A year ago, I wrote a little piece for the Billabong blog on our journey from Southern California to Northern Oregon and realized that I never shared it with you.

There it goes:

After getting married at a drive-in in Vegas and spending one year in Southern California - where we opened a coworking space and a photo studio - Octave & I decided to leave everything behind, go on a month-long road trip up the Pacific Coast highway and move to Portland.

We had never been to Oregon before, but as soon as we crossed the state border, we were sold. Oregon is the perfect mixture of windswept beaches, snowy mountains, lush forests, dusty deserts and eco-conscious cities. And Portland is a great spot to settle down. Each neighborhood has a small village feel, but the city, with its buoyant music, art and food scene, has no reason to envy bigger cities.

The best way to slow down, get grounded and empty your mind is to reconnect with nature. We try to get away from our desks as much as we can to get some fresh air and go on adventures.

Octave got Charlie, a vintage Land Cruiser that he’s been refurbishing for a couple months. We usually just throw some food and clothes in a bag, hop on the truck and go on adventures, whether it’s to hike, snowboard or just sleep outside for a night.

Read the rest of our story here.