Hiatus - Day 1

The alarm went off at 4 am EST (1 am PST), I hit the snooze button a few times and managed to get out bed around 4:20, knowing I had 25 short minutes to shower and get ready for my cabbie to pick me up. Cab arrived right on time (the driver even carried my bag from the front door to the cab) and I was off on my hiatus from the East Coast for a whole month!

Arrived at the airport, made it through security and to the gate with no issues. I had timed everything so perfectly (or I was just lucky) that when I got to the gate I was able to walk right onto the plane. All was going well until the people in the row behind me arrived. It was a mom/dad/daughter combination and the girl exclaimed before even sitting down that she was nervous already...for real...it was this girls first time flying (I am guessing she was in her 20's). She managed to do fine during take off and the bumps we hit early in the flight to Cincinnati, but once we began our decent (and the bumps picked up) she thought for sure she was going to be sick. I was very thankful she didn't get sick and that she was also continuing to her final destination on another plane.

Flight to Portland was uneventful and was reminded once again that the A-C seats are the best when flying into town because you get to see Mt. Hood right out the window. It's literally right there...very cool!

I had been warned that it was going to be a warm day - make that hot. I had dressed accordingly and was so glad because according to brother's new car it made it to triple digits. Grams and Mom accompanied brother to the airport and it was nice to see them when I landed. We headed back to "our" side of town and had some yummy salads at California Pizza Kitchen before dropping Grams back at The Home.

After being here for most of the day, here are some things that are unique to this "home" that I don't necessarily see/hear in my other "home" (in no particular order):

• Fireworks stands
• Areas of dense trees between cities
• Mt. Hood (it still has snow)
• No humidity (we have our days on the East Coast but during the summer they are few and far between)
• 30-degree temperature drops when the sun goes down
• Central air-conditioning
• "Pop" (after 5 years I still can't bring myself to use the term "soda")

There were a few times today that I wish I had my camera with me to take pictures of some of the oddities but I didn't. However, the battery is no longer "exhausted" so look for pictures in the following posts. If all goes according to plan, I will write often during my hiatus.