Wrapping it up

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My trip to Oregon came to an end with a long day of travel. I used my airline miles for both flights and the only way I could get home was to fly to Phoenix and then O'Hare. Because I like to get to the airport early, I was up and leaving my Airbnb by 7. The Portland airport was really nice, with free wi-fi and comfortable waiting areas. The new thing in security was having to put any electronic device larger than a cell phone in its own bin. So now I needed three bins, one for my laptop, one for my Kindle and one for my shoes, liquids and camera bag. The amount of bins you use is getting crazy! The Phoenix airport did not have free wi-fi, I had to take a train between terminals and go through security again and the waiting areas were not so nice. Phoenix has a rough landing and an even rougher take off. I really dislike the bumps and there were some not so nice ones on the take off. But the rest of the flight was uneventful. I arrived to the farthest gate possible and almost the farthest baggage claim possible, but then my mom picked me up and I was warmly greeted by Isabelle when I finally got home.

So Oregon is probably one of my favorite states now that I have been. There is so much to do and I only visited a small corner of the state. I traveled 1095 miles by car and I'm not sure how many miles by foot. I had sore knees from the ups and downs of the trails and my eyes were pretty tired after squinting at whales on two different occasions. I ate delicious seafood on the beach and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean. I had time to relax and wander the beach without a schedule or demands from other people. It was really a very peaceful trip.

Portland is a city I feel I saw enough of in one day. I'd like to do a river cruise, but otherwise I saw everything I wanted to. I feel there is more to do in the surrounding area and would love to explore more on my next trip. I'm also extremely grateful to my Airbnb hosts for recommending Mount St Helens. I never would have thought to go there and I'm so glad I did. Such an amazing place!

As I cross another state off my list, I can't help but think that I will be back here again to check out the places I enjoyed so much on this trip, as well as explore new places. That's what travel is all about, exploring new places and learning about yourself and others along the way!

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