Oregon Visit

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
Jun 012024
 

Well, it’s been a hot minute since I last posted. Fortunately, it was for good reason! I got to spend two weeks with my family and catch up with friends in Oregon.

First, there was my dad’s 75th birthday. Normally, he doesn’t do a big show of his birthday but as he’s had a few moments of facing his mortality, he decided it was a good chance to open up for some recognition for the good life he has. There were a mix of people from his past and present who came to celebrate, including his older sister and brother. It was a lot of fun for me to see them!

Then, there were the two cutest newest members of my family and friends’ circle (matched with the blankets I made for them):

Oh my goodness, do I love a bit of bebe snuggles!

Finally, but definitely not the least, was a mother-daughter trip to Vegas to see “Beatles Love” and the amazing Adele.

Every time I go home I feel like it’s the best time. I cherish the moments I get to spend with my family and my friends. It’s a blessing to be able to make regular visits to Oregon, share experiences and conversations, and reconnect with my childhood home.

Now, I’m back in Italy. However, it’s going to be a busy month of June with visitors. We are looking forward to it! Hopefully, I’ll be posting regularly again, though. πŸ˜€

~T πŸ”₯πŸ‰β™‹οΈ

Merry 2023 Christmas Season

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Dec 282023
 

Sometimes unexpected changes in plans brings about an even better experience than the one anticipated.

Although we would have had a lovely time spending the holidays with my parents in the Bahamas, we would have missed out on family time with my brother, catching up with a few family and friends, and enjoying just a quiet chilled time.

The past ten days have really flown by without any tension or stress that can often be felt when five people, who are all rather different and rarely see each other, spend time in close quarters together. Yet, it felt pretty easy peasy to me.

Since it was not so much a time to visit and catch up with everyone possible, we kept a pretty low profile. The main purpose was to hang with my parents and brother, which we achieved. βœ…

Christmas πŸŽ„ was quiet, but ever so lovely. Plus, Santa πŸŽ… was very very good to me. I mean, I was a rather good girl this year. πŸ˜œπŸ˜‚

Now, we are awaiting our flight back to the sun and sand to ring in the near year beachside. 🏝️ More on that once we get settled in.

Second Half of 2013!

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Jul 012013
 

Well, a new month brings me back to trying to write more consistently. I am not sure what happened to June, but in any case, I am going to try to keep to a writing schedule since I am on summer break. πŸ˜‰

I have been home with my family for about a week now. It has been pretty good and relaxing so far. I have not really done too much other than sleep and watch a lot of TV. The weather has heated up for me as well, which makes me happy to not be freezing as I usually am even in the summer.

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My 37th birthday came and went. It was another quiet one, but that is a good thing for me.

I also finally got to meet Diane again after all these years. There were some memories of the area, but mostly it was just nice to put another piece of my puzzled life together. πŸ™‚

So, that’s all I’ve got for now, but will try to do more later.

-T πŸ˜€

 

 

Major BFF time!

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Jul 122011
 

It has been too long since I last saw my BFF and so when I found out that my flight allowed for a layover in Japan and then we could head to Oregon together, there was no question about what I would do.

The past few weeks have been filled with fun!

Time in Japan:

 

 

Seattle Road Trip:

Happy hour was a must and major pampering at Gene Juarez!

On the way home, we revisited a Korean restaurant (Shilla) that we had gone to when we were just in college.

Shopping:

So much fun! Let’s hope it isn’t as long until next time.Β β™₯

πŸ˜€

Summer 2010: Part V

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Sep 122010
 

My Oregon visit was divided by a visit by R and our cruise to Alaska.

It was the first time for R to visit the Pacific Northwest and he was greatly spoiled by the fantastic weather we had during his time there. We visited downtown Portland, went rafting down the Deschutes and ate at his favorite restaurant in Clackamas – Elmer’s. πŸ˜€

We drove up to Seattle and stayed with a college friend for one night. We also met up with another colleague from AD who showed us around downtown Seattle for a few hours before we headed off on our cruise.

Not knowing what to expect after our last cruise experience, we were pleasantly surprised right away at the much calmer atmosphere of the Sapphire Princess. Most of the people were older and fewer children were present. Also, there was less hype onboard, which allowed us to relax and enjoy the ship without chaos or chagrin. Although the weather wasn’t great after the first day, the sights were beautiful. Our stops were at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and then Victoria, BC. It was better to stop more frequently throughout the cruise and we had a good time overall. It’d be nice to go again to the more northern areas and when the weather is better. Still, I’m glad I got to see Alaska and the glaciers before they melt away….

Pics on the way!

More to come,

-T

Summer 2010: Part IV

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Sep 122010
 

In recent years I’ve not spent much more than a week or 10 days at home. Last year, it was a mere 5 days before I headed elsewhere. This year with such a long break and my focus on being State-side, I was able to spend much more time at home. In total, I was there for about 4 weeks.

It was awesome to have so much time with my family and to see a few friends, though I kept quiet with seeing friends this time around. I was content to hang out a lot with my family. We saw “South Pacific” as a family and had a vacation at the Oregon Coast for a few days. I floated down the river with my dad and his BFF, met up with a few friends including seeing my friend perform with his new band and relaxed a ton! It was the first time in a number of years that I felt like it was home sweet home.

Pics coming…

More to come,

-T

Short Oregon Visit

 General, Meanderings Abroad  No Responses »
Jul 292009
 

Due my somewhat crazy travel schedule this summer, I was only home in Oregon from July 18 – 24. My main purpose was to just hang with my family and to relax.

Somehow I still ended up seeing many friends, which was great. I made a visit to the Old Spaghetti Factory, one of my favorite childhood restaurants; met my Dad’s softball team; visited more friends; shopped (yes more!) and in general just felt good to be home for a few days.

So, not much to report here. Photos are on the way as always. I will post links later to pics.

Next stop – Japan!

-T

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