75 Days

It's been 75 days since I last wrote here and a lot has happened. Shortly after my 37th birthday in March, I had a devastating breakup that truly took me by surprise and shook me to my core, something I wasn't expecting nor did I feel prepared to cope with. I've had a lot of different kinds of breakups over the years but none quite like this. Without getting into too much detail, it was heartbreaking mostly because the relationship seemed to have so much potential and therefore seemed so unfair to be ending, something neither one of us really wanted but nonetheless, something that was necessary. I spent every day for the next three weeks on the verge of what felt like a breakdown, yet somehow I managed to also carry out all of my responsibilities, and then some. Perhaps it was all just a way to distract myself from the pain I was experiencing or a way to cope with it all. Part of me just figured if I kept moving forward, everything would be ok, so long as I didn't stop the forward momentum.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

I nervously did my first public presentation of 20 of my images at Newspace Center for Photography's Slideshow Night just three days after the breakup. I was uncertain whether I would have the ability to get up in front of a room full of strangers and talk candidly about something so emotional to me. Luckily, I got through it unscathed and even had a good response from several attendees who came up to me after the presentation to tell me how much they enjoyed my images and my story. The day after the presentation I drove to the coast to meet with a friend for a belated birthday lunch in Newport and then went to the Yaquina Head Lighthouse for the first time ever. The next day, I showed up for my five hour volunteer shift at Blue Sky Gallery and created materials to publish a call for participants for a photo project I'm working on exploring the concept of legacy in childless women over the age of 65.

The next week, I attended my first Blue Sky Gallery exhibition committee meeting after work on a Tuesday night. Then my old friend insomnia showed up again, I pushed on nonetheless. I decided to throw an impromptu birthday party for a friend at my apartment on a Friday night. I had a new audio system installed in my car the next day to make those long road trips Cole and I like to take just a little bit better. I tested it out the next day as I took a Sunday drive out through the Gorge to Rowena Crest, stopping at various spots along the way.

Near Rowena Crest

The following week I helped with my first installation of a new exhibit at Blue Sky Gallery. I went to the opening of Kinesis, a show in the newly designated CoSPACE Gallery at Newspace Center for Photography, in which I had one print included. Afterward I drove to Astoria for an overnight trip to see the opening of the PDX30 exhibition at Lightbox Gallery in which my first juried photograph was selected for inclusion. On the way home to Portland, I stopped at Fort Stevens State Park to take some photos and let Cole run around on the beach. When I got home, I called up a friend to join me for karaoke at the Alibi. Meanwhile, my insomnia persisted.

Streetcar in Astoria

Cole's ears began to bother him and after a trip to the vet, I discovered he had an abundance of yeast which would require ear drops twice a day for two weeks. Still, I attended another exhibition committee meeting at Blue Sky Gallery. I participated in a Portland Photographers Forum board meeting call. My cousin then came for a visit, the first since I moved to Oregon almost three years ago. With very little sleep, over 2 1/2 days, I took her through the Gorge stopping at Chanticleer Point and Multnomah Falls, then up to Timberline Lodge where I used my snow chains for the first time before getting them stuck and then unstuck from my tires before heading back to Portland for some nightlife activities with friends. The next day we drove to the Coast and I showed her a bunch of my favorite spots from Ecola State Park south to Cape Kiwanda before heading back to Portland for some more nightlife activities with friends. The next day we went to the Saturday Market and then had a Dim Sum brunch before it was time to say farewell and drop her at the airport. I went home to rest for about an hour or so and then headed out for a first post-breakup date at the Chinese Garden, a huge step for me.

Sunset driving back from Eugene

The next day I went to a Portland Photographers Forum monthly member meeting but I could tell something was awry. The next morning I woke up sick. I went to work for one day but then slept for the next three days before I could go back to work. When I was feeling better, I had a second date: a quick stroll through the Beaverton Farmers Market, lunch at a delicious Korean restaurant, followed by coffee nearby. Afterward, Cole and I drove to Eugene to drop off two framed photos I donated to the ShelterCare art benefit and to meet with a couple of friends for dinner. The next day I hosted a photography Meetup at Blue Sky Gallery and then did my five hour Gallery sitting volunteer shift. My insomnia continued.

