Portland

Portland, OR was beautiful! I spent a few days there for a conference specific for NPs and PAs in nephrology.  It was my first trip away from the twins, but honestly I was looking forward to a little me time, and being able to actually sit down and eat dinner.  I'm not sure that has happened since I've had the babies.  Alena spent part of the time with Bill and Ladonna and my parents watched the twins while I was gone.

The hotel I was staying in was right downtown and in a decent area of the city.  After getting to my hotel I walked around outside just looking for something quick to eat.  I was immediately surprised by the number of homeless people on the streets.  These people were my age and would spread out their blanket on the sidewalk, making a little home for themselves. It was very eye opening. A few of the locals mentioned that it was easy to collect unemployment and that drugs were a big problem in Oregon, hence the number of homeless people (medical marijuana is legal in the state).  After a homeless man asked me why I was wearing a watermelon colored shirt, (because he "hates watermelon"), I decided to head back to my hotel hungry.  I'd just have a big breakfast in the morning...

After my conference the next day, I decided to use public transportation to do a little sight seeing. I took the Max Rail (like an above ground subway/train), and the bus, to the International Rose Garden.  It was beautiful and there was probably every different type of rose there.  Unfortunately that was the last bus of the night so I had to walk about a mile to catch the Rail again.  The weather was perfect, 75 degrees, and there were so many people out walking on paths, having picnics, riding bikes (it is the bicycle capital of the nation).  I had to ask a few people how to make it to the Rail Station, but everyone was so friendly.  Ironically, I even met someone who went to Loras College.

The next evening I wanted to try VooDoo Doughnuts.  It was a doughnut place not far from my hotel that was open 24/7 and always had a line so I knew it had to be popular.  I got a Captain My Captain doughnut, which was amazing and definitely worth the 20 minutes I spent in line for it.  I then walked around downtown for a while before getting dinner.  I must have looked like a tourist because I got a few stares and comments and one gentlemen told me I could park behind him-which would have been nice if I was driving a car...

 

VooDoo Doughnuts

I met two twin moms I had met online for dinner. They both live in the Portland area and we all have twins around the same age. Even though we had never met online, we had a great time together.

It was a nice trip, but as always a little too short. It was nice to get home and see my little ones, but I was definitely not ready to go back to work.