Aslan's Country

I read The Chronicles of Narnia my freshman year of college. Since I lived off campus, I camped out in the school library and read books between classes. I had my own special chair, and rarely saw anyone else in my secluded area. I promise, I made friends a few weeks into school. But before I did, I finished all seven novels.

My first trip to the Oregon Coast happened a short while after finishing these books. Jeff brought me there after we had been dating for a few months, and my breath was instantly taken away. "This is the gateway to Aslan's Country!" Jeff had no idea what I was talking about...

In the final pages of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Reepicheep crossed the waves into Aslan's Country, which is a metaphor for heaven. It might sound crazy and suicidal, but sometimes I feel it is possible to walk straight into the ocean and land in paradise.

Except one time I wandered too far into the water, was immediately consumed by terror (and the knowledge that I was going to die), so started screaming and swam back to shore. Yeah, it turns out the ocean is terrifying - not to mention frigid.

Despite the fact that it almost killed me that one time, I still LOVE the Oregon Coast.