Ordinary Visionary

Portland, Abridged

Favorite things about Portland:

1. Incredible local coffee shops
2. You can drink the tap water
3. No sales tax
4. Green-conscious culture
5. Phenomenal (and largely free) public transportation
6. Mt. Hood to the east, the coast to the west
7. There are seasons here! It felt like Christmas!
8. Quality organic markets that put Orlando's to shame
9. Phenomenal architecture everywhere
10. Southwest flies here

Least favorite things about Portland:

1. Their newspaper kind of… sucks.
2. The cold makes it where I'm never thirsty. So I forget to drink water. And then I wonder why I'm walking around all day with a splitting headache.
3. Cold + rain = achoo.
4. iSight doesn't cut it

Places I drank coffee:

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters
• Via Delizia
• Urban Grind
• Boyds

Places I ate:

• Pizzicato (Italian/Pizza)
• Silk (Vietnamese)
• Via Delizia (Tuscan Cafe)
• Green Papaya (Pan-Asian)
• Masu (Sushi)
• Cacao (Drinking Chocolate)
• Rock Bottom Brewery (Self-Explanatory)
• Whole Foods Market (Also Self-Explanatory)
• Residence Inn (Breakfast)

Places I shopped:

• REI
• Ecru (paperie)
• American Apparel
• Anthropologie
• Gap
• Fossil
• West Elm
• Banana Republic
• J. Crew
• Powell's Books
• Victoria's Secret
• Portland store

Places I visited:

• Rose Garden
• Japanese Gardens
• Imago Dei Community Church
• Portland Saturday Market
• Pioneer Courthouse Square

Portland, Unabridged

I posted all of my daily goings-on to facebook while I was in Portland, but here they are in their entirety for your enjoyment.

Mt. Hood

Mt. Hood, originally uploaded by olanky1.

I wasn't impressed with the view of the freeway overpasses and the roof of the lobby when I arrived, but just for kicks I opened my window this morning to find a beautiful surprise waiting for me... I can actually see Mt. Hood from my window. It's the first glimpse I've gotten of it since I've been here. Amazing.

Blogging from Stumptown

Stumptown Cappuccino, originally uploaded by olanky1.

My feet are finally walking the streets of Portland! I arrived safely yesterday after many hours of flying and writing and catching flies (i.e. sleeping) and reading. The time zone shift forced me to eat breakfast when I wanted lunch and lunch when I wanted dinner, but I got over it. It's so good to be here.

Last night I rode the Portland Streetcar for the first time, and nervously stepped off the train (ish) without a map as soon as I saw a pizza place on the side of the road. And after that adventure I'm convinced that the panini just tastes better on the west coast.

Today I woke up without an agenda. I ate an amazing hot breakfast at my hotel and dressed for bad weather (although I did forget my umbrella — you can add that to your list of things I forgot to pack, mom), and headed downtown. I took the streetcar and two buses to Pine and 6^th and walked to Stumptown Coffee Roasters, which I came to find out after a little Googling is arguably the best coffee roaster in the US. (Be jealous, Nick. Very jealous.) They draw designs in the foam (see the pic) which of course makes the cappuccino taste just a little bit better, and they don't charge $4 for a latte. It's been years since I've seen a decent cup of coffee for $1. I love it.

It's cold and very wet today, but I'm hiding out in coffee shops and cafes for most of my time here anyway, so it doesn't bother me. I actually take great pleasure in waking up to the sound of rain tap dancing on my window.

My biggest struggle right now is not with the weather or with lack of things to do (I rather enjoy both of those elements) but with being fully present, and listening to what God would have me do or write or say or read while I am here. (My copy of The Four Loves flew out of my bag when the airplane came to an abrupt stop at the gate yesterday, so apparently I won't be reading that). I am just going to continue on my coffeehouse tour and journal until I hear more from Him.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Peace.

I graduated today!

Papa hug, originally uploaded by olanky1.

The pictures are online... I'm off to celebrate!

On Graduating

This is the longest blog entry I have ever written. It gets its own page.