The road to Portland

"You are not the child of the people you call mother and father, but their fellow adventurer on a bright journey to understand the things that are"- Richard Bach

This past week, I saw a part of this world so rich with beauty and love I almost couldn't handle it. Driving up the Oregon and California coast with my mother was a true adventure. With quite the detailed trip tikks from both AAA and Paulquest (thanks Paul), we had the journey of a lifetime; one that I will treasure forever. 

My mom and I are so much alike in looks we could almost be mistaken for each other....oh who am I kidding, we always get mistaken for each other!  Way to go MOM! However, we have our differences in personality. But that doesn't keep us from having the deepest, most guttural belly laughs on the face of this planet. When we get going, we don't stop. And sometimes, the things that make us laugh are not even funny! But, it's really situational. On our trip, we surely had many of those memorable moments, and some of them I am willing to share :) 

So, first day driving, we stop in Monterey. The drive up through California's gorgeous farm country was...well, picturesque.  Rolling hills, farm animals, a breathtaking sunset, what could be better than all of that?  We stopped in Solvang for a delicious lunch. Solvang is a little dutch community in Southern California. I figured after spending a year on a dutch cruise line, this would be a great place to explore. Our second stop was in a hidden valley of the sort near Monterey. The trees were welcoming us, draping over the  street, as we drove deeper and deeper into the farm country, We stopped at an olive oil place and tested the finest of oils. I can't believe this either. After years of detesting the tastes of olives, I actually enjoy them now. Perhaps it's because I am NOT allergic to them :) We arrived late  afternoon in Monterey. We then got up early the next day and drove to Napa. I had never been to Napa before this trip with my mother. Napa is stunning, to say the least. I have never seen so many wineries. One after the other. Rows and rows of grape-vines cascading over the  hills. I was blown away, and a little buzzed. haha. I mean, we were trying wine here :) We tried a variety of the best wines in the world (in my opinion...and I can say this now because I have had alot of the wine of the world :) ) But this wine was the kind of wine that went down so smoothly. The buttery white wines and the strong and fragrant reds. My mouth is watering thinking about this again! We had a marvelous dinner in wine country and then KAPUT! fell asleep really early at the Best Western in Napa. The next day, we drove through Sonoma, which is smaller than Napa, but no less wonderful. We shared a picnic out in a park and truly soaked up the giving sun. We then drove to our next destination of Healdsburg, California. Just a few more hours north. When my mom and I got to the Best Western here, we thought this might be more aptly named Better than the Best Western. I mean, this place was hooked up! I was kind of shocked that they even called it a Best Western. It was a little villa in Tuscany. So, my mom and I decided to take advantage of the amenities. We went to the gym and then went outside in slightly drizzly rain to take a jacuzzi. The outside was pretty cold in comparison to the pristine weather we saw before on the road.  So when we got out of the steaming hot tub, we were laughing hysterically at the suggestion of a towel this hotel provided. They were merely squares of fabric. With our teeth chattering and bare feet, we ran to our room. Only, we did not remember the room number! We had stayed in so many hotels, we didn't know which room was ours. We were so mad at each other, but mainly cracking up because we were standing there, half clothed, dripping wet, and we were lost. We tried every single door in the hallway, except the last door, which was ours! It was pretty embarrassing when we told the hotel clerk we didn't remember our room number, and we were standing right in front of our door. Classic moment, I should say. The next day, we took the 101 to see something I still can't even describe with words. The Redwood forest is a piece of heaven. These trees are gigantic. The trunks were the size of SUVs. They were taller than the eiffel tower. And there were rows and rows of them. Talk about a sacred place. I got choked up just thinking about how the trees have lived longer than I can even imagine. These trees have seen our past. If only they could talk. Oh the stories they would tell! With laughter and joy filling our hearts, my Mom and I drove further than we expected to, as to make our trip to Portland the next day short and easy. The next day, we knew we were getting close. You know when you feel a constant rush of joy in your heart? Like you have something to look forward to? I equate the feeling to when I was a kid, heading to Disneyland, or waiting for a friend to come over (I was a really social kid!). I felt this overwhelming feeling this last day driving to the destiny. I feel called to Portland, and I could feel a magnetic pull towards it in every cell of my body. As we drove up into the city of roses. I knew we had come to the right place. Moving in was a challenge, since I was moving in to a pretty dusty basement. But my mother is a champion of spiders and she showed me how to make this place feel like home. We made my room into a place to invite other musicians in to feel comfortable to explore music. Jess and I will definitely have the space to practice and make music come alive. I am so excited. I had to say goodbye to my mother today, as she flew back to sunny California. My mother is a wonderful, beautiful woman, whom I admire with all of my heart. She made this move to Portland so smooth and I could not have done it without her loving guidance. I am really fortunate to have such a friend and mentor in a mother.

So far, every moment in Portland has reassured me this is where I need to be. I have never felt so welcomed in my life. People are aware here. They are here to live in community and make changes. I want to be a part of this. I am a part of this. I hope you will all join me on this new adventure.