And without further ado...
After learning about the Hood To Coast (the world's largest running relay
race of 197 miles from Mt. Hood to Seaside, OR) from a fellow passenger on my flight to Portland, we couldn't resist heading to the coast to see the runners come in. The drive was beautiful and reminded me of both parts of Northern California and northern Sweden with the many trees and verdantly green pastures. There were even a few charming rustic (aka. hick) towns along the way. I believe Mike may have captured on camera, one potty stop where we were handed a hubcap (with key attached) and directed to a colorfully decorated (aka. covered with graffiti) bathroom outside. Ah, the fun of public restrooms!
Sorry no pictures of that yet, but here is the official Seaside welcome sign (something to do with Lewis & Clark), a runner racing to the finish line and the finish line.
That night Audrey and I hung out while her Mom & Dad went on a date. We had fun reading and giggling. She was sad to go to bed. And cried about that for a while. (A long while.)
Sunday brought a piece of Monrovia to Oregon as I headed to the 
burbs (Lake Oswego) for a luncheon celebrating my childhood friend Phoebe's new daughter, Agnes Mae, who was blessed that day. Almost all of Phoebe's family were there, making for an impromptu Monrovia-Reunion-In-Lake-Oswego. It was great fun to see Phoebe, David, Henry, Calvin, and of course, little Agnes, as well as Phoebe's parents and siblings and now all of their kiddos. Thanks to the wonderful world of blogging, I felt quite caught up on everyone's lives. (Yes, Terrills, I stalk your blogs. :-)
We also visited 2 churches that day: Imago Dei and Mosaic, the future pastoral home of my dear, dear friends, the Osborns. They are moving to Portland in less than one week so it was neat to worship with the community that they will soon be a part of, and to pray along with the church, for them as they travel and move and settle into their new lives in Portland. Though I will miss them dreadfully, my experience with Mosaic reassures me that they are heading into something good.
Monday, my last day in Portland, brought me to the purpose of the trip: to meet with a representative from Pacific University-SPP. From my time exploring the Hillsboro campus (currently a 5-story building with plans to build another by Jan 09) to my discussions with the rep, I feel confident that PU-SPP could be a great fit for me. With their blended focus on both Clinical and Research skills, I have little doubt that I would be more than prepared to pursue many options upon completion of the 5-year MS/Psy.D. program.
The rest of my day was filled with a visit to the Osborn's soon-to-b
e home in the Argay neighborhood, enjoyment of a Blackberry Sundae from the renowned Burgerville, and a nice visit with Wendy (Small World Alert: she was part of the pastoral search committee at Mosaic that brought Tim to the church, as well as a good friend of an ex-boyfriend of mine, who I had previously met on a handful of occasions.) Wendy was kind enough to be my taxi to & from the airport. Thanks, Wendy!
So, in summary...
Pros: The Osborns; The Fillmores; great school; beautiful area; quaint neighborhoods with beautiful brick buildings and cozy restaurants & shops; efficient public transportation system; more distinct seasons; no need to church shop; and I'm sure many, many more.
Cons: I can't think of any...Oh wait! I just thought of one: not much snow
Yeah, it's going to be hard to decide.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Portland III, IV & V
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I'm glad that you had a great time! I've spent very little time in Portland but from what I know of it, I like it. However, let me provide you with another list:
Pros for Chicago:
World Class Food.
The chance to experience more cultures in a 5 mile radius than just about anywhere else
Shopping, shopping and more shopping.
Seasons!!
Plenty of snow.
Midwest men!
No need to church shop here either.
ME!
The 'El' and other various forms of public transportation (this could also be listed under cons). :)
Shopping, shopping and more shopping.
Theater to rival NYC.
You can eat in restaurants where Al Capone may or may not have eaten once upon a time.
You can develop a really cool accent.
Did I mention shopping?
Cons:
Shady politicians.
Annoying tourists in the summer.
See, it's perfect! Those two 'cons' don't really count because those exist everywhere.
Dangit! This is not going to be easy...
It looks and sounds fantastic. Architecture with character and personality, seasons, small town vibes, verdant landscapes, trees, blue skies......my inner soul is yearning just thinking about it. And "not much snow" is a whole lot more than what we've got here, which is NO snow. But I do love Chicago and Boston, too, so I don't envy the position you're in. However, I have a feeling that by the time all is said and done you'll have a clear leading as to where God has plans laid out for you.....
I for one am thrilled! GO PORTLAND! Since I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up there one day and since I'm there all the time....this is definitely my first choice for you my dear. :)
Considering our great love for Portland, we wouldn't cry rivers if you chose it. Selfishness aside, I'd say that living close to Liz is a pretty freakin'-huge pro.
I was lucky enough to have an office located close to Liz for nearly 2 years and she was an absolute angel (with horns just tiny enough and cute enough to keep her fun!)
Aw shucks! Thanks Bran! :)
Really though, I don't think she can go wrong with any of the choices. In fact, they should all be fighting over who gets the honor of having Kelly live in their city. It will increase their property values significantly. :)
Although Chicago is fun, Portland just has SO many pros. Not just that I think my family should count for at least 10 pros on your list:)
Post a Comment