I had a third date the next week over a homemade Thai dinner at my place. The next day I met with my photo critique group for several hours to decide on a name for our group and zine (1/2 Stop, if you're interested). That weekend I traveled to West Linn to do event photography for the Honor the Journey gala, a fundraiser for the Pacific Northwest Hospice Foundation. The next day, I had a fourth date which started with hiking on the Washington side of the Gorge at Catherine Creek followed by a quick drive past the animals at Schreiner Farms. We stopped at Horsethief Lake to see petroglyphs, then made a quick stop at Sorosis Park to take in the view of the Dalles from up above. We then stopped for dinner and at Rowena Crest before heading home.

Going to see the petroglyphs

That next week I dropped off three of my framed prints for the Oregon Society of Artists/Portland Photographers Forum joint show. I saw Patton Oswalt perform at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. I hosted a Cinco de Mayo Party at my apartment complete with margaritas and homemade guacamole. I organized and hosted another photography Meetup at Blue Sky Gallery. I attended the opening reception of the Oregon Society of Artists/Portland Photographers Forum joint show followed by a fifth date to see Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and then dinner and drinks at the Backstage Bar.

That next week at work, on top of my normally hectic schedule, our phone system conversion went live two days early causing a small panic and complete redirection of energy to that project. That same week, I realized the deadline for a friend's kid's school project that I agreed to help with was a few days away so I had to scramble to get that taken care which had me photoshopping images, picking up travel brochures, and overnighting materials back to Wisconsin. On the upside, three of my photographs I agreed to hang at work arrived from the printer: a stretched canvas, a glass print, and a metal print. Then, out of the blue, my doctor informed me that she thought I had adrenal fatigue, not entirely surprising considering how my life has been the last oh, ten years or so. I wasn't really sure though what adrenal fatigue was or how it could impact your life. I figured it would still be "life as usual" going forward so the next day, I had a sixth date: attending the Beast Talks at Beast Studio followed by dinner.

Then I got sick, again. I mean really, really sick. After learning more about adrenal fatigue and the long term effects if left untreated, I realized that I needed to make a huge change in my life. In order to reduce stress and focus solely on my health, I made the difficult decision to resign from all of my photography endeavors and various volunteer commitments. After sending out my resignation emails and tying up some loose ends, I pushed through one day of work being sick and then took three days off (again) to rest and focus on recovering from my cold. I eventually got better but this time it took two weeks to get "back to normal". It was becoming clearer and clearer that I couldn't keep going like I was.

Bandon, Oregon

Since then, I've been taking things really easy. I'm reluctant to make any plans. On the rare occasion when I do schedule something, I make sure it is something that I can easily cancel without feeling bad. I've been spending a lot more time at home which has given me time to catch up on my favorite Netflix shows with Cole. I did get out of the house though for Memorial Day and spent the weekend in Bandon enjoying the beach and eating delicious food with Cole and Matt. This past weekend we took Cole to the Pug Meetup where he got to reconnect with Emma and we got to enjoy the fresh air. I look forward to continuing to photograph the Pacific Northwest but there will no longer be the same pressure as before on what to do, if anything, with the images I take.

I'm slowing learning to listen more to what my body is trying to tell me. It's an interesting process.  I met with some folks at work today to begin adjusting my schedule and reducing the level of stress that is experienced with my job. I feel good about the first steps we're taking toward that, I am so thankful that the management team is so supportive. I'm continuing to work with my doctor on methods for adrenal fatigue recovery including increasing how much I sleep, adding in some more vitamins and supplements to my diet. There will need to be more changes in the future but they need to be done slowly. There's no quick fix for this but in time, I should be healthier and happier. What more could I ask for?

San Francisco Birthday Extravaganza

My 37th birthday was last week on the first day of Spring and true to form, I was seeking an adventure to celebrate the occasion. I've never really been much for physical gifts, I'd much rather build memories and have experiences so this year I planned a San Francisco weekend getaway with my boyfriend. Juan and I met at the airport after work and hopped on a plane directly to San Francisco. Once on the ground there, we picked up our rental car and made our way to our hotel in Union Square. The traffic was a bit of change from Portland (remind me to never complain about Portland traffic again!) but we eventually arrived safe and incident-free. We checked into our hotel amid the sounds of club music pounding next door. Luckily the desk clerk was sympathetic to our desire for sleep and agreed to put us in a room as far away from that side of the building as possible. We quickly dropped off our luggage in the room and found a nearby sushi place for dinner. Once we had our fill, we made our way back to the hotel and shortly thereafter, fell fast asleep.

