Spokane, WA

When Matt called me up for our monthly meeting, I knew he’d be up for enjoying a new Spokane experience. I hadn’t been to Finch Arboretum since middle school, when my parents dragged me along to watch my older sister’s cross country meet. Older now, I figured I would appreciate the natural beauty and the trees more than I did then. Matt’s always up for throwing a disc around while we talk, so he was glad to join me at Finch.

Matt and I get together every few weeks to discuss how we can live better, and keep each other accountable on the things we want to do with our lives. I’m a few years older, so I’m sort of a mentor to Matt, though we’re more like peers and friends. He has struggled with addictions and setbacks, though recently he has been doing great. He recently landed a pretty good job and started classes at Spokane Falls Community College, and is planning a service trip to Africa, which he wants to take within the year. I’m proud of him.

We walked around Finch Arboretum, enjoying the incredible trees and weaving back and forth on both sides of the little creek that runs through it. After tossing the disc and hearing about Matt’s trip to the Gorge to see The Police, we ended up sitting on the branch of a huge old tree, which was just asking to be climbed. We sat for a while watching the marmots scurrying across the grass into their different burrows. As we talked on a huge arm of the tree, Matt shared some exciting developments in his life. His first used car purchase, a drivers’ license, and some great friends at his job are making things look up for my good friend Matt.

Finch Arboretum is located on Sunset Drive, just west of Spokane’s Browne’s Addition. As you go up the hill away from downtown, watch for the signs on your left. Finch is a great place to hang, but if you’re alone, bring an mp3 player, because the only problem with Finch is that you can hear the freeway, though you can’t really see it that much.