I Saw The Signs When I Opened Up My Eyes

The sign to visit Oregon proved to be just what I needed

I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes and I saw the sign. How can you not think of that song by Ace of Base when you hear anything about “seeing a sign”?

I’ve been seeing signs, not always physical, for years telling me that I should get out to the forest.

I should get out of the concrete jungle.

I have lived in California for 45 years, my entire life. I’ve often lived minutes away from the beach and yet, I rarely go. I love a good walk at the beach but I don’t love being in the sun. I haven’t gone to sit at the beach here in many years since my daughters were younger.

I shade myself with hats and sunscreen whenever I am out. I might sound like a brat to some because I should be so grateful to live as close to the beach as I do but my heart yearns for the forest.

I’d rather be surrounded by trees and greenery that provide shade. I’d pick a beach vacation last over other types of trips. I still enjoy them but they are not my first choice.

My husband and I have toyed with the idea of moving out of state for years. We have yet to find a place that we would want to call home in our travels because something is always calling us back home to the weather here in sunny California, even though we don’t spend time at the beach.

But, somehow, 60–70 degrees year-round is more appealing than constant rain, snow, high humidity, or a dry place with no dewpoint.

Metaphorical signs are everywhere. We see them all the time in our daily lives. They can be literal or mean something different. It is up to our interpretation to view the sign as we please.

In our quest for a moveable location, I have noticed different things along the way. All of these signs have pointed me in the direction that my heart yearns for.

Here, we were in Virginia, thinking that maybe the east coast would be for us but this told me that the wind would blow me elsewhere.

In Seattle, it was cold but not too cold to consider it a con. But, after seeing the bars and restaurants, I noticed this Alibi Room and thought, “Not the place for me because I am all out of excuses.”

The places that show me the most positive signs are the places where animals roam free for my viewing. Those places also get below zero and I wonder if I could handle that. I definitely would say a big “Yahoo” for Canada if it wasn’t so damn cold.

So, after trying to find places that we’d want to move to, after a while we gave up. We have started to think that we might as well keep our home base here and travel for long periods of time instead.

Why do we need to move to be happy, especially when we have the luxury of traveling a lot? I mean it would sure be nice to wake up to this, but it would also mean being stuck inside a lot due to weather.

Months ago we started planning our first trip to Oregon which has been on my radar for years. Yes, it rains a lot but it also embodies many of the things that my heart yearns for.

Green forests, rolling hills, wild animals, fresh air, and just enough humidity but not too much.

My daughter, who is a junior in high school, is starting to feel out colleges that she might want to attend, and being that she doesn’t want to travel too far from home, we think Oregon would be a good fit.

I also wanted to travel there for selfish reasons as I feel the signs have been calling my name for quite some time.

I’ve heard conflicting things from different people but I needed to see for myself to make my own decision.

We saw the signs when we arrived to take flight. To soar.

One thing I won’t do is feel shame and regret about my choices again. My decisions are mine to make and I will gladly accept literal signs and signs from the universe to guide me where I should go next.

I invite you to watch the signs around you if you are feeling stuck. Sometimes we grow out of places and need to reinvent ourselves somewhere else.

The random messages that we see in our lives could be a sign that we need to make a move. To make a decision that could greatly impact our lives in a positive way.

I know I will continue to keep my eyes open for the signs. Thank you, Oregon for showing me a possible place to move through your beauty.

The forest was the greatest sign of all. I felt at ease, I felt peace, and I could breathe.

Sunny California will always have my heart but my time here is running out. The clock is ticking and the forest is calling my name.

Have you ever felt called to relocate after seeing a sign?

This is in response to our January prompt here at Globetrotters.

Check out these two writers who took the prompt and ran with it in a creative and unique way.

Tara Torres — “The Signs of the Troubles”

Matthew David — “What’s in a Name?”