I got to get away last weekend for a much-needed girls' trip!!! One of my best friends of 15 years is turning 40 in a few months, and a group of her friends in Alaska planned a trip to celebrate. Several old friends were invited, too, and I was so excited to go! I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it since the trip destination was Oregon and I didn't know if I could make it out there flying standby on Delta, but I really wanted to try. My flights out there could not have been more perfect... I sat in first class from PCB to Atlanta, and then got the second to last seat on the flight from Atlanta to Portland. The flight was full, but two people didn't show up, so I got one of their seats. Hooray!! Once I got to Portland I rented a car to drive to Bend, which is in the middle of the state and where everyone was meeting up. It was the most gorgeous day in Portland... sunny and 70 and you could see the mountains so perfectly! I was so, so happy in my little rented Subaru driving by myself with the radio blaring and beautiful scenery all around. I didn't realize how much I missed Oregon until I was there. I love the Pacific Northwest. Here's a map of Oregon if you aren't sure of where Bend is in relation to Portland. And there's good ole Klamath Falls down there at the bottom. :)
Can you see Mount Hood there in the distance? It was SO much prettier in person and I couldn't resist trying to snap a pic. Mount St. Helens was to my left, but I couldn't really get a pic of that.
Oh my gosh... Then driving through the pass I came around a bend and Mount Hood just smacked me in the face!! It was so beautiful!
It was the most amazing weekend! I knew it would be fun to be back in Oregon and get a little break from my Mommy job, but I have to admit I was a little nervous about being with girls that I hadn't seen in 5-10 years, and some of whom I had never met before. Everyone was so wonderful and fun... it was seriously like we had never been apart and had known each other forever. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. Here is the group pic we took on a timer. About half of these ladies I knew from when we were stationed together in Alaska back in the early 2000s, and the other half lives up there now (well, two actually live in Indiana and Oregon) and I just met this weekend. But everyone was SO FUN!!
And I was especially happy to be there to celebrate Aree... We've been friends since we first met in Alaska in 2001. I'm so thankful that we have maintained our wonderful friendship long-distance for 15 years!! She is amazing and fun! I love you, Aree! :)
Thursday night we stayed in and caught up with lots of fun chats and had a delicious grilled steak dinner whipped up by a few of the girls. And had lots of wine and some awesome hot tub time.
Friday morning one of the girls led the rest of us in an amazing yoga session, and then we all went on a long walk around the resort area that we were staying in.
Friday night was a delicious dinner at the Sunriver Brewery, and then back to the house for lots of this... wine and chats...
--- and Costco sheet cake, of course... Aree's favorite.
The house we stayed in had a few bikes to ride... unfortunately some of them were kid size. Lol. But on Saturday morning the early-risers in the house decided to take them out anyway and ride up to Starbucks for some coffee. We got a little lost on the way but there was lots of laughing and it was so much fun. And we got there eventually. It was a beautiful morning for a ride.
And we met up with some deer on the way! Lol!
Saturday afternoon we drove into downtown Bend for some shopping and appetizers. And one of the best martinis I've ever had... Earl Grey (tea) infused gin with mint and citrus. SO good.
Saturday night we went out to dinner and had a great meal, and then hung out at the house and got ready to go. I left early on Sunday to drive back to Portland and try to catch a flight back to Atlanta. It was a cloudier day with no mountain views, but still a gorgeous drive... and there was even a little snow in the pass! Sorry for the overload of scenery pics, but after living in kind of boring-scenery land (other than the beach) for 4 years I couldn't resist. :)
I forgot to take a pic with my zippy little Subaru, so I had the rental car guy take one right before I returned it. It was actually a fun little car! And I felt very "Pacific Northwest-y".
And I had to snap a picture for my friend, Michelle, of the famous Portland airport carpet that is about to be replaced. People are apparently very up-in-arms about it.
I bought a trucker hat from Bend to wear on the beach and remind me of all of the amazingly fun times I've had there! And of the nice, cool, dry weather when it's 90 and dripping wet with humidity here.
I ended up not making it on the 1:45 flight from Portland to Atlanta that would have had me home in the early evening on Sunday. :( After a tearful call to Phil he helped convince me to suck it up and just enjoy my alone time in the airport. So I pulled an Elizabeth Taylor and took her advice of, "Put on some lipstick, pour yourself a drink, and pull yourself together." I went to the bathroom, put on some lipstick, pulled myself together, and walked to a bar in another concourse and had a drink (or two). By the way... this is a great book.
And then ate dinner at the airport version of one of our favorite fast food places in Bend.
I managed to make it onto the 10:45 red-eye flight back to Atlanta and ended up back at home at 9:00 Monday morning. Super sleepy, but sooooo happy and thankful to have had such a wonderful trip!! Super thankful for great friends, both old and new, and for my soon-to-be-40-year-old bestie for always making me laugh and making life so fun. And especially for my amazing husband for taking such good care of our boys while I was gone. And my parents, too, who happened to be here for a visit that weekend and helped out a lot.
P.S. I apologize for the overuse of "amazing" and "awesome" in this post. I just couldn't think of other words that described the experience so well. :)
