from Portland!

And so, after eleven days of sweat and dirt and luminous exploration, Doug and I finally reached Portland, OR, our home in the making! Little Sioux (that's what I have officially Christened my mazda) took a deep sigh of relief: we had made it.

Now, here we are, four days later, and the reality of our situation is finally starting to sink in. We have been lucky enough to have a beautiful house to stay in until this friday, at which point we are on our own. Unfortunately, the plans we had made for the end of July have fallen through, which leaves Doug and I in quite the precarious situation. Up to the challenge, we have both put on our "serious" faces (and Doug his "responsible" voice) to step up to the plate and figure out a solution. Surprisingly enough, there are quite a number of temporary sublets out there, so we are hoping to find a furnished place to live in for a month or so until we have jobs and are ready for something more permanent. At least that's how the plan goes.

Big Sigh....

I woke up yesterday morning with an ache down in belly. The ache moaned and I knew that I was finally missing Asheville, my little home tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains, so far far away. Portland is big and...city-like. The people are different. The landscape is different. Where are all the trees? Instead of foilage and creek-beds I smell exhaust; rather than hear birds and crickets, my ears are filled with the sound of busses and an eerie silence. Where has my home gone? Is this the replacement? Has it all come to this?

Reminder to self: we have only been here FOUR days. Hardly time enough to be able to inhale the fullness of such a big, new place. And so I am trying to be patient. Doug and I are about to head off to the coast for the day. I think a little time away from the city and under the wide branches of nature will do us both some good. My heart calls out for the salty sweetness of the sea.