The next morning, after a continental breakfast of bananas, waffles, toast and coffee, we called for our car from the valet and made our way to the coast for our journey down Highway 1 toward Big Sur. Our first stop was at Gray Whale Cove where we had to precariously cross the highway from the parking lot to get to our intended viewpoint. We walked down a steep path to the edge of the cliff to take in the view of the ocean below. A photographer was photographing his subject under a tree just down the way from us. We soon continued our journey to Pigeon Point Lighthouse where we explored the area around the lighthouse, the overlooks beyond and got up close and personal with some bees fast at work with some flowers nearby. After a quick stop at Greyhound Rock, we continued south toward Monterey Bay but not after first making an impromptu stop at the Davenport Cliffs where we enjoyed the view of old, eroding pier pilings amid a sea of wildflowers. Once in Monterey Bay, we began a challenging quest for scallops, apparently not an easy thing to come by outside of dinner hours. After we found the ever elusive scallops, we drove to Pebble Beach where we were surprised to find is actually a town (and not just one beach). After paying an entry fee, we drove around until we found a nice overlook to explore. We soon realized that due to time, we had to skip a few places on the itinerary and make our way toward Big Sur. We ended our southern trajectory at Bixby Creek Bridge where we watched the sunset before heading back to San Francisco. Exhausted from our three hundred plus mile journey, we grabbed some take out from the Thai restaurant next door and ate in our room before falling fast asleep.

Sunday, after checking out of our room and getting our car, we began our "Amazing Race-esque" adventure throughout the city. We began by driving over the Golden Gate Bridge to Vista Point before driving back over and stopping at Presidio where we explored the old concrete buildings by climbing through, over and on top of them. When we were done there, we drove to Baker Beach for a quick stop before fueling up and heading to the Moraga Steps after a traffic jam-induced abandoned plan to see the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate park. After we climbed up and down the Moraga steps, we headed to Twin Peaks for a chilly (and somewhat foggy) birds eye view of the city. Once thoroughly chilled, we made a quick stop at the Castro Theater before driving through the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood which both of us agreed was deserving of a second visit with more time set aside for it. We had lunch in Ghirardelli Square before walking through the Fishermans Wharf to Pier 39 for a view of Alcatraz and the infamous seals that liked to rest near there. We had just enough time after that to drive down the curvy part of Lombard Street before hightailing it to the airport to return the rental car and catch our flight back to Portland.

Thoroughly exhausted, the following day (my actual birthday), I invited some friends over after work for food and drinks to celebrate as a group. I received cute pug cards, flowers and wine. Do these folks know me or what? By 10:30pm, everyone had gone home and after working on photos from the trip until far too late into the night, I finally called it a night myself. It was a good birthday and I'm thankful for everyone who wished me well and/or showed up to celebrate this year. I feel really lucky to be able to have these kinds of adventures and to live in this part of the country, so close to all sorts of amazing places. Now that I am somewhat caught up on sleep, I can begin planning for next year's adventure and enjoy the journey leading up to it.

Prints Available

www.KristinRoosmalenPhotography.Zenfolio.com 

Two Months

Two months can certainly fly by in a flash if you are not careful. The New Year started out on positive note and certainly has mostly maintained that momentum. What would life be without some ups and downs sprinkled in though? Despite some recent drama with my dryer, my new apartment has served as an enjoyable home base to my busy schedule. I rang in the new year by hosting a housewarming party with a handful of friends. The aroma of freshly prepared food and sounds of boisterous laugher permeated the newly decorated space while wine flowed freely during several rounds of Cards Against Humanity. We counted down to the New Year as we watched the ball drop and even burst into a small chorus line while New York, New York played in the background. I can't think of a better way to have celebrated my new home and the New Year.

