What I've been up to.

Packing.

Making some postcards.

Packing some more.

It's safe to say I've been absent. I've been stuck in 'get stuff done'/'cram in as much friend time as possible' mode. This leaves other priorities- cooking, blogging, sometimes sleeping- left to suffer.

I'm deep in my last week in Portland. Oh Portland! It's been what, 7 years now? If I stayed until September it would begin my eighth. I've lived in 3 of your 4 (5?) quadrants, enjoyed all of your seasons, ate a lot of your delicious food and played in your streets.

...now I'm getting all nostalgic.

There are many things I'll miss about Portland, here are a few:

Bridges

Coffee

Bikes

Gardens
Trees

Farmers Markets

Beer

Food

I'm sure I'll add on more as I realize the differences between Oregon and Montana - rainfall being one of them (though I'm not sure if that's something I'll miss).

Mostly, I'm excited about a new adventure. Almost everyone I've told about my move to Montana has the initial reaction of- 'You DO know it's cold there?!'

Yes, and I thank you for your concern. I am mostly prepared for sub-zero temperatures. I will most certainly report back on my First Montana Winter in the months to follow.

As far as employment goes, I have accepted an AmeriCorps VISTA position with the Gallatin County Health Department, assisting them with early childhood initiatives to increase the rates of breastfeeding and immunizations. So that should be interesting.

Stay tuned for what's to come!