Like Coming Home

I flew to Portland yesterday, took the train into downtown, and hopped on the streetcar to my favorite home away home, the Inn at Northrup Station, a funky suite hotel - orange, purple, green, black and silver somehow combined in ingenious, modern decor - in northwest Portland near 23rd Ave or Trendy-Third, a stretch of tasty restaurants and charming shops preside, light up, hold a special place in my heart as I have many memories there from 2003 when I went to Portland on a regular basis for work. I went to all my regular spots, a necklace crafted by a local artist from Stella's, Trader Joe's to pick up snacks, cherry blossoms in full bloom, noticed some subtle changes in the area, my favorite Japanese restaurant was gone, chocolate coffee at Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe, cool $10 cigarette cases I collect and utilize as wallets, admired the home decorating goods at Umbria, cute cards at 23rd Avenue Books. Had dinner with my high school classmate Dennis at Pho Van and caught up on the latest. So good to be "home" for a brief work stint to re-live that warmth and welcome I always felt there, memories flood back.