More things I love about Portland:

- The Portland temple. The temple is seriously so spectacular. I love it. I've been able to go pretty much every week and that's been wonderful. And, on top of that, there's a really great (and flat!) bike path/running path that is around there, so I've started and ended some runs with this awesome view:

Yep, this was taken from my phone before I started my bike ride.

- Courteous drivers (and courteous people in general). Because of Southern Hospitality (which is a real thing!), I've always known that there are plenty of nice people that live outside of Utah. Portland/the Northwest is no exception to that rule - people are extremely nice and friendly. Even the homeless people will say things like "have a great day!" - Dallin and I had a homeless person tell us that we looked really good together. Drivers are defensive and will almost always let you cut in when you don't realize that you're already at the turning lane and you need to get in (not that that's happened or anything).

- Gas. It's a law in Oregon that you can't fill up your own gas - someone else needs to do it for you. They'll even offer to wash your windows (and you can't tip them)!

- Blackberries. Blackberry plants are an invasive species in the Northwest. Apparently they are almost impossible to kill, so everyone just deals with them and everyone is welcome to pick blackberries anywhere (and trust me, they grow pretty much anywhere). My favorite place to pick them is by our stake center - I saw the long line of blackberry bushes right next to the sidewalk when I was running my "temple route." So instead of buying blackberries for $5 at a grocery store or a farmers market, I can just pick them on my own in about 10 minutes. Sometimes they're a little sour but it's totally worth it because of the money that I know I'm saving. :) And sometimes they really are delicious - especially in smoothies, salads, and cobblers. Or on cereal or oatmeal. 

Sorry, farmers market - I think I'll just pick them myself.

- The food in general. Portland is definitely a "foodie" city - a foodie, by the way, is "a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet." There are a lot of foodies in Portland (including Dallin and Rebecca Quinn) as well as a lot of people who are willing to cater to the foodies (thankfully). Dallin and I have been trying a new restaurant every Wednesday. It is so fun because we can choose food from what seems like any country... and it's always good because there are so many options to choose from! We also love that there are tons of options for different food preferences - for example, Dallin and I have been trying to eat less meat lately, and guess what? We haven't been to a restaurant without a vegetarian option yet - and trust me, we've been to more than a few restaurants! This is one aspect of Portland that we will definitely miss when we go back to Utah next month.

Seattle, Dad in Town, Patriotic Concert

Fun fact: I'm at an amazingly delicious frozen yogurt place in Portland right now (seriously, I think it may very well be the best frozen yogurt I've ever had) but I've told myself that I can't eat any until I've finished three blog posts. And now I'm on my third one. Almost there! That being said, I still am really excited to write this post, because this was an awesome week.

Awesome, with one exception - Dallin wasn't in town. He's required to take two five-day trips as part of his internship. It's always really hard when he's gone, so I decided do something that would keep my mind off of his being gone. I decided to go on a road trip to Seattle!

Hello, Seattle!

One of my favorite mission companions lives about thirty minutes out of Seattle. When we were companions she'd always tell me about how awesome the Pacific Northwest is and how I needed to visit her after we got back. It was really exciting to call her up and make that dream from years ago become a reality!

There was only hiccup in the plan - at the time, I was part of a church/community orchestra that was putting on a concert THAT WEEK. That meant that there would be not one, but two rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday that week. Instead of shortening my Seattle trip to a day and a half (Monday to Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday to Thursday afternoon), I decided to make two day-and-a-half-long trips. And it was fantastic. I loved seeing Laura in her "natural habitat" - she's staying with a wonderful family who have completely welcomed her into their home and into their hearts. They are all also very musical, so it was fun for me to talk shop with them. Laura took me to all of the sights that she possibly could in our few hours together - sightseeing locations, good food locations, good hike locations, and of course Chinatown. I loved spending time with her - she is a great friend and an even greater example. Love you, Laura!

Waterfall hike near Mt. Rainier

Laura in her element

Yet another hike

(Notice the french braid - slowly getting better at different hairstyles!)

Beautiful friends and beautiful scenery

On Friday I picked up my dad from the airport. He had spent the two weeks prior in India and Thailand on a business trip. His flight home from Thailand went through Portland, so being the wonderful man that he is, he stopped here for a few days to spend some time with me. I loved it! The poor man had just gotten off of a flight from Tokyo - he told me that he'd slept maybe six hours over the past seventy-two. Nevertheless, he wanted to go and see the sights. I took him to beautiful Wahclellah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge - it was breathtaking. And of course my dad captured its beauty with his camera:

Glad that we could get a picture together, even if it was a selfie.