Arcadia Sunset

My photography endeavors seem to be busier than ever.  Shortly after ringing in the New Year, I discovered my Arcadia Sunset photo received an honorable mention in the top ten of the Coast Weekend photo contest. Shortly after that piece of good news, I received an email congratulating me on being elected to the Portland Photographers Forum board of directors where I will be in charge of memberships while I simultaneously learn the Treasurer duties so I can take that role over in 2018.  I joined the Portland Photographic Society this month as well and am excited to attend my first gathering in March. I continue to host monthly networking Meetups at Blue Sky Gallery for local photographers and did my first hanging of a four image series on their No Strings Wall for two weeks. In addition to my front desk volunteer shifts at Blue Sky Gallery and Newspace Center for Photography, I took a six week Lightroom class where I picked up some extremely useful photo organization skills that will help streamline my photo sharing process going forward. Recently I was approached again by ShelterCare to see if I would donate again to their annual art benefit. Of course I happily agreed since all proceeds support their programs for homelessness prevention. Finally, this Friday night is the opening reception of Memberspace at Newspace Center for Photography in which I have one print included. If you're in the Portland area, please stop out.

First trip to the coast together

With the new year came a new relationship. Several weeks of talking finally culminated in a first date one magically snowy Portland night over Italian fare downtown in early January. There was an immediate connection that has turned into many meaningful moments since. I was quick to introduce my new beau to two close friends over a home cooked meal of my family-secret-recipe lasagna and was excited to get the official seal of approval from both of them before they even got back home that night. Since then, we have enjoyed many wonderful conversations, discovered all sorts of things we have in common,  and ventured out to concerts, movies, parks, for drives, walks, dinners, art events, and even football (despite our Cowboy/Packers rivalry). The ease in which all of this happens is like a breath of fresh air. We have several big trips on the horizon in the coming months and I couldn't be happier on how things are going and couldn't feel any luckier than I do to have him in my life.

Despite my photographic and romantic successes, it has become overwhelmingly clear that there is still something not quite right in my life. My general stress level and issues with anxiety still seem to be an issue despite my weekly therapy sessions. Although the current state of affairs in our country could be a major contributing factor, after watching a documentary called Minimalism, I decided it was time to intentionally minimize the "noise" in my life. I don't have a fully developed plan on what this will look like but I started by doing a social media and email cleanse. I took a hard look at my friends list on Facebook and based on when I could remember having the last meaningful interaction with each person, slowly reduced my friends from 616 to 150. As each new email comes into my inbox, I decide whether or not continuing to get that email would bring value to my life. If not, I unsubscribe. I imagine the next steps will entail evaluating how and where I currently spend my time. I've already cut back on some of my volunteer hours to allow more flexibility in my schedule as well as more time for photographing. I feel it will be important to continually reflect upon each interaction in my life to determine if it truly adds value and whether or not it aligns with what is important to me. I'm excited to incorporate this new element to my life and blog going forward and I hope you find a similar value in it. 

There are lots of fun adventures on the horizon including a weekend getaway to San Francisco for my 37th birthday in March, a four day Reno wedding road trip in April, as well as a weekend in Seattle to see an iconic U2 performance in May. As usual, there will be lots of photos and tales to tell so be sure to check back again soon to follow along. 

Prints Available

www.KristinRoosmalenPhotography.Zenfolio.com 

A Look Back at 2016

This past year has been quite the whirlwind. Between work, school, photography, volunteering, dating, friends, travel, and politics, I pushed myself hard. While it’s been rewarding on many levels, it also came at a cost that caught up with me recently.

Driven by my desire to learn more about graphic design, film, website design and photography, I spent the first half of the year as a full-time student at Portland Community College (PCC) in addition to my full-time work load at ECONorthwest. I found the multimedia program fascinating and learned a lot of cool things while enrolled there including how to do more in Photoshop, shooting/editing film, how to create multimedia web-based programs, design elements, photography concepts, and more all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Meanwhile, at work, an employee’s leave of absence allowed me the opportunity to learn and take on a new role over the summer. Sadly, the demands of that role did not coincide well with my course load at PCC so I had to make the difficult decision to take a step back from the program after just two terms.

My parents in Bandon, Oregon

This summer I was surprised to learn that my parents could finally come visit me in Oregon. I planned an action packed, ten-day adventure that spanned three states. I was worried that I may wear them out with all the places I wanted to show them and things I wanted to do but I was surprised to see that they could keep up. I underestimated their energy level, perhaps I even discovered where I get my own energy from. I showed them the Oregon coast, three mountains, the Gorge, eastern Oregon and the California Redwoods not to mention all sorts of things in Portland. It has been a long-time fear that my parents may never see Oregon through my eyes. They had seen plenty of my photos but there is a huge difference between seeing something in a photo versus in-person. I feel so fortunate that I was able to spend that time with my parents this summer here in the Pacific Northwest, a place that is so special to me.

