rusty

Let’s see if I can remember how to do this. I was greeted yesterday when I stepped off my flight towing my significantly larger bag into 90 degree weather. Since then there were some other signs signaling that I was home:

-construction everywhere, and traffic madness

-the heat (obviously)

-difficulty breathing on my run today

-the empty fridge at my mom’s house

-my crazy kitties

Wow, it is astonishing how quickly these past three weeks flew by, I can hardly believe that they are over. Here’s a little recap of my trip in picture form.

I went on a nice run in Portland

The next day it was beautiful outside, so we dragged our hungover selves to the Saturday Market

As we lay there, someone played a harp at our feet!

We ran across the CUTEST antique store. I wanted to steal everything, but seeing as that would be exceedingly difficult I settled for taking pictures.

Fast forward a few days and I was on beautiful Bainbridge Island (off the coast of Seattle) for my cousin Chandler’s graduation! Shout out to my fam–I know you guys are reading this :)–They have the cutest house off in the forest. So green and cozy!

I feel so creepy that I took these hahah but I really do love your house Kirsten and William! My favorite part of the house is the porch and views, I read outside quite a bit while everyone was doing their thing.

I went across to Seattle to retrieve my aunt and her hubby, and of course a stop at Pikes Market was necessary

There was so much beautiful produce

And flowers!

Seriously, unreal. Here are some scraps of pictures that I cant really place.

I really like these last two :)

I’m a sucker for teacups and flowers.

that’s all folks

focus

As a stereotypical type-a individual, let me just say that meditation is the opposite of relaxing. On the contrary, it is quite possibly one of the more difficult endeavors I have undertaken thus far. Eliminating thoughts and focusing solely on your present state of being is a mental workout equivalent to a marathon.

I would definitely benefit from a meditation class like the one that I crashed at PSU today. It was totally interesting, but I got a headache from all the visualizing.I find the fact that I am a perfectionist even during activities within my own mind is a tad disturbing. It didnt help much that I was hungry during the class, it was at 2 so almost my lunch time, and my brain was absolutely overflowing with thoughts.

The feature meditation of the class had us visualize each chakra color on our body, then identify which ones were most difficult for us to picture and spend some time becoming aware of the energy within those areas.

I could easily see the red, yellow, and blue ones.

Root Chakra  – RED

Sanskrit name: Muladhara

Location: Base of spine and in the region of the pubic bone. Includes genitals and reproductive organs.
Symbol, Color and Sound: Muladhara (Root/Base Chakra) is symbolized by a lotus with four petals. Red is the color of energy, vitality and power. Sound “lam”.
Influences: Sexuality, mentally it governs stability, emotionally – sensuality and spiritually it influences a sense of security.

The Solar Plexus Chakra – YELLOW

Sanskrit name: Manipura

Location: Above the navel, stomach area
Symbol, Color and Sound: lotus with ten petals. Yellow is the color of intellect and it’s used for mental stimulation. Sound “ram”.
Influences: Physically, Manipura influences digestion, mentally – personal power, emotionally – expansiveness and spiritually- all matters of growth.

The Throat Chakra – BLUE

Sanskrit name: Vishuddha, Vishuddhi

Location:Throat region, parallel to the thyroid gland
Symbol, Color and Sound: Lotus with sixteen petals. Color blue helps to communicate your emotions properly. Sound “ham”.
Influences: Physically Vishuddha influences communication, emotionally- independence, mentally – fluent thought and spiritually associated with a sense of security.

I could not picture indigo or violet at all, so I went back to Tessa’s dorm and looked up what all of this meant after making a little dorm meal from the scraps I snuck out of the cafeteria last night.

Tofu, spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms

I Googled my little heart away after chowing down, while listening to and uploading the cds we checkout of the library. Evidently I am not in tune with trusting or my sense of beingness, or wisdom. I thought it was really interesting.

Let me just say I find it immensely awesome that Portland’s public library had a fantastic and diverse mucis selection that is available for checkout. We scored some cool finds:

• Slowblow
• Matt Costa
• Emiliana Torrini
• The Sounds
• Swords
• Aqualung
• Noel Lenaghan
• Chris Robley

rose

Waking up to the sound of rain splashing on the window is incredibly soothing, I suppose it was Portland’s way of welcoming me to the city! I am still incapable to waking up late, with yesterday as an exception, so despite the fact that Tess and I hit the sack well past midnight, I still managed to awake at the lovely hour of 7 am.

When Tessa went to class I downed some coffee, popped on a raincoat and headed out the door into the Rose City.

I plugged into some tunes while I took the streetcar down to Pioneer Square for some shopping! I was out a tad early, so I acquainted myself with the area by walking around for about thirty minutes before heading into Banana Republic. I tried on massive amounts of clothing, I WANTED IT ALL. But seeing as I absolutely refuse to pay 70 dollars for a shirt, picture taking ensued because the stuff was too damn cute to go undocumented.

I made out with a comfy sweater and new pair of jeans for a cool 28 bucks! Gotta love sales :) After that I perused the surrounding shops of JCrew, Gap, etc but didn’t find anything particularly impressive–I have limited space in my bag and a whole other city to shop in so I have to be in love with something to go through with a purchase.

Hopping back onto the streetcar, I arrived at nerd heaven: Powell’s Books. You think I am kidding about this, but it is seriously readers’ Nirvana. Think four stories of ceiling-to-floor literature on any topic you can imagine.

Yep.

I died.

And then promptly revived myself and stealthily snapped a few pictures..

Just bury me there please. When I left I noticed that across the way was a Buffalo Exchange where I scored a pair of 10 dollar skin tight dickies jeans! So cute, but there is no breathing allowed when I wear them hahah. I also located another of my favorite places..

Man, I am so predictable. Unfortunately, they did not have my favorite item available. Evidently only certain Whole Foods make their delicious chips!

EXCUSE ME?!?!

I was so not okay with that. I immediately left and went to Safeway, which in my huffy state I neglected to take a picture of, although it totally deserved on as it is the nicest grocery store I have ever set foot in. In retaliation against my inability to cure my hankering for Whole Foods chips I bought two sweet potatoes, ghiridelli chocolate chips, and giant bag of swedish fish. I stuffed the sugary fish down my throat as I walked back to Tessa’s dorm, only to discover that I had actually bought REAL potatoes that were mixed in with the sweet ones!

I absolutely despise real potatoes. UGH. So of course I preceeded to eat my feelings away hahah

I put on an episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey and went to town. Twenty minutes later Tess walked in on a nauseous, overly stuffed version of Kallie. Seriously people, whoever thought eating Swedish Fish, chocolate chips, half a yogurt, and a slice of potato in a short time period is an idiot.

OH YEAH, that was me. BLECH.

Dinner will be light before we go out tonight, Tess is stealing salad from her cafeteria for me in an hour..IN the meantime I am drowning my sorrows in glass after glass of water.