I'm also glad I could get a picture of him!

Next, we were off to Multnomah Falls. They are spectacular, and they're right off of the freeway! We decided to do a hike up to the top that was only about 3 miles long roundtrip but was also about 97% switchbacks. I was a little worried watching my poor dad climb up the steep trail. He not only made it, but he captured some beautiful photos as well:

Then it was off to picking up Dallin from the airport. I'd been pretty fortunate up until this point at avoiding Portland traffic - unfortunately, my luck completely ran out when I was picking up Dallin with my dad. It was awful. Thankfully we got through it (I seriously doubted that we would) and took off - the three of us - to Vancouver for my performance.

The concert was a patriotic concert for choir and orchestra. It was my first time playing in an orchestra for a couple of years, and I'd forgotten how much I missed it. Playing with the Portland Choir and Orchestra really has strengthened my resolve to try and play in a community orchestra next year. Anyway, the concerts went really well (there were three performances). I was perfectly situated so that I could see the faces of most of the audience members. The most touching/memorable parts of the concerts for me were from looking at the faces of those who were obviously touched by the performance. That's not something you get as a conductor. I especially enjoyed seeing the faces of different veterans. Their expressions were mingled with so many emotions - happiness, pride, and excitement, yes, but also sadness, melancholy and solemnity. I can't imagine what it would be like to be a member of the armed forces, but I know I got a closer glimpse from watching these veterans' faces.

The concert

Dallin and my dad came to the last performance - they slept during the first one and went to a cool farmers market with crafts and food (and a random clown that Dallin completely missed) during the second.

The clown (you can see why Dallin was surprised he didn't see her there)

Additional perk of Oregon: gorgeous roses

I'll talk more about blackberries in a later post.

As mentioned in a previous post, we went to the beach with my dad on Saturday morning. It was pretty early when we got there and the beach was almost empty. I love moments like those where your relationship with nature is on an individual basis. It was beautiful.

We also managed to go to a classic Portland place: Salt & Straw ice cream. Their unique flavors are often a blend of savory sweet. We were lucky and made it at a time where the line was unusually short - about a 30 minute wait time! But the ice cream was totally worth it. I got the almond brittle and sea salt caramel flavor. Deliciousness.

All in all, this week was probably one of my favorites - a lot of wonderful memories made.

Seventh Son Series

Not to be confused with the recent movie by the same title (not related at all).

This.

Not this.

The latest, consuming-my-free-time book series that I've been reading is the Seventh Son series by Orson Scott Card. I know - when you think of Orson Scott Card, you probably think of the Ender Series and sci-fi. This really isn't in the sci-fi category. It's more frontier America with a fantastical twist. And, fun fact, the life of the main character in the story (Alvin Miller) is loosely based on the life of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. So that's definitely been a fun element. I think I've really liked the books because the idea of them is so novel and fresh - plus, as a Mormon myself, I love picking up on the similarities between Alvin and Joseph Smith. But if you're not Mormon, don't worry - this book isn't preachy, nor are you missing anything by not being Mormon. It's just fun to pick up on little extras. And since this book is loosely based on America - with many references to real-life people in American history, some known and some less-known - I have learned much from researching the different characters in the book to try and glean more information about their lives.

One word of caution: I would not recommend this book for teens. The "bad" characters in these books really are evil. And there are some topics that are discussed in the books (such as rape and murder) that are definitely not appropriate for younger audiences. That being said, the "good" characters in the book are so good! You fall in love with them.

Another word of caution: much to my dismay, this series is not yet finished. Six out of the seven books have been published. I'm currently on the sixth, and I've got to admit that it's been hard to bring myself to finish it because I know I'll be extremely frustrated at the end that the series hasn't been finished yet. But seriously, it is such a great series! Check it out!

