PORTLAND!

The idea came nearly a year ago, but it didn't start to materialize until three months ago when I was on the phone with my amazing friend who had just had her third baby. We had gone to our first Time Out For Women years ago in Las Vegas, and we wanted to go again. The presenters we wanted to see were going to be in Portland the first week of November. Could we really make this happen? Well, thanks to our awesome and supportive husbands, we sure did...and it was everything we had possibly dreamed. Since I'm good at making lists (to do lists, shopping lists, packing lists, wish lists) I'll tell you about this trip with a few lists.

5 Things I Did For The First Time:

5. Relied entirely on public transit.

4. Left my kids home with Jeff for an extended period of time.

3. Shopped and ate in unique and eclectic downtown Portland.
2. Bought tickets from a scalper.

1. Went ice skating!

5 Cool Things About Portland:

5. Everyone (no exceptions) that we talked to was a) friendly and b) proud of their city.
4. The city is very clean.
3. The fall colors, the prevalence of green, and the trees were beautiful.

2. They reuse, reduce, recycle everything. We had to get used to sorting our trash.

1. The public transportation is cheap, easy, and convenient.

5 Favs About Time Out

5. The super cute totes!

4. Laughing and crying and learning at maximum levels with 2700 other women.
3. Meeting, talking to, and getting photos with the presenters.

2. Being there with Brandi.

1. The things I learned and the feelings I brought home with me.

Mariama Kallon of Sierra Leone. One of the most amazing stories I have ever heard.

Hilary Weeks, probably the #1 reason we went. We love you Hilary!

S. Michael Wilcox, another big favorite. He opens the scriptures like no one I have ever heard before.

Emily Watts. This woman knows exactly what it is like to be a mom. Super funny.

Lets just say that while we were grateful for the awesome public transit, we never became experts of navigation.

5 Hip Things About The Trailblazers Game:

5. Ending up at an NBA game without planning on it.

4. Buying tickets from a scalper.

3. Finding out our tickets were on the second to last row of the upper bowl. We could almost touch the ceiling.

2. Brandi's foam finger.

1. The Trailblazers won!

One of my favorite people in the world, my Aunt Lisa, was there with her daughter. It was so fun to have some familiar faces, and someone to help us out with the big city and airport navigation. Besides, they saved us prime seats at Time Out, whew!

5 Worst Things About Our Trip:

5. Paying $81 for short term parking because we didn't know there was such thing as long term parking (why were there no signs notifying us of this legalized practice of robbery at the airport?)

4. Trudging through the rain of Portland downtown with one small travel umbrella that kept flipping inside out.

3. Getting a little confused when it came to security measures at the airport. See, we waited in the looong security line, read all the signs and warnings, then proceeded to the security belt where we lugged our giant heavy suitcase onto the conveyor belt only to be told we had items that were not permitted. We informed the security attendant that we intended to check the luggage. He then told us that we were supposed to have already done that. At this point, we had to be escorted out of security because of our contraband, find a place to check our luggage, and then go through security again. Don't worry, we finally made it to our gate.

2. Throwing up on the plane. I got soooo sick on the return flight. I couldn't even open my eyes. It was the longest two hours of my life. I just wanted to land. When we finally hit the ground, it came. I was fumbling for the bag in the seat pocket in front of me. I ended up with a minor mess and had to change my pants, but I felt much better afterward. Just super embarrassed.

1. It ended.

Overall, I am a little exhausted today. It was an amazing experience. I haven't flown in nearly a decade. I haven't gone on a trip for myself like that ever. I haven't had so many insights in a very long time. I feel like my perspective on life and on motherhood has shifted back into the proper place. I feel like my trials and struggles are minor and can certainly be overcome. I feel so grateful to Jeff for letting me go, for my awesome kids and everything they teach me, for Brandi and our long and rich friendship, and for my testimony. I hope to visit Portland again.