MCLANE: Home is far and away the best vacation

It seems like the standard social question this time of year, whether I'm having dinner with friends or sitting in the dentist's chair, is, "Do you have any big travel plans this summer?"

I used to feel intense, self-inflicted pressure to have an exciting answer to this friendly inquiry, like I'm going skydiving or planning a big family vacation to some exotic location or building an orphanage in a third-world country. But then I decided to start being honest, both with myself and others. My answer now is a very confident, "I'm not going anywhere!" And it makes my heart happy to say so.

We moved to Central Oregon very intentionally 20 years ago. The kids needed wide open spaces and plenty of chores, and our parents needed their kids and grandkids close by. After years of practice, I've discovered that family is the best training ground I can think of when trying to make "loving your neighbor" a part of your legacy. Also, Portland was rapidly changing into - well, "Portland."

Air travel is an amazing gift in our modern world. While the flights and security lines are tolerable, the work and expense required to get to a destination, make all the fun memories and get back home simply isn't worth the stress and effort — especially when compared to the amazing destinations we have right here in our own Central Oregon backyard.

Some of my most cherished memories have included branding cows with my man and the kids, the Crooked River Round Up rodeo, surviving a jog up Burma Road Trail at Smith Rock State Park with crazy friends, snowmobiling in the Cascade Lakes Wilderness, running in the Dirty Half Marathon on Phil's Trail and sipping drinks on peaceful backyard patios while connecting with friends over projects that might help the needs of our local community.

And, on any given day, I hardly feel like I've scratched the surface of all that's waiting for us right here at home. Have you ever been to the Paulina Rodeo on Labor Day weekend or the Cascade Lavender fields outside of Madras? And if you've never visited the Good Bike Company's website (www.goodbikeco.com), it'll make you want to buy or rent a bike and book a tour right away.

So, whether we are seeking entertainment or the opportunity to love and serve wherever there's a need locally, we can all start by cultivating a life that matters right here at home instead of always striving to be somewhere else.