Oregonian Water

No, not the drinking water (which, incidentally, is very good). The swimming water! In the past month and a half (can't believe it's been that long!) we've been to the "beach" three times (more info on the "" later) and also to some fresh water places (rivers, waterfalls, etc.) pretty much every week. Dallin LOVES the water - every time he sees a body of water that's not frozen he without fail says, "I want to jump in that right now." And he normally does. I've even seen him jump in semi-frozen water in Finland in the middle of winter. But I think Dallin finally met his match in Oregon - the water here is freezing!! Here, they don't call it the "beach" - they call it the "coast." When we went for the first time we couldn't believe that even though there were a ton of people lounging around, there were only like two that were actually in the water. So we assumed that everyone in Oregon was just wimpy so we took off our shoes and started walking in the water.... and our feet felt like they were being amputated. It hurt SO much. And we thought it would wear off after a few minutes, but no - even after ten or so minutes (which felt like ten hours), our feet were still killing us. Dallin tried to show the ocean who's boss by going further into the water - he almost died in the attempt (not really, but it looked painful). Regardless of the freezing water, we have still loved our time at the coast - it's beautiful, especially with the trees, mountains, and rocks that surround the area. We have especially enjoyed Cannon Beach + Haystack Rock - these pictures are from when my dad went with us (I will follow up with a blog post about his visit momentarily):

I am not really that much taller than Dallin is.

Love this photo.

Notice feet coverage for feet and heads. The surfers were only in the water for about 15 minutes tops.

Yes, we love each other.

We were definitely more successful getting into the fresh water - before we left Utah, we casually looked for wetsuits to help protect me from the cold (I have been a cold wimp ever since I got back from my mission in Taiwan - read: tropical island). They're normally really expensive, and even at thrift stores they were still around $80. Well there was a garage sale down the street from where we live and lo and behold a 6'2" surfer girl was trying to sell one of her wetsuits for 25 bucks! Total blessing. I put that wetsuit to good use when we went tubing while camping at Oxbow Regional Park (look it up - so amazing!). We thought it was pretty funny that we spent about as much time getting the wetsuit on as we did in the water. Oh, well. We still had a great time tubing with our Wal-mart tubes. And the wetsuit really did work well! One of the highlights in the river was watching this family on the shore with two little kids. They were fishing - well, both were involved with fish. The little boy had about four fishing rods on the shore. We saw him try to land this enormous salmon - everyone on the beach was cheering him on! That is, until the line broke. :( Still, we couldn't believe it - it seriously was about three feet long. The little girl was "taking care" of a fish that had already been caught - she had him on a little string like a leash in the water. She would walk up and down the shore, tugging him along and calling his name (Jeffrey). We felt pretty sorry for Jeffrey - I certainly wouldn't liked to be tugged around by my lungs. Some other water escapades include two waterfall hikes - Oneontah Falls and Wahclellah Falls. We're about to go again to those falls with my brother this weekend and we are so excited!

Gift from the Sea - Book Review

It's been a little weird not teaching. I'm thoroughly enjoying my break, but it often feels like I'm not doing enough, or that I'm doing things too slowly. Before we left for Portland, I asked my sister-in-law about what she did when her husband had an internship and she was staying at home. "I went to the library," she said, "sometimes multiple times a week. Take advantage of this precious time where you can fill your cup." I'm taking her advice - I got my library card on Monday and I was pretty excited about it. It felt so good to be in a library again, to have complete choice on the books that were to be my companions for the upcoming days and weeks. I got two books: Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card, and Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh's (the pilot's), wife. Since I'd already read Seventh Son before (I wanted to re-read it since I'd like to finish the series this summer - it's my dad's favorite), I decided to start with Gift from the Sea - a book recommended to me by a friend. In this short (only 128 pages) but profound book, Anne Lindbergh shares her reflections about different aspects and stages of a woman's (and to a certain extent a man's) life. I found it remarkable that even though there are many elements about women's lives that have changed dramatically since this book was written (1955), there are nevertheless so many of her ideas that still ring true. I'll include some of my favorite excerpts here, but that shouldn't stop you from reading it yourself!

So excited about my books!

Favorite quotes:

"...today more of us in America than anywhere else in the world have the luxury of choice between simplicity and complication of life. And for the most part, we, who could choose simplicity, choose complication. War, prison, survival periods, enforce a form of simplicity on man. The monk and the nun choose it of their own free will. But if one accidentally finds it, as I have for a few days, one finds also the serenity it brings."

"Nothing feeds the center so much as creative work, even humble kinds like cooking and sewing."

