But First... Portland

Well my dears, I have finally arrived!!!
After about 3 days here (I figure its safe to stop counting days now, yes?) I have my voice and my health back. P flew back to San Francisco the day before yesterday and I admit, most of yesterday was spent asleep in bed catching up with myself, the hours, the weather and living *above sea level*. C's pregnant belly is growing at a remarkable rate. Her friends here are a great comfort, generous beyond compare, with warm and welcoming hearts toward all these weary east coast migrants.

Truly it was a lot harder to blog from the road than I had thought it would be. We had internet in almost every hotel room but were so drained by the time we found food and lodging in each town that the thought of photo-editing and blogging was a stretch. At the beginning of the journey P and I were up and back on the road between 7 and 9 each morning, but by the end we were usually still loading up the car or raiding the continental breakfast at 11:00 checkout. (by the way, if your Comfort Inn has a "Belgian waffle" maker go ahead and give that puppy a spin. yum.)

You may have noticed, too, that often our destinations were also in flux from state to state. After South Dakota it was clear our mutual intention was to see as many natural wonders as our journey could allow, negating many attractions along the way. Not too long after that, as we traveled through Montana to the gates of Yellowstone, it was clear both P and myself were transformed and awed by all the beauty, the slow unfurling of the landscape, the luck of such sunny days. We stopped at rest areas, diners, parks and coffee shops to scribble overwhelmed post cards to our friends in every state... running out of words to describe what we were seeing. That was one of the most fun parts, although looking for a post box or post office took a great deal of patience.

I know many people have done this same trek (ours traveled 80 until SD and then 90 until Oregon) and many more are planning one themselves. We were blessed with great weather, sheltered by protection (of course there is a story about what we found out about the brakes after getting to Portland), and guided by our growing sense of amazement~ I am so grateful for experiencing this kind of a trip in my lifetime! For those about to venture fourth, AAA was very helpful when our route suddenly changed, sunblock and shades for the driver are an absolute must, and Iowa's NPR station comes in crystal clear all over the highway. For those looking to travel healthy, there is a Trader Joe's in Chicago, a Whole Foods in Omaha, and an extensive health food section at the Fred Meyer in Idaho Falls.

Arriving in Portland, it is every bit as lovely as I have heard. There were few times P and I ever forgot we were on a move, not a vacation exactly, with a deadline for the arrival and a limit to our funds. But all along the way we were graced with meeting friendly strangers, learning a bit of history (and geography) and a consistant feeling that some journeys and some transformations carry a life all their own.