I can't believe it, but in just about a
week we'll be leaving Portland on another adventure. It's even harder
to believe we've been here for almost four and a half years. Portland
has been nothing short of fantastic. I feel like we've been let in
on the secret the great Pacific Northwest – though it
may not be such a well-kept secret anymore. At least we're following
the unwritten rule: come and enjoy Portland, but don't forget to
leave!
Looking back on our stay, I think we
became more Portland-y than we could have imagined. Bike
commuting, composting, craft beer, camping, light rail, and even a
pick-up truck became part of our lives. While I cycled over
all ten city bridges, Matthias baked bread, made his own sausage and
cheese, smoked fish and ribs and grew roses. Although we resisted
getting tattoos and Matthias hasn't grown a beard, we are leaving
with a sizable amount of fleece, Columbia sportswear and a few pairs
of Keens. Most importantly, we met amazing people and made friends
for life living and working here. I can't say enough about how
terrific it's been working at Virginia Garcia – the people and the
wonderful work they do. I will miss them, A LOT!
So it's time to dust off the blog and
start chronicling our next adventure. We're going to start by
touring the USA, something we've wanted to do since we got a taste of
it driving out here in 2011. We'll meet up with Matthias' parents in
Seattle and travel with them for about a week and then set off across
the country, ending in Florida for my mom's 75th birthday
bash. After that, we're off on a quick trip to Germany and then
Southeast Asia for the winter. We're planning another US tour for
next summer, but anyone who knows us knows that it's all subject to
change. Stay tuned and hope to see you on the road!
