For my last week in Europe I spent it exploring Greece, it’s museums, ancient ruins, and the modern city. I visited places that I had only read about in books and dreamed about seeing for most of my life. The temples of Delphi, the ruins of Mycenae, the acropolis of Athens, and so much more.
On the days that I wasn’t working at the field school in Stobi, we were taken to the cities of Skopje and Ohrid. Skopje, being the capital of Macedonia was an urban city center filled with an eclectic mix of buildings and colossal monuments. Ohrid on the other hand was a near paradise ancient town, nestled into the foothills of rolling mountains along the shoreline of lake Ohrid.
I had a trip of a lifetime this summer. I worked my butt off to get myself to Macedonia and Greece for three weeks and I was in heaven every second of the trip. Below are my best photos from the first two weeks spent in Macedonia working at the archaeological site of Stobi.
A few days ago I made my first trip to a museum here in my new hometown, Portland, Oregon. Before I moved here, I discovered the Portland Art Museum was going to being very near to our future apartment. Just around the block from my front door I entered the museum doors and as luck would have it, their systems were down and I was admitted to the museum for free. The first objects I came across were these incredibly impressive gold zodiac heads. Each had their own special aura about them and the craftsmanship was impeccable.
After admiring the gold sculptures I made my way up to the top floor and began to work my way down through the museum. The collection of Native American, Mesoamerican and Asian artworks was world class. The gallery rooms were the perfect temperature and nearly silent, with no security guard within sight. As I moved through each room I felt a calm awareness grow inside me. I slowed my breathing, stepped softly as I moved from one piece to the next, and let my mind explore the thoughts being provoked, becoming just another quiet observer. Museums have always been a source of wonder, introspection and contemplation for me. A place where I go to reset myself and wind down from the sounds and sights of a busy modern world. The Portland Art Museum provided me with all of that and more. I will most definitely be returning for an annual pass.
