Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Celebrating My Third Oregoniversary!!

Da da da daaahhhh!! Today is my official third Oregoniversary! It was three years ago this day that I took my test at the DMV to get my Oregon driver's license, thus making me officially an Oregonian. I also re-registered my car at the DMV to get our sweet personalized license plate, because, as I am Alaskan, I simply MUST have a vanity plate!

I find it a little funny that I am spending my Oregoniversary in Alaska, but I will be celebrating by drinking some Oregon beer and doing something really Portlandy. Not totally sure what that will be yet, but I will figure something great out.

I'm definitely sad to be leaving Ketchikan so soon. This has been an amazing summer and I've really enjoyed it. I have been brainstorming a list of things that I am looking forward to doing when I'm back in Portland to try and get me excited about going back.

*Jonathan is going to take me to brunch at the Tin Shed, which is famous for their amazing food and the amazingly long wait to get said food. I have never eaten here because the line is always crazy long to get in. We're going to go on either a Monday or Tuesday morning, so hopefully the wait won't be too bad.

*I am reaaaalllllly looking forward to eating at the Blue Pig, my favorite place to eat!

*Going for bike rides and not having to worry about giant hills or getting too wet.

*Hopefully kayaking. For reals.

*The obvious things like sleeping in my own bed again, having a fridge of my own food, lounging on my own couch, and being surrounded by my own stuff.

*It should go without saying, but Jonathan, Halo, and Artoo. Duh! :o)

*I can drive more than 36 miles in one direction. This means I can go to Hood River, Bend, Cheshire, the Coast, and visit Renai and Stina!

*Breweries out the wazoo. Lots of local beer. I love local beer!

*Community yoga and acupuncture. Quality services for lower cost rocks.

*Working from home will be really interesting. Please check out my soap store because that will be a part of my income! The other part will come from working at one of my most favorite shops ever, but since that's not 100% set in stone I don't want to get too excited yet.

*North Bar, OBVIOUSLY.

*Bridges! I miss you, Fremont Bridge!!

*Getting back into brewing my own beer, making my own cheese, making my soap and being able to physically go pick up supplies, making my own yogurt, growing my own sprouts, using my bread machine, and using my giant drying rack. Trying to find more ways to be more eco-friendly!

*I applied for a volunteer position at Friends of Trees, where I have been wanting to volunteer my whole time in Portland. I hope they can use me! If not, I would love to volunteer at the Portland Audubon Society or the Hoyt Arboretum. (Things I love: trees...birds...more trees...)

*I hope my Portland friends want to continue our Musical Sundays tradition because I am going to be so crazy sad if it doesn't happen anymore. I look forward to Sundays!

What are other things I like to do in Oregon?

I am both looking forward to working part time but then also worried about money. I have put a bunch of money into savings since I've been here, but it just seems so scary to be so reliant on it. I hope I can make enough with my part time job(s?) to take care of expenses and to still do things I love. While it seems scary to not be filling my days with work, I really am looking forward to having time to volunteer, read, go grocery shopping, clean the apartment, take care of errands, and do all that "stuff" that can be hard to fit in with working a standard 40 hour week. I look forward to the challenge but it also concerns me. I do know that I will extra appreciate having the free time when I finish up my last two classes for my degree and I am looking forward to walking in my graduation on June 16 in eastern Oregon, a place I've never been!

Anyway, today is my Oregoniversary and I'm going to rock it!!

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