"Woman's life today is tending more and more toward the state William James describes so well int he German word, 'Zerrissenheit, [or] torn-to-pieces-hood.' She cannot live perpetually in "Zerrissenheit." She will be shattered into a thousand pieces. On the contrary, she must consciously encourage those pursuits which oppose the centrifugal forces of today. Quiet time alone, contemplation, prayer, music, a centering line of thought or reading, of study or work. It can be physical or intellectual or artistic, any creative life proceeding from oneself. It need not be an enormous project or a great work. But it should be something of one's own. Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem, or saying a prayer. What matters is that one be for a time inwardly attentive."

"[Woman] must find that inner stillness which Charles Morgan describes as 'the stilling of the soul within the activities of the mind and body so that it might be still as the axis of a revolving wheel is still.' This beautiful image is to my mind the one that women could hold before their eyes. This is an end toward which we could strive - to be the still axis within the revolving wheel of relationships, obligations, and activities."

"One learns to accept the fact that no permanent return is possibly to an old form of relationship; and, more deeply still, that there is no holding of a relationship to a single form. This is not tragedy but part of the ever-recurrent miracle ot life and growth. All living relationships are in the process of change, of expansion, and must perpetually be building themselves new forms. But there is no single fixed form to express such a changing relationship. There are perhaps different forms for each successive stage; different shells I might put in a row on my desk to suggest the different stages of marriage - or indeed of any relationship."

"...marriage, which is always spoken of as a bond, becomes actually... many bonds, many strands, of different texture and strength, making up a web that is taut and firm. The web is fashioned of love. Yes, but many kinds of love: romantic love first, then a slow growing devotion and, playing through these, a constantly rippling companionship. It is made of loyalties, and interdependencies, and shared experiences. It is woven of memories of meetings and conflicts; of triumphs and disappointments. It is a web of communication, a common language, and the acceptance of lack of language, too; a knowledge of likes and dislikes, of habits and reactions, both physical and mental. It is a web of instincts and intuitions, and known and unknown exchanges. The web of marriage is made by propinquity, in the day to day living side by side, looking outward and working outward in the same direction.. It is woven in space and in time of the substance of life itself."

"Perhaps both men and women in America may hunger, in our material, outward, active, masculine culture, for the supposedly feminine qualities of heart, mind and spirit - qualities which are actually neither masculine nor feminine, but simply human qualities that have been neglected."

Portlandia

Today marks an entire week that we've been in Portland for Dallin's internship. It's my first time living in (or even visiting) Portland or any city in the Northwest, but I'm already in love. Here are a few reasons why:

1. I love the stereotypes about Portland, and I love the fact that all of the stereotypes are true. Before we came here, Dallin and I did a little "research" (aka watch shows on Netflix that have to do with Portland). We started watching "Portlandia," a show all about the quirkiness of the city. We stopped watching it because it was getting a little too weird, but we really enjoyed this sketch about free-range chickens. Sure enough, one of the first billboards we saw as we drove into the city was one about free-range, local chickens.

2. I feel like I'm saving the earth every day that I live here. I'm sure it doesn't make a huge difference, but I love the feeling that I get when I pull out my reusable grocery bag at Trader Joe's. I love the fact that there's an option for having your own shopping bag even at Wal-Mart. I love that by riding my bike (something I genuinely enjoy doing), I'm not considered a nuisance - instead, I'm applauded. In fact, the city of Portland is finishing the construction of a bridge that is only for bikers and public transportation.

3. Portlandia is its own kind of "trendy." Portland is probably one of the few places where I could walk outside in hiking boots, leggings, and a long Columbia coat with no make-up on and my hair falling out of a braid and it's trendy, not trashy. Love it!

4. Portland is probably the only place where I've felt overwhelmed by green. Living in Utah for the past few years, I've always felt there are never enough trees. Here, I feel like there are more than enough! Apparently there are laws in Portland against removing trees (even dead trees!) unless you have multiple specialists approve it, proper paperwork is filled out, yadda yadda yadda. Basically they've made it such a pain to remove trees that nobody wants to. So there are these ancient behemoths of trees everywhere - they're beautiful, but almost suffocating in some places.

5. Portland is a living network of parks and walks and bike paths. In Georgia, my family would often visit a patch of woods close to our house called "Simpsonwood" for spiritual and emotional refuge. It filled my soul to be among the quiet trees in Simpsonwood. Here, places there are hundreds of Simpsonwoods, all offering the same kind of respite from daily life. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be doing things on my own all day than in a place like Portland, a place that offers refuge in solitude.

I'm sure this list will grow longer as the weeks go by. Portland, we are so happy to be here!

Here are some pictures from my walk in my new Simpsonwood a few days ago: