A Trip to Oregon

Sweaters and hot chocolate, surrounded by endless greenery and hipsters: welcome to Oregon. This is where our latest adventure takes us this week. We spent our time visiting friends, family, and reminiscing at our restaurant favorites, including a restaurant which has a massive six layer cake.

Our last trip to Oregon was about 15 months ago, just before we moved to Panama. Was Oregon always this cold? 

The week was filled with seeing family and friends.  Robert and I saw a friend and went bowling with her six year old son. The last time we saw him was about four years ago. I also made a trip to Robert's home town to visit another friend who has a 15 month old son. I have not seen him since he was two weeks old.

Robert and I surprised my parents by arranging a family photo shoot session, which was supposed to include my brother, sister-in-law, and niece. Unfortunately, something came up last minute and my sister-in-law was unable to make it. While we haven't seen the pictures yet, I know my niece was the highlight in the photos. It is amazing to see how much she has grown.

We also did some shopping. Robert got some shorts, I got some pants, and both of us wanted to stock up on Tillamook Cheese. Friends of ours also put in shopping requests. Some of their wish list items included jelly beans and Cadbury Eggs. By the end of the trip my suitcase was filled with goodies to bring back to Panama.

The most indulgent part of the trip was eating at Claim Jumper. Claim Jumper is the epitome of large portions and American food. Potatoes are the size of footballs. Chicken pot pies are served in a ramekin nine inches in diameter. The desserts get even crazier with  an option of a six layer fudge cake and cookies that are roughly six inches in diameter.

Robert got to eat Chinese food from Safeway, which is where he frequented back in college. It was probably some of the better Chinese food in the town. I enjoyed wearing a scarf. One thing I miss about living in Oregon is coordinating scarves and knitted hats.

We took an overnight flight from Los Angeles to Panama. Sleeping horizontally in a bed has never felt so good! Visiting Oregon was a special trip. We quickly jumped back into life in Panama and are eager for our next adventure.