Once things calmed down at work this fall, I turned my focus back to photography. I started volunteering at two organizations: Newspace Center for Photography and Blue Sky Gallery. At Newspace I cover the front desk each Saturday and help answer phones, check out equipment, take payments, and process class registrations. A group of volunteers there gathers once a month to do a photo critique and I have found that eye-opening and insightful. Through connections at Newspace, I learned of the Portland Photographers Forum and became a member there as well. We meet once a month, share prints and listen to a different speaker each time we meet. 

Cole with the prints for the
ShelterCare art auction

One Sunday per month, I do a gallery sitting shift at Blue Sky Gallery. There I answer the phone, greet visitors, answer questions about the exhibits, and process membership, book, and art sale payments. I’ve also returned to my Meetup.com roots and now host a photographers networking group at the Blue Sky Gallery once per month and am happy to report that the group seems to be well received and growing. I think it will be hugely helpful for connecting with other local photographers in Portland. In addition to these two endeavors, I also find myself attending many of their artist talks at the gallery which have been quite eye opening as well.

Earlier this year I was introduced to the Photography Council Brown Bag series at the Portland Art Museum. Each month, a new photographer is brought in to present a body of their work. I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of the photographer’s presentations so it seemed a no-brainer to become a member of that group as well. I’m looking forward to doing more with that group in the New Year. So far, I’m rather impressed with all they are doing.

My photography endeavors had some pretty cool moments this year as well. I received wonderful feedback from an accomplished photographer/instructor at Portland Community College which was hugely encouraging. Two of my prints were accepted into an art auction for ShelterCare to benefit homelessness prevention programs in Lane County. Through my membership in the Portland Photographers Forum, I was able to show three prints at the Cedar Hills Recreation Center for almost two months. I won an honorable mention for my entry in the Wallowa Country Photo Contest. I was privileged to have the opportunity to do my first engagement photo shoot this spring. I was invited to jury my work for consideration to join the Portland Artisan's Co-op. 

This year I moved twice, first from my home of almost two years near Union Station to a shared house in St. Johns. I quickly learned that I am not cut out for roommate living nor long commutes to and from work so I recently moved back downtown, this time right across the street from my work. The two-minute walk to work is my favorite part. It allows me to walk Cole pretty much whenever I need to with ease. It also makes getting to all my volunteer and photography meetings rather painless. The easier commutes have greatly helped me manage my stress level better.

Cottonwood Canyon State Park

What would another year in Oregon be without spending time in the beautiful outdoors? Despite my schooling and heavy work load, I was still able to squeeze in some visits to state parks, wildlife refuges, beaches, viewpoints, mountain lakes, waterfalls, and even snuck in two camping trips. I would have liked to do a lot more and feel some regret that I did not get to explore all the places I had intended this year.  

2016 has been a lot of things: stressful, busy, difficult, fun, emotional, and rewarding. I learned a lot this year in many ways. Perhaps most important, I learned that I need to prioritize my well-being. In the New Year, I want to keep things simple. First, I want to focus my energy on continuing to advance my name in the photography world and improving my craft. Second, I want to spend significantly more time exploring the Pacific Northwest and beyond with Cole by my side. I will continue to surround myself with people I look up to and who I can learn from, who inspire me to be a better person. I hope I’ll be able to be that same kind of person to others I meet as well.

I’ll be ringing in the New Year with a gathering of friends at my new apartment. I wish all of you the best in the coming year and look forward to sharing my adventures with you. I hope you’ll continue to follow along.

