Portland

I grew up in the desert. Boise may be known as the city of trees, but it gets dry and yellow and brown in the summer - the only reason the trees and grass stay green is because the good people of Les Bois water their lawns. It is pretty safe to say that most people find a brown color pallet unappealing, but I actually love it. It helps me appreciate the swaying green leaves in the trees, prickly soft grass, and sweet smelling flowers all the more.

Driving through the deserts if Idaho make me happy because I equate dry earth with home. I love to see dried tumble weeds skip across the freeway because they have ample room to skip, and bounce, and float their way through wide open spaces. I like being able to see for miles because feelings of freedom, openness, and limitlessness fill my soul. I often think about how I could find some pretty spot on a hill and be the only person around for miles. It is just nice to know that I could really be all alone if I wanted to - that there is enough space for me to have a corner of the earth all to myself.

Living in Portland is different from living in a desert. It rains a lot here. It rains hard, soft, slanted, straight, with big drops and small drops, and sometimes it just mists. All this wetness makes everything beautifully green which is a nice contrast to the grey sky from which all this rain keeps falling (FYI: I like to spell grey with an e instead of an a).

I like the green - it is really pretty. But I really miss my desert.

Maybe part of that is because the rainy weather makes my whole body ache due to my arthritis even though I am on a prescription anti-inflamitory. It keeps raining here and I keep wishing it would go away so that I could feel more like a 25 year old and less like a 75 year old.

I feel younger in the desert. I feel at home in the desert.

I had every intention of giving a Portland update, but I guess my trunkiness for the dry desert took over. Things are going well here. My in-laws are pretty great to live with - it is great to coexist with them because it is drama-free and fun. Jonathan is enjoying his job - it is challenging and there is a lot to learn but he is doing a great job. He is going to join a summer lacrosse league and is really excited to play. I am excited to watch - it's a really fun game to watch. I am looking for a job and hoping to find one for the next 3 months of summer, but am keeping busy in the meantime. We are having a blast hanging out with our niece and nephew on a regular basis. They are hilarious and so much fun. Things are going well.

Hope things are going well for you too.

Much love,
Tin