Portland is like Burlington on steroids.

     I catch a lot of flak in this family for not having come to Portland more often over the last several years. It was certainly not because I wasn't interested, and I'm very glad to be here now. It's great to spend time with the kids on what is now their home turf, and it's a wonderful city for walking and people-watching, which are some of my favorite things.

     It's also a great city for eating and drinking, and the conversation among members of this family rarely strays from the topic of food. (It presents a challenge when I'm trying so hard to focus my attention on anything other than food, but I'm working on it.)

     A lot happens in Portland. Festivals, concerts, events of all kinds:

      There are a wide variety of shops and boutiques:

     Things are very well-labeled, so you know what areas to avoid:

     And best of all, the kids are here!

    

Literally On The Road Again

     We are truly and literally on the road again, hanging out in Portland (Oregon) with Marissa and Skyler and Sky’s girlfriend Jenny. Skyler and Jenny have given up their incredibly comfortable bed for us  –  we feel so pampered and comfortable! The forecast is for beautiful sunny weather, and we have five days to wander Portland and hang out with the kids. How delightful.

     The last day at home was not nearly as delightful as I would have liked. We anticipated that our 5 pm flight meant we could putter around the house for a few hours in the morning, finishing our packing, and then relax for part of the afternoon before hitting the road. We didn’t anticipate how many last-minute things there were to do and how unsettling the pre-trip anxiety can be. I think that an afternoon departure just gives more time for that generalized anxiety and butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling to gain momentum, and it did.

     Luckily, and consistent with all my previous experiences, the anxiety began to evaporate even as we drove out of Jericho. The closer we got to the airport, the more relaxed I felt. The only worry by the time we arrived at BTV was the ridiculous amount of luggage we were dragging and the potential fees they would incur. (Apparently, our procedure for weighing our suitcases on the bathroom scale at home was not as accurate as we had hoped – ouch.)

     And when will I ever learn to remember to empty my water bottle before I go through security at the airport??? Between that and the crazy amount of stuff that raised their eyebrows when it showed up on the X-ray (“What? No, I’m not carrying an airgun or butane torch….Oh - that’s an otoscope!”), we were glad to have arrived in plenty of time and sorry to have delayed everyone in line behind us. I was also genuinely sorry that I wasn’t wearing a sign taped to my back that said, “Hey  –  I don’t usually have this much luggage, but we’re moving to Cambodia, for crying out loud!” And despite what they say about being allowed two carry-ons, I managed to board the plane with five, so my faith in the flexibility of some rules has been restored.

     So here we are, neither here nor there, but anticipating a few lovely days in between.

     

There is no time like the present.

     This is a unique and delightful time period in my life, and there will likely never be another like it. The number of transitions and internal/external processes involved in this move are kind of mind-boggling, in a completely enjoyable way. Have I mentioned yet how damn happy I am right now? As I shed old concerns and responsibilities, I feel like I can access long-forgotten parts of my brain or my "self" or whatever you want to call it, which is an unexpected and welcome effect. From the perspective of a narcissistic Westerner who clearly enjoys self-absorbed reflection and egocentric introspection, these are fun times indeed. (Truly, I promise to stop writing about myself soon and get to other topics. But probably not today.)

     Add to that the endless socializing we've been doing, and this is really a time like no other. We've been out for breakfast, lunch and dinner with multiple friends and combinations of friends. We've been to parties, we've been to the movies, we've been to Roller Derby, we've been to the Adirondacks, we've been to Manhattan, we've been to Montreal. We've had bonfires in Huntington, bocce games and cookouts in Rutland, and brunch in Charlotte. We've been to the Daily Planet, Single Pebble, Nectar's, Trattoria Delia, The Village Cup, Duende, The Farmhouse Tap & Grill, Leunig's, Halvorson's, The Cider House, and Tiny Thai - and many times other people generously insisted on picking up the tab. We've eaten out more in the last three weeks than we have in the last two years, without a doubt. And on Thursday we'll be headed to Portland for a few days, which will no doubt involve more food...

     Really, have I mentioned often enough how fully and completely I am enjoying this time period??? Besides all the interesting sorting and packing, between all the restaurant meals and drinks with friends, I have time every day to sit and read and write. (You should all take a moment to appreciate the fact that I don't blog most of what I write!) I can read Seven Days from cover to cover every Wednesday while the ink is still fresh. Steve and I wake up in the morning feeling rested and excited to start our day.

      It seems completely unfair that any one person should be this happy. The only dent in this happiness is the guilt I feel for being this happy. I suppose all I can do about that is continue to try not to take one bit of it for granted and think about how I can use the energy it gives me to do some good.

      It should be interesting (to me, at least) to see what it eventually looks like to "do some good."

You have questions? Well, we have a FAQ for that!

     Perhaps you know of our plans to move to to Cambodia, perhaps you're just catching up to that news; perhaps you have questions. (Welcome to those who may have arrived here after following the link on my old TravelBlog site.)


     We've left our jobs. We've sold our cars. We've rented our house to my brother. We arrive in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on August 27 with a plan to stay indefinitely. We wonder how many people think we're nuts; we may be, but we're certainly enjoying ourselves. 