Prints Available

www.KristinRoosmalenPhotography.Zenfolio.com 

Wisconsin, Portland Snow Storms, and Yet Another Move

It had been two years since I had been home to Wisconsin for a visit with friends and family so I decided it was time to make a pilgrimage to America's Dairyland the first week of December, before it got too cold and snowy. Getting ready to head out for a ten-day vacation was a bit more stressful than imagined but after wrapping up things at work, packing, and dropping Cole off with friends, I soon found myself being shuttled off to the airport by a dear friend. After a very quick layover in Salt Lake City, Utah, I safely landed in Madison, Wisconsin where the air temperature was a chilly thirty-four degrees, a significant difference from Portland at the time. Shortly after de-boarding the plane, I grabbed my luggage and quickly headed for the rental car pickup counter. In no time at all, I was on the road, headed to my favorite dive bar, Topp’s Hideaway in Windsor, to see my first round of friends and take in a traditional Midwest Friday night fish fry.

At Topp's Hideaway

 On Saturday morning, after crashing at a friend’s place in Windsor, I headed to the west side of Madison to treat myself to sushi at Takara, a place that just happens to have the best California Rolls I’ve found so far in all my travels. I had a little time to kill before my next meet up with friends, so I drove by my old apartment, the one I had been living in last before moving to Oregon, to see how it was doing. As much of the city, it appeared as not much had changed so I headed downtown to wander around the state capitol building and take some pictures. Unfortunately, my camera went on strike, apparently it did not appreciate the cold Wisconsin temperatures, so I had to make do with my iPhone. After exploring each level of the capitol building, I met up with a friend at a new microbrewery, Octopi Brewing, that had opened in Waunakee. After sampling a flight of beers, I was off again and headed to Middleton to see my favorite local jazz pianist at Louisiannes. After a dirty martini and a delicious appetizer sampler, I was off to meet up with some friends for dinner at Sa Bai Thong, my favorite Thai restaurant in Madison. It was fun catching up with everyone over the familiarly delicious food but before we knew it, we found the restaurant eerily quiet and it was soon clear they were closing down for the night. After saying farewell, a few of us girls headed over to a wine bar, Eno Vino, to keep the conversation going. A couple hours later, I found my eyes too heavy to continue with the festivities, so I headed over to my friend’s house to crash for the night.

Sunday morning snow

Sunday morning, I awoke to a winter wonderland of falling, fresh, white snow. I quickly took a shower and dressed in my Packers gear and headed out to make the one hour drive east to Delafield to meet up with my family for an early Christmas celebration. The drive was a bit nerve wracking at first, after all, it had been three years since I had to drive in snow but, I soon found it was like riding a bike and before I knew it, after grabbing some lunch at Culver’s, I had safely arrived at my parent’s house in one piece. The Packers game was in progress and my sister and her boyfriend had already arrived so it was easy to slip into the festivities; it almost felt as if I had never left. Throughout the night, we drank my dad’s famous brandy old-fashions, cheered on the Packers as they went on to win their game, exchanged presents, and ate a decadent dinner prepared fresh by my dad.

Packers Christmas with family

Monday morning, I said farewell to my sister and her boyfriend and once my parents were ready, we headed out to their local U.S. Cellular store to trade in their old flip phones and get them new iPhones. That process took a little longer than expected but once all the paperwork had been signed, contacts had been transferred, and accessories had been installed, we were off to lunch at Applebee’s next door to begin the training process. My parents had never used smart phones before let alone texting or Facebook. After a slight technical setback in the setup process, they were soon on their way to practicing texting, making phone calls, using FaceTime and so forth. I wish I had had more time to spend with them to get them better acquainted with their new phones but as in most of the trip, I was on a tight schedule and needed to say farewell and make the drive back to Madison to meet more friends for dinner and drinks. The night flew by and it was so good to see everyone and catch up with all the things that had been happening in my friend’s lives. Before I knew it, it was late, I was exhausted, and it was time to head to my cousin’s place to call it a night.

Dinner with friends at Bonefish

Since my cousin didn’t have to work on Tuesday, we had the entire day to hang out with each other. We ran a few of her errands before stopping at her favorite wing place, aptly named Chicken Lips, for lunch. We then grabbed a Bloody Mary at the Eagle Crest Tavern before heading north to see my sisters new house in Pardeeville. After getting the grand tour there and hanging out a bit, we drove to Topp’s Hideway (aka the best dive bar ever) to meet up with some more friends and watch my DJ friend host karaoke night. Before I knew it, it was time to take my cousin home. While at her place, I gathered up my things, and headed back to Topp’s to finish out my last night in Wisconsin, karaoke-style. After the bar closed, I got a room next door at the Super 8 hotel, and hung out a bit talking with a friend. In no time at all, it had gotten way too late and I had to say goodbye and get some rest.

