Blogs from Portland, Oregon, United States, North America - page 44

If there was any moment I felt closer to death, it was in the twelfth hour of my flight from Sydney to LA. We had hit turbulence two hours ago and it hadn't stopped. Cabin service had been suspended and there was at least half a dozen passengers using their complimentary motion sickness bags. As much as I wanted to touch down and be home, I wanted to find the next flight to somewhere else. And not because it might be warm and sunny at a different latitude. And not because that somewhere else might be better than here, but because I knew Mark and I would have to finish (or begin) what we started before we left. For seven weeks, we escaped. And we learned a few things; as bad a reputation as Americans have ... read more

The Preparations: As many already know, we are about to embark on a great adventure. We have bought a sailboat and are planning on cruising in the Caribbean Islands starting from Charleston, SC to the Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Grenadines, and all the way down to Bonaire and Aruba. Then the plan is to make our way through the Panama Canal. We will continue to sail along the Pacific Coast hitting Costa Rica, Mexico, and California as we make our way back to the Puget Sound here in the Northwest. There is a lot of flexibility with this plan, so don’t be surprised if we cross the Atlantic to the Med or end up somewhere in the South Pacific like the Marquesas or Tahiti. The idea is to live the sailing life, traveling and seeing the ... read more

No job. No plans. Just six weeks in New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. October 27th - December 9th. This isn't meant to make you jealous or sad or angry that you are sitting in front of a computer reading this while we are living the Lord of the Rings. Mark and I traded in many months of free time to work hard toward one goal—to travel. It's a choice. That's why I drive a 16-year-old truck with a failing head gasket, so I can afford to see another part of the world. We travel to understand and experience culture. To feel small, scared, excited, humbled, but mostly, free. For that brief moment in time, we shed all responsibility—jobs, furniture, mortgages, commute times, deadlines, cars—and we get lost. Nobody knows where we are. And sometimes, neither do ... read more

Just under 3 weeks to our trip. Time is flying and soon we'll be packing up the bags. Not sure what will be in those bags yet, probably will figure out the night before. The house is almost squared away for those looking after it. We'll see how cold it really gets in the house. Should really put those storm windows up... Another countdown entry soon. Mark... read more

My affection for Polish food began in Salt Lake City, when a co-worker would prepare traditional dishes each year as Easter neared for our entire office. When I discovered that Portland holds a Polish Festival each September, I had to go in order to satiate my cravings. Early Polish immigrants to Oregon settled in the Overlook District of North Portland. By 1892 they had formed their own Polish National Alliance chapter, and in 1907 built the St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church. In 1911, the Polish Library Hall was erected just south of the church. For the past 12 years North Failing Street, which runs between the two buildings, has been cordoned off and the festival is held on these historic grounds. To ease the congestion of long lines, the festival employs the use of tokens for ... read more