     The questions and answers are here: Jess & Steve's FAQ. Feel free to ask your own questions.

Lists. We're checking things off. It makes me deliriously happy.

     There are lists everywhere. There are daily lists, lists of things to do when we go out to do errands, lists of things that must be done at the last minute, lists of social events in the coming weeks. I sometimes wonder whether we will have as many lists in the early days of our new life as we settle into Siem Reap. I love lists.

     Here's an example of a daily list:

• Mail packages [I've been selling lots of books on Amazon.com.]
• Pay property taxes
• Install new smoke detectors
• Mow lawn
• Pick up absentee ballots
• Drop off bags at Goodwill
• Finish emptying bathroom closet
• Vacuum out car
• Dig up flowers for Dylan & Alanna
• Call Vt Electric re: changing account name
• Fill prescriptions

     Mundane tasks, to be sure, but more satisfying than usual. Each item checked off brings us that much closer to leaving. And there are things I try to do every day that don't even get mentioned on the list: Sit outside on the Adirondack chair and read. Have a glass of wine. Write just for the hell of it.

     The further I get from work, the more nooks and crannies of my own brain I wander into. This realization, along with some other others, allowed me to finally draw the line in the sand this week and announce that I wouldn't stay on per diem past Friday of this week. It had been my boss's very generous intention to keep me on per diem so I could earn a little extra money - perhaps even do some work remotely from Cambodia to make a few bucks - but it suddenly became clear to me that I was done. The weeks following my last full-time day on June 30 had allowed me to make a gloriously easy transition out of my job, and that the process was complete. It's time to let go of that chapter and turn my full attention to what lies ahead. 

     What lies ahead....I love the sound of that. I am in one of the most interesting and satisfying phases of my entire life, right this minute. I've gotten rid of things I don't want - belongings, jobs, responsibilities - and chosen to keep only what I enjoy - the best of my stuff, the promise of new beginnings, potential adventure. How could I not be deliriously happy?

     (And when will Steve start blogging so we can hear how he's feeling?) 

We can check "garage sale" off the list of things to do.

     Yesterday morning, we had a lot of stuff we didn't want. By 3:00 in the afternoon, we had a lot less stuff and over $600 in our pockets. Lots of people carted away lots of things they wanted and in some cases, were thrilled to have. In fact, most of the action happened in the first two hours or so - by midmorning, most of what was going to sell was already gone. It was amazing.

     It's interesting what people will buy, what they will pay for it, and what we will charge them. As long as I didn't let my mind wander into thinking about what we had originally spent accumulating all this stuff, I could be thrilled at the cash it was bringing in. I suspect our prices were generally low, because there was very little haggling - when asked, we'd name a price and with extraordinarily rare exceptions, people paid what we ask. One woman spent close to an hour poring over everything and assembling a pile of items on my mother's front steps. She literally clapped her hands with glee and gushed, "You have the most interesting things! This is the best garage sale!" Several people commented that we must travel quite a bit. I suppose that laying out the detritus of our lives on folding tables paints some kind of picture of who we might be. I think I can say I'm satisfied with the impression we seemed to make.

     And we are not a sentimental bunch. One woman held up a needlepoint daffodil still-life, matted and framed. "How much?" she asked. I directed her to ask my mother, who announced with delight, "Oh, that was made by my daughter! The one right there!" She pointed at me and the woman looked horrified. "And you're going to sell it?" she asked my mother, aghast. "How about a dollar?" my mother answered. I had to assure the woman that I was not offended.

     The money we made will go toward immunizing a group of orphans in Cambodia. I made that commitment on last fall's trip, hoping I would figure out how to do some kind of fund-raising, but it turns out that I hate asking for money. So now we've got a bit more than half of what we need to make it happen.

     On today's list of things to do: Paint Jaz's room. Goodbye, four years' worth of graffiti...

Why blog?

     I read a lot of blogs on a lot of different topics, and it seems that a lot of them are about self-promotion.I prefer to think this one is more about exploration or reflection.

     I write because I enjoy it and it helps me process things going on in my life. I could write in a journal, as I've done in the past, but there's something about a potential audience that raises the bar a little. And sometimes it's nice to raise the bar. On the other hand, fretting about the quality of the writing might prevent me from posting as often. What do I want this to be, a real-time spontaneous account of an interesting time in our lives, or an opportunity to polish my written communication skills? I don't know the answer; it may change from day to day. What the hell - I'm not even obligated to answer the question!

     I also write in this format because it gets me off the hook for communicating with friends and family who want to keep in touch. In an ideal world, those who read this will comment occasionally, giving the impression that this is two-way communication. (Hint, hint.)

     So welcome to my random observations, to the thoughts flitting through my head, to my efforts to organize and integrate my own experiences. It ought to get more interesting to read soon, when we actually leave town. In the meantime, I find this period quite fascinating, but you can skip right over it until we get there.

    But if you're reading, let me know. It's kind of nice to know if there is an audience.

    And it won't be much longer! We leave Vermont on August 19 and arrive in Cambodia on August 27. (It doesn't take that long to get there - we're stopping off in Portland for a few days in between.) But for me, the journey began a long time ago, and I'm enjoying it all along the way.