There's some things that you really take for granted when you're living in your house - not a hotel.
Right now, we're in Portland (OR) for my dad to do a machine installation for work. It's a 4-6 week stay, and we've been here for a little over a week and a half. This is where we lived from when I was 3 until I was almost 9-y/o, so it's really cool to see places and people that I remember from what I consider largely ~ MY CHILDHOOD ~. It's really weird too, seeing what I remember and what I don't. We've gotten to spend a lot of time with my aunt who lives here - who I haven't seen since I was 11 - and her two freakishly darling children, which has been a DELIGHT. I've loved it so much!
What I have not loved... is living in a hotel. We're in an extended stay Homewood Suites which is fabulous. There's a separate bedroom, plus a kitchenette. We stayed in one very similar to this earlier this year for an 11-week trip to Portland (the other one - in Maine), but there was a major difference which I do find myself missing. In that one, we were super spoiled to have TWO bedrooms, plus the living area. It meant that I got an actual room and a bed and my own dresser and closet, which was a dreaaaaam. Here... I'm struggling without that luxury.
I've also realized how much I love/miss having a full kitchen - namely, an oven. Man, I've gotten myself obsessed with the idea of trying Jamie Oliver's milk chicken recipe, but I have to wait until I get home to make it. I'm gonna drive myself crazy over a stupid chicken recipe. It's probably going to be heartbreakingly lame after all this time I've spent thinking about it. But I also miss baking evil things and various yummy tasty things. Ovens are super great.
I sound super whiny thus far, don't I? Well, do you know what's not lame?? TRAVELING. AND BEING IN PORTLAND, OREGON. It's so beautiful here. The weather's been pretty decent, but regardless of that it's soooo green! I'd forgotten how much I missed that. I got to see two of my very best childhood friends on Monday and was delighted to find out how much we all like each other as near-adults. We walked around the apartment complex where we used to pull off all sorts of shenanigens. Then we drove ourselves over to IHOP and spent the whole day goofing off. It was crazy awesome! It's so fun seeing what cool women they've both grown up into - and even more fun to realize how much I still like them.
We also got to drive up to Seattle on Sunday and visit one of my dad's cousins, plus her husband + awesome daughter. I REALLY like so many of my dad's cousins, and Tricia is definitely at the top of the list. She's so warm-spirited and fun to be with. Plus, they have a really cute bird named Gandalf. We brought our dog, Tennant, and he was super intrigued by Gandalf. It was really funny ^^
The main thing I am crazy CRAZY excited for is to go to the coast. Above almost anything in Oregon, I've missed the coast. It holds a very distinct place in my memory and heart, and I am so excited to go back. When I was little, I was frequently disappointed when we went because the water was SO FREAKING COLD. I didn't understand how people could swim in the ocean - much less in bikinis and such. Then, as I got older, I began to understand that I had the wrong ocean. My ocean is much better for sandcastles than swimming. But the Oregon coast is also crazy beautiful and green. And we like to go on cloudy days (bc less people go then, and it's not like you could actually swim on the sunny days anyways), so it's actually green and grey (making it a Slytherin ocean, rly) and blue and GREY and it's so dang pretty. Also, grey is my favorite color. I wonder if my childhood adventures at the coast have anything to do with that.
So, I'm hoping we go before too long. I hope we get to go at least a couple times, too. It's about an hour and a half away, so it's not toooooo bad. I'm so excited.
I'm also excited about the excess of online shopping I've suddenly sprung up with.
But not as excited as I am about VIXX's comeback in 6 days.
bc I'm really excited about that.
x
Kyr
(new blog so that I'll probably eventually make public, GO GO!!)
