portland headlight by katrina berg, 11×14 oil on canvas, SOLD {inquire for giclée print}

Nance and I took a trip back East January of 2000 to check out grad schools.  The Boston wind cut right through our “thought-we-were-prepared” coats and gloves that we were used to wearing in the Wasatch Mountains at BYU.  Getting on the “T” was a sight for regular riders.  We had no tokens, passes, nor correct fare.  A heaven-sent lady of kindness gave us the needed fare and we were off on our adventure.

Boston proved to be a memorable stop and the scholarly environment unforgettable.  I loved it there.

Days later we made a our way up the coast, past the many tolls and finally found ourselves in Maine.

Nance, I said, look at the ocean, and look at the lighthouses!

I was charmed.

While Nance checked out the art program, I hung out and took in the Maine air, relaxing by the local lighthouse.

Afterwards we had a wonderful dinner at an Indian restaurant downtown…which was amazing.  When we came out of the restaurant, we found that our lil’ rental car had been boxed in.  My So. Cal driving and parking experience was no match for the situation.  As I patiently and meticulously inched back and forth for about 10 minutes, we noticed some guys laughing at us in the neighboring town park.  I jumped out and challenged them to help us instead of laughing at our predicament.

All of a sudden, there was Nance, still in the car, way above my head.  Two of those boys had picked it up and moved it to the middle of the street.

Well there you have it.  I’m glad I paid for insurance on the rental car that trip for there really must have been little to it.  🙂

The trip was a success.  We found individual answers for each of us as to our next 4 or five years, we tested some traveling/self-reliant skills, and I renewed my love affair with the East Coast.

The designer’s younger brother {one of his best friends}, lives in Maine, not far from Portland and it’s headlight.  His mother and sister went out this past Summer and enjoyed their family and the beautiful state.  They spent some time touring the headlight and have made memories of their own in this charming part of the world.

The painting was a Christmas gift for them…to remember their time with loved ones in Maine.  Who knows where they will be over the next few years, but hopefully, this painting will remind them of their family’s “early years”.