Welcome to Oregon!

A new adventure has arrived, and this time our destination is Portland, Oregon.

After a fantastic semester abroad in Russia and a fun summer at home, it is time to finally get back to my studies and continue my undergraduate career. I am off to college at Portland State University!

We said good bye to California with a last, monumental drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.

To fully prepare and get the entire picture of Oregon, my mom and I decided to make a trip out of my move and took the picturesque costal 101 North up. 

This two-day trip was absolutely stunning.

Northern California is a relic in itself. So picturesque, so captivating. 

Our half-way point was Crescent City, CA, where we had the most scrumptious fresh seafood dinner in a local hideaway. We feasted on clam chowder and bouillabaisse with our sea lion friends, who barked at us right outside the window.  

Some day, when I learn to paint, I will capture the beauty of the West Coast. 

The drive was really fun and went by quite fast though in reality it took us 15 hours to reach our final destination...probably because we made frequent stops to take in the ocean, scenery, and admire the GIANT rocks.

Finally, day 2: my mom was able to quench her thirst for some authentic cioppino - a seafood soup that is overwhelmingly filled with all the different crustaceans, shell fish, and cod you can think of. It's almost difficult to call it a soup because there is so little bouillon, there's just fish!

And we hiked up what was probably my mom's favorite excursion - sand dunes. Giant, random, out of place sand dunes bridging the ocean and the forest. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to sand board down them, but mom, I promise on our next drive we will!!!

Like I said, the Oregon coast is stunning. We explored the Sea Lion Caves, where we unfortunately didn't see any sea lions, but this view made up for it. Plus, we got a free rain check! (Another point to add to our to do list when we drive this route next time.)

And finally, we arrived in Portland!

We moved all my stuff into my room (thanks, Mama, you're the best) and now I get to live in this city and marvel at this view from the 10th floor every day!

I won't lie, I often find myself wondering with regret why I ever want to go to new places. I guess it's a feeling of nervous wonder of an unknown, new place that everyone experiences when they first arrive somewhere they have never been before. I'm always worried, regretting (even before I leave) going on a trip. But I know that it always ends up being good and even more often, amazing. So as the days have been going by, as I have been settling in, getting to know the city better, making friends, exploring my surroundings, I have been slowly but surely growing to like Portland more and more. I know I will get used to this new, foreign place. And most importantly, I will learn to life without the sunshine and with the rain...I hope...

 Classes start tomorrow, (Finally! I feel like a slacker for not having been in school since December!) and I am really looking forward to learning, meeting new people, and getting involved.

 I've decided to occasionally put up blogs for those of you who read them and enjoy knowing what's going on in my life, as well as for myself to be able to look back on them later on.

 Next up: a look into the natural beauty of the greater Portland area!

Thanks for reading :)