Portland's Japanese Garden: A Place of True Peace In a Time of Chaos

As we are all nearing insanity in quarantine, I thought it would be a great idea to take the weekend to, safely, see some sights. I originally planned to go to a pick-and-eat farm as that seemed to allow more social distancing than any other activity; however, the rain did not help in that adventure. After spending 30 minutes in the car with my fiance scrolling through Google, we decided on the Portland Japanese Garden.

Honestly, I did not know that Portland had a Japanese Garden, but the Washington park is filled with many beautiful adventure options. For only $18.50 we were able to enter.

Not knowing what to expect, I did not leave my expectations too high. However, what I experienced at this garden was wonderful. Lately, my brain has been all over the place. I've been plagued by reoccurring worrying since the beginning of quarantine. Any moment I was left alone, my mind immediately began to buzz with intruding thoughts of worry. When I entered the garden my thoughts were silenced. The fresh, green air overtook my senses, and the abundant greenery made me stop in my tracks. There was a moment of stillness and quiet as others moved around me that I had not experienced in months.

The garden is almost like a maze. It has eight styles and reaches over 12 acres. There are two major rock gardens (karesansui), multiple waterfalls, bridges, and side paths to hold your attention and peace.

Though the experience only took about 40 minutes, I was left with a feeling of contentment and a peace of mind.