A few hours later, with a bit of a headache, it was time to get up and get on the road. After checking out of the hotel, I stopped next door at the Mousehouse Cheesehaus to pick up some cheese curds for friends back home. Then I met up with some more friends for my last lunch in Wisconsin at Ha Long Bay. Again, it was great seeing everyone and catching up over delicious food. When the time came, I hugged everyone goodbye and headed to the airport to drop off my rental car and catch my flight back home.

Landing in Portland was a bit frightening, there were some strong winds that night that shook the plane around and even turned our stomachs a bit. Luckily our pilot could navigate through all that and we landed safely. My same friend who originally dropped me at the airport picked me up and took me to pick up Cole from my other friend’s place before taking me home. It was great reuniting with Cole, who expressed his excitement for my return by running around in circles, barking a high pitched, excited whimper, and essentially climbing me like a tree until he was in my arms and licking my face. It is my humble opinion that everyone should get to experience that kind of greeting at least once in their life, it’s a very special thing. After my friend dropped me and Cole at home, I unpacked, got in my pajamas and hit the sack.

Cole relaxing with me while I was sick

Thursday morning, I woke up with a cold. I wasn’t surprised, my trip had been a whirlwind six days of go-go-go, with lots of drinking and not a lot of sleep. I was relieved that it had held off until after I got home though so that I was fully able to enjoy my time in Wisconsin. I still had four more days of vacation time, originally slated for a road trip to Eastern Oregon, but since a snow storm was approaching and I was sick, I decided to stay home and simply focus on resting in the hopes that I would be feeling a lot better by Monday when I returned to work.

Unfortunately, that did not happen. Saturday and Sunday nights, I was unable to sleep and was experiencing mini-panic attacks every time I dozed off. I had the feeling that if I were to allow myself to sleep, for some reason, I would stop breathing. After 48 hours of not sleeping, I went to urgent care on Monday morning, desperate for their assistance. They gave me some medication for the anxiety, which also helped me sleep, did a chest x-ray to make sure I didn’t have pneumonia and monitored my heart and oxidization rates while I dozed to make sure I was getting enough oxygen and that my heart rate was ok when I slept. The medication did wonders and soon I was feeling a lot better. Since I couldn’t drive on the medication they gave me, a friend picked me up from urgent care and drove me home. Once home, I slept for eight hours, woke up to eat dinner, and then went back to sleep for another ten hours. I woke up Tuesday morning feeling so much better and went back to work to begin the long process of catching up on all that had built up while I was out of the office for eleven days.

By Wednesday though, we had more snow in the forecast. I had left early for an appointment that day. It was already snowing heavily (by Portland standards) when I left work for my appointment and by the time I was done with that, the traffic was almost at a standstill. It took two hours of slipping and sliding but I eventually made it home without any incidents (or accidents). A lot of other folks in the city were not that lucky. Many people slid off the road, into other cars, while others had to abandon their vehicles because they couldn’t get up hills. Unlike Wisconsin, Portland does not use salt on the roads. The whole city shut down and most folks enjoyed a snow day at home on Thursday and even some on Friday too since most schools were still closed at that time.

My new home

I had gotten word on Wednesday night that my application for an apartment I had looked at earlier that day on my lunch hour had been approved and that I needed to take possession of the unit by Friday in order to get the special concession they were offering. Having one day to prepare, I spent a good chunk of time on my snow day making arrangements to move to my new apartment. I managed to get everything in order including packing all my belonging before I left for work on Friday morning.

At 1:00pm on Friday, I signed my lease and by 7:00pm my helpers had arrived in St. Johns to load up my belongings and by 10:00pm, everything had been unloaded into my new apartment in downtown Portland. Shortly thereafter, a friend and I headed out for celebratory cocktails and food a few blocks away at Luc Lac. My new apartment is conveniently located just across the street from my work so my commute is now a two-minute walk instead of a 45 minute drive. It’s much easier to walk Cole whenever I need to and my stress level has significantly been lowered by the move. I’m excited to start cooking at home again and can’t wait to host my first party on New Year’s Eve. It’s amazing how much can happen in such a short period of time. 

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