back from Portland

journal pages from Anahata's journaling class

I'm back from a whirlwind weekend in Portland. It was full of bonding time with my friend as well as lots of fun activities.

I arrived there on Friday evening and was picked up by J and her partner. We headed to McMenamins Kennedy School restaurant which I had just read about in Cottage Living Magazine. These two brothers from Portland started buying abandoned buildings like schools and theatres back in the 80's, and redesigned them to be spas, hotels and restaurants. The former Kennedy school was renovated with such imagination and creativity! Original works of art and photographs are scattered throughout the hallways, all of them depicting scenes relevant to the school's past. The restoration was done with a lot of love and integrity, and it was so refreshing to see such care and creativity. And the food was great too!

Saturday morning we had breakfast with two of J & K's friends. They were absolute sweethearts! They made me feel so welcome and at home. I felt like I'd known them all my life, and know I will be enjoying their company when I relocate. After breakfast we drove around a bit to check out some neighborhoods and house pricing. Portland is a lot more expensive than I thought! It was a little discouraging. But I shook it off and we headed out in the afternoon for a little shopping in some of Portland's cute little shops followed by a lovely soak in K's hot tub.

In the evening we went to see a dance event sponsored by White Bird organization. They are hosting shows choreographed by International women choreographers. The show we saw was choreographed by a Mexican woman. The performance was amazing! The music alone was worth the price of admission! The costumes for each piece were simple, but powerful. And the last dance was performed in a 3" deep pool of water, with water being a part of the dancer's costume. After the show we went to a swanky restaurant around the corner from the theatre and had a late night snack before heading back to J's apartment and bed.

Sunday we walked around the corner from J's house in the pouring rain and had breakfast at a cute little hole in the wall restaurant called Jam's. Then we visited a friend of J's (where I got to make new kitty and dog friends) and did a little more shopping. Later we hung out and I headed to the airport for the flight back to Phoenix.

It was a mixed weekend emotionally. The thought of leaving my life, my home, my friends and some of my animals here in Phoenix is very hard. Being in Portland made my happy little dream of living there more real, and that reality brings with it fear and a heartbreaking sense of sadness. It felt rather overwhelming, the thought of picking up and moving to another state, another city, and starting all over again. But I brought myself back to "one day at a time", and am trying very hard not to stress about something that isn't even a possibility for several months yet. In the meantime, school and other necessities of life keep me rolling and sane.

This week I hope to work in my journal. I'll keep you posted (no pun intended!).