happy new year...almost!

Hi friends,

It’s almost 2013! When I was younger, I use to think the only thing grownups could ever talk about was the how time was always flying by and how much the weather changed. As I inch closer to becoming a grownup myself, I understand why they were always talking about time moving so quickly. (The jury is still out on the weather banter.) The days and years seem to be going by faster than ever and in just a few short hours we will  welcome yet another. Before we get to all the things we hope for in 2013, I’m going to take a little look back at 2012. It's been a bit of a whirl wind. A great whirl wind. 

The year was brought in with fun friends, a trip back to Alabama and the Bachelor Brownies. (Bachelor brownies consist of printing off women’s faces, putting them on toothpicks, sticking them on brownies and watching a terrible reality show. It’s excellent.) It continued on with birthday celebrations, pretty spring flowers and a really fun trip to the beach with my Mama. Summer greeted me with gorgeous sunsets, fun day trips, an apple pie on the fourth and an incredible birthday beach trip. The fall of 2012 was rounded out by my internship in Portland which really needs a whole post of its own. Four months filled with new everything; including some really beautiful scenery. The final days of this year have been spent with family and a lot of food. It’s been wonderful. I have learned and grown so much this year and looking back at it makes me so happy but most of all, so thankful.

Here’s a little look at this year:

a long awaited update + Tour De Pacific Northwest

Friends!

It has been way too long! It's been a crazy couple of weeks. My friend Carolyn  came to Portland to visit me during the last week I was there and then we flew home to Florida together. We figured it would be best to plan it that way because twelve hours of travel is only made worse when you have to do it alone. We had ourselves a classic adventure in the Pacific Northwest and even though it didn't go as smoothly as either of us hoped, we made a lot of memories that I'm sure will last forever. (Along with the bruise on Carolyn's knee from tripping as she got on the bus.) Sorry Carol. 

Traveling home also included eight (!!) bags full to the brim. Roughly 300 pounds. I know, I know, who needs that much stuff? No one. The answer is no one. Nevertheless, eight bags sadly turned into seven when I left one on our first connection from Portland to Oakland. The missing bag held my laptop, camera and art supplies. Needless to say, I was a bit upset when I realized what I had done. Thankfully my bag was delivered to me a few days later by way of FedEx and hefty price tag.

Here are a few photos from the start of our adventure. Anyone that goes to Oregon for the first time will undoubtedly be taken to the Columbia River Gorge without hesitation because it is that beautiful. Remember when I went the first time? Four short months ago.  

Hope you had a happy Christmas!

Emily 

wonders of this world.

Hello dear friends, 

Many of you might remember that when I began to plan my temporary stay in Portland, it did not involve driving my little blue bug across the United States of America. Instead, I decided to dive in head first and really make this thing an adventure. It's also possible that I had two free flights from Southwest Airlines for opening up a credit card and figured this might be the optimal time to put them to use. But hey, adventure was still going to be a part of the equation, no matter what the motive was. 

It turns out that there are some pretty rad folks in Portland though. Four awesome people have let me borrow their cars while I have been here which has made my car-less adventure to the pacific northwest a little more convenient. It is actually one of the most humbling things I have experienced as well. Often times, I am quick to cling to my worldly possessions because I "value" them but I am continuing to learn that although they are worth something monetarily speaking, they are worth pennies in comparison to the joy that comes from being able to share them with others. 

Having a car for the past couple of weeks has been such a blessing and I really couldn't be more thankful. When I started to think about it though, I realized that walking places has been too. You see a lot more of the world when you're among it. Here are just a few things I've seen on my walking adventure that reminded me of all the beautiful things that surround us everyday.

Fondly from Portland, 

Emily 

greek iced coffee.

Yiasou file mou!

In case you are like me and you don't speak Greek, that means "hello, my friend". Bet you're wondering why I'm greeting you in a foreign language? Well, I have been seeing advertisements about Portland's Greek Festival since I arrived and last weekend, I went! Let me tell you that I think festivals of any kind are pretty great but Greek festivals, specifically, are the jam. Great food, dancing, cool music and my new favorite thing, iced coffee. 

Iced coffee, greek style is the perfect mix between a frothy frappacino and iced coffee. Not too sweet and really smooth. If you were thinking of trying to make Greek iced coffee yourself, which I would highly  recommend because it is seriously good, here is a recipe that looks pretty similar.  

Another really great thing about the festival, besides the delicious gyro that I had, was the dancers. We saw two groups that ranged in age from 5 to 12 and they were adorable. It was really neat to see young kids that are already so aware of their family heritage. Their costumes were also pretty rad. 

I hope you had a great weekend and maybe even had a little cultural experience too!

Fondly from Portland, 

Emily 

the pacific coast.

Hey there friends, 

Last weekend this east coast girl got to see the pacific ocean for the first time. It was absolutely breathtaking (as I'm beginning to realize most things here are). We hiked about two and a half miles to the top of cliff to look out and see a view unlike any other. As we were sitting at the peak of our hike I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the beauty of this world. A wise person once told me to seek glimpses of redemption on this side of heaven. I think this fits the build. 

Fondly from Portland, 

Emily

waterfall or water fountain?

Howdy folks! 

Have you ever filled up your water bottle from the top of a waterfall? I most certainly never had...until about a week ago when I threw caution to the wind and climbed down to fill up. Let me tell you that if you have the chance to do this - do it. Cool and fresh my friends, cool and fresh.

I'm not going to lie to you, (even with caution was to the wind) I was thanking myself for buying the Camelbak with a filter.

Fondly from Portland, 

Emily

garden of greatness.

Why hello there, 

Have you ever gone somewhere really awesome and the whole time you are thinking of how on earth you are going to explain this to your friends so that it sounds as awesome as it actually is? This was one of those moments. And at the risk of my description not doing it justice, I think you should all just take my word for it and come visit me in Portland. 

An old Poor Farm built in 1911 is now home to McMenamins or as I like to say, a playground for adults. "On the grounds, you will find an array of diversions. Enjoy fine-dining restaurant, classic pub, numerous small bars and a summertime grill. Take a turn about one of the two par-3 golf courses. Schedule a massage, manicure and much more at Ruby’s Spa. Wander about the extensive gardens (glass of wine or pint of ale in hand), visit the onsite glass-blower and potter, have a look at extensive artwork on walls, pipes and more, watch a recent-run movie in the theater, or listen to live music." ...that's all, right? I know. 

We spent a few hours wandering around the grounds after having dinner in the pub but spent most of our time in the gardens. The smells of this beautiful place were sweet and fresh.  I couldn't get over the beautiful sunflowers growing everywhere not to mention just about every fruit and vegetable you could think of. 

I'm not sure if it was the realization that a place like this actually exists or the combination of being there during the golden hour and catching a little glimpse of a wedding taking place but I left feeling like I had just been somewhere kind of magical.

Fondly from Portland, 

Emily