The phrase "took my breath away" gets thrown around a lot -- but really, when was the last time something took your breath away? Like, literally (another hyperbole for which I'm guilty of overusing) left you breathless?

For me, it happened near the end of a very long flight from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Portland, Oregon. I was headed to the Rose City to celebrate my 40th birthday with a robust list of iconic places and natural wonders I wanted to hit. The Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, Powell's -- being in and out in 48 hours meant I needed to move quickly and stick to my itinerary.

My plan got derailed before even landing in Portland. I blame Mount Hood.

You see, as we began our final descent, the clouds parted and there appeared Mount Hood, snow-capped, monumental, and absolutely, positively breathtaking. This natural wonder, in all its majesty, quite literally took my breath away. As it should.

Located about an hour east of Portland, Mount Hood holds court in the Cascades at 11,249 feet tall. It isn't just Oregon's tallest peak; it's an iconic destination that's beloved for four seasons of outdoor adventure.

When I planned my trip to Portland, I knew I'd see Mount Hood; it's literally part of the cityscape and a Pacific Northwest icon. I knew all of that, in my head. What I wasn't prepared for was how taken I'd be by this mountain.

Seeing Mount Hood from above was simultaneously humbling and inspiring. The feeling of discovery was marvelous and momentous -- perhaps akin to what Lewis and Clark felt when they gazed out into the Columbia River Gorge for the first time.

Pictures of places like Mount Hood (or the Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone... all the beautiful natural wonders in the US) are so ubiquitous; their grandeur gets lost in endless social media feeds and shuffle. When was the last time you stopped to think about just how beautiful the world is?

The woman sitting next to me asked if I was okay. I was. I told her my tears were happy tears -- that I was having my very own Mount Hood moment.

From the ground, Mount Hood is equally commanding, so after landing and getting settled into my fantastic Airbnb, I headed back out into Portland (for vegan pizza, of course), but also to take in the skyline.

I got out my iPhone just once, when we landed, and snapped a very blurry photo of the mountain. (I know, what a bad travel writer I am!) Instead of photos, I have memories. I spent the next 24 hours wandering the streets of Portland, Oregon, feeling fully alive and in sync with my surroundings.

Aside from my 'za, I had no destination; instead, I simply let myself savor the sense of awe and wonder of this majestic mountain that Portlanders get to see every single day. How extraordinary.

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio, and have a lot of love for my hometown. In Cincinnati we have lots of rolling hills and green forests, but we don't have mountains. Not Mount Hood mountains. Don't get me wrong -- I love Hocking Hills and it's truly a Midwest treasure, but the hills of Ohio's Appalachia don't hold a candle to Oregon's mountains.

But that's okay. Cincinnati is my home, but Portland has a piece of my heart. As I travel more and indulge my ever-growing wanderlust, I'm excited to share my heart with more charming towns and beautiful places.