (lol), or something like that. But for whatever reason, I always remember the lush, green, hilly areas, especially near Golden Gate Park. (Well, at least these particular areas in Portland make me think of that. There are other things that remind me of those other parts of the Bay Area, but that's another post for another time.) And with those thoughts, come a "familiar fondness" that I really enjoy. :)