Everday | Page 5

Exploring Portland

Posted by Ashlee Keech on May 15, 2014 Leave a Comment

Recently, we hopped on the southbound train and took a trip to Portland, Oregon. This year, instead of taking one big vacation, we’ve opted for several small, weekend trips. This trip to Portland was the first. We used it as our anniversary celebration as well!

This was my first time taking a train anywhere. It was amazing, and made me feel simultaneously British and fancy and giddy like a first year on my way to Hogwarts! If you’re in the area, I’d recommend hopping aboard:)

After we arrived in Portland, we walked to our hotel and found out we were the “guest of the day!” So, we go a free bottle of water and a room upgrade to a better view! If you look closely, you can see Mount Hood on the horizon.

Portland is a small city, which was great for us as we were car free and needed to be within walking distance to anything we wanted to do. We spent the weekend traipsing around town and enjoying too much foodtruck food.

Afternoon tea at Lan Su Chinese Garden.

Oh, and don’t forget our obligatory stop at Voodoo donuts!

Vegan Oreo+Peanutbutter, Vegan Maple, Old Fashion, and Crème Stuffed

Perhaps most notably, we made it out of Powell’s without purchasing a single thing! Maybe I was sick, or maybe I’m really starting to embrace the “more is less” philosophy but either way, somehow how it happened, and I’m not even upset about it! Ha! That’s not to say we didn’t spend a few hours wandering around the seemingly endless shelves and browsing!

Thanks, Portland!

-John+Ash

It grows on you

Posted by Ashlee Keech on April 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

Its April.

April means roadside wildflowers, baseball, and daytime highs perfect for laying in a hammock. At least it used to. I probably won’t get to see a bluebonnet this year, or get a sunburn at a ball game. I won’t feel the thickness of the air as temperatures start to reach ninety. And for a moment I’m sad, and while I’ll always miss those things, what I will get to experience brings its own joy.

I hope I never get used to seeing mountains on the horizon, or reflecting back across the lake.

Or the beauty of the fog settling in on a rainy day.

While this place will never be Texas, it’s growing on me. I’m starting to love it for its own beauty, it stories. I’ll always love going home to Texas, but for now I’ll enjoy where I’m at. I’ll take in creation around me. I’ll watch baseball, in a jacket, while the locals eat clam chowder (seriously, someone back me up on how weird that is!) And I’ll be grateful for Washington.

-ash