annnnnnnnnnnnd we made it.

so far so good in portland. actually, better than good. great, actually.

before coming here, adam and i spent several days at eric's parents and then two weeks in sc. we spent a week with my brother at his house, next to and on the lake. and then we spent a week at my parents'. eric and my family and i attended my best friend's wedding in sc, which was so pretty. it was a lovely time home and a good rest before our long trip north.

and, our trek here was long but pleasant. otis and adam were both good travelers. for awhile, as cars zoomed past us because we hauled a small trailer behind us in the slow lane, adam said "bye bye car" to each and every passing car.

we arrived on, hmm... tuesday night, i think. two days of 11 hour driving. our first night we spent in a hotel and the morning after felt like a treat. we had breakfast in our room and let adam spill muffin crumbs all over the sheets. we watched sesame street, drank lots of coffee, jumped on the bed. we got the keys to our new place, unloaded our little trailer and jeep and slept soundly. on an air bed.

the next day (thursday? i've lost track...) our movers came. and as far as we can tell, everything is here. everything. too much everything! slowly we are making progress and finding spaces to walk around, plates to eat off of, toilet paper and bath towels. knowing that we'll likely do this again in a couple years inspires me frequently to toss things into a box i've marked "charity"

we love our apartment. the day we chose it, we'd seen over 15 apartments in a single day. when we got home, i couldn't remember any details about this place (did it have two tubs or one? did it have a microwave? how big was the closet in the second bedroom?). but we made the right choice. our building is a renovated warehouse across from the sea, which i can see from our bedroom. we're within walking distance of just about everything and right on the edge of so many fun things to do. people who live here or know the area warned me that this area was loud, but i honestly can't get over how QUIET it is. not only is the building quiet, but i don't hear a single siren, a single passing car, a single pedestrian voice. so much quieter than our dc-burbs house.

yesterday, the day the movers came, it rained all day and when i made a fast grocery store run before dinnertime the temp was just 52. i wore a coat and jeans. today, we had full sun and mid seventies, perfection. this morning, i had a meeting about a teaching job and then, after a few hours of steady unpacking, we abandoned our apartment for a three mile walk with adam and otis. this city is beautiful, and i hope i can still feel that way this winter. so so so pretty. old piers and rocky beaches next to grassy parks next to the ocean, old gorgeous homes, cobblestone streets, seagulls and ships' horns, worn brick buildings and seafood smells, friendly people everywhere, a soft breeze and so many doggies. it seems (and i read that this is accurate...) that almost every business here is locally/independently owned. i have yet to see "chain" stores, i had to walk over half a mile to get to a CVS today and we have only found just one big grocery store. local local local.

today was a nice welcome.

tomorrow i hope to make an early yoga class and then we'll hit the farmers market. more unpacking and then finally some home cooking. i never thought i'd tire of eating out, but i have.

eric leaves next week for awhile. i have PLENTY to do to keep me occupied and busy busy busy while he's away. but this will be the first time i've been totally alone for this long with adam. no job. no daycare. no pals to babysit. no family to lend a hand. the next few weeks will be a big ol' mama learning-adventure. on the to do list: find a babysitter so mommy and daddy can have a date later this month.

noaa tells me we have more of these gorgeous days ahead. so hopefully otis, adam and i can escape for more loooooooong walks and exploring.

photos to follow.