April 8, 2008
Sarah and I decide to make our way to Paradox Café. This is the diner that I was lured into Portland by. I then take Sarah to Sweet Pea Bakery. Zoey stays in car the whole time. She seems much more comfortable there and I decide it's probably in her best interest.
Move in day. My former M.Ed. student, Sierra, my cousin, Adrienne, and Sarah start unpacking truck. I do a walk through with the grounds manager Eve. We return the truck and I get my first glimpse of St. Helen Road and the old industrial part of the city....train tracks, old warehouses, smoke stacks, etc.
I have lunch with Sierra and Sarah at Laughing Planet. Selfishly, I wanted alone time with one of my dearest friends in her remaining hours. We all find Coffee Time, sidewalk café/coffeehouse that allows dogs. It's like a labyrynth.
Begrudgingly, I take Sarah to the airport and decide I have to walk her in. I'm feeling incredibly vulnerable and needy and am despairing the pending loneliness. We find Powell’s in the airport. What a gem. We laugh at all of the spoofs on 50’s magnets. We have a cry fest in the airport and I feel devastated. In instant exchange of text messages gives me some room to feel sad and brings me instant comfort. I'm taken back to my freshman year of college when saying goodbye to the friends I was so closely bonded to was painful. Spoke to Hava briefly on way back. Came back to empty apartment and lost it.
April 9, 2008
My first official interview happened two days after I arrived! After getting lost on the way, I wandered down to the end of the hall and patiently sat in a chair waiting for an interview. It was with an organization called Garden Partners which uses horticulture therapy to heal elderly people. The ED of the org. compliments me and shares how impressed she is that I am able to move to a new city and interview 2 days later. The position would have entailed coordinating volunteers for the organization. The interview goes fairly smoothly, despite having not played the job search game for nearly 10 years! Oye vey.
I take care of getting my computer set up with Spiretech and get to meet Alex, the nice guy I've been talking to for some time. I take care of collecting information to file taxes. I read all of the Shakti letters and cards and cards from family and cry a puddle.
April 10, 2008
I meet my first neighbors, Eli and Anna, a sweet young couple and their dog, Toby – they look quintessentially Pacific Northwest with their fleece jackets on this cool morning. They talk to me about the inevitable adjustment time. I take a walk in Lower Macleay Trail and cry. My dream of being in a place this green and so close to my living space has become reality. I make a huge dent in unpacking and move some major furniture around. I take my first shower since I have arrived!
I find my way down to the Thurman Library and Trilogy Video store and French bakery, St. Honore (loved this feeling).
The Rakestraw’s see me on the way back to my place and I introduce them to the animals. We have dinner together at what will quickly become my favorite place, Blossoming Lotus in The Pearl.
