Schaller Camp in Denver

After a lovely week in Portland with Tom’s family and our friends, I was excited to spend our second week stateside with my family. Unlike the Marshalls, the Schallers are scattered, so we decided to meet at my sister's house in Denver. I lived in Denver for a couple of years after grad school, before moving to Portland, and it still has a special place in my heart. It was also Tom’s first time, so I was excited to show him around.

 

On Sunday afternoon, we drove the rental car to PDX for our two-hour flight to Denver. My sister Anna picked us up, and during the 45-minute drive to her house outside Arvada, my heart soared at the sight of the layered, mountain silhouettes on the horizon at sunset.

My parents and other sister, Rita, were already there, so our arrival kicked off the start of Schaller Camp. We shared a home-cooked family dinner with, as always, an absolutely enormous amount of food. 

 

And I finally got to meet my 10-month-old nephew, Arden. He is such a cute, happy baby. Anna is also pregnant, so it was especially wonderful to see both of my sisters become mums. I’m a proud auntie and very happy for them.

 

Monday morning, I woke up tired, but we settled quickly into a leisurely rhythm of family time. The weather offered a little bit of everything throughout the week: pleasant temperatures ranging from 60°F to the mid-80s, with sun, clouds, afternoon showers and wind. Colorado weather really does change by the hour.

Tom and I drove about an hour and a half into the mountains to Silverthorne to visit his Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy. We had lunch together at their beautiful home, and did an easy local hike. Like our week in Portland, there was no urgency to pack every day with adventures. But getting out into the mountains scratched the itch, and the drive alone was a treat. We headed back to Arvada for another family dinner, followed by board games and TV.

 

The rest of the week followed a similar pattern: family time, a little sightseeing, some work, and short adventures when we felt like getting out. I swam most mornings at the neighborhood pool; swimming at elevation definitely felt harder than usual. The strong sun and dry climate were another adjustment.

  

I met two of my friends, Sarah and Lexi, for dinner at Edgewater Public Market on Wednesday. It was really nice to catch up and revisit a little bit of my former Denver life.

We did some sightseeing, including Red Rocks and Washington Park.

And we made the rounds of a few favorite breweries: New Terrain in Golden, Odell at Sloan’s Lake, Cerebral in Congress Park, and Prost in Wheat Ridge.

 

We also got out for a couple of short hikes, including North Table Mountain and Eldorado Canyon State Park. The only thing I don’t miss about Colorado hiking is having to wake up absurdly early to race to the trailhead before the parking lot fills up. Fortunately, we didn't have any issues with these local hikes.

On Sunday morning, the Behrs headed home to Florida, leaving us with one last relaxed day with Anna, Alex and our parents. We had lunch at Golden Mill before Anna and Mom drove us to the airport.

It was a hard goodbye. I love my family so much, and after such a nice week together, it was difficult to leave. The only thing that made it slightly easier was knowing we'd be seeing the cats soon. After being away for only two and half weeks, it felt like we'd been gone for ages.

 

This feeling was exacerbated when our 7:30 p.m. flight from Denver to San Francisco was delayed six times, on account of weather and crew issues. As a result, we missed our connection to Melbourne, and after a very long and increasingly stressful night, we finally checked into SFO's airport hotel at 3 a.m. We were eventually rebooked on the same red-eye the following evening, meaning we ultimately arrived in Melbourne 24 hours later than planned. 

 

By the time we finally landed Wednesday morning, we'd spent 48 hours traveling instead of 24. Unfortunately, this wasn't even our first travel disaster on this route—we had almost exactly the same problem two years ago, flying from LAX to Fiji for our honeymoon.

 

Despite the chaotic ending, our US trip was great. We got to spend time with so many people we love, revisit places that are special to us, and introduce Tom to a little more of my old life. I'm already looking forward to the next reunion trip!

Reunions in Portland

Tom and I planned a two-week trip to the US in August. I hadn’t been home in two years (since our wedding), and a lot has happened with family and friends in the meantime. We both felt it was time for a visit.

We left Melbourne at 11am on Saturday. As always, it was hard to say goodbye to the cats, but we left them in the very capable care of a housesitter. On our 14-hour flight across the Pacific, we lucked out with an empty seat next to Tom. Even so, neither of us got much sleep.

We landed in San Francisco at 8am, tired but excited. During our layover, I was quickly reminded of US tipping culture and portion sizes.

After a 1.5-hour flight north, we landed in Portland around noon. I was surprised by the airport’s renovation; it has historically been one of my favorite airports. We picked up our rental car and drove to Hillsboro, greeted by sunshine and lovely summer temperatures ranging from 60–80°F that week. Fortunately, we had just missed a stint of poor air quality from wildfires in central Oregon.

As we crossed the city, one of my first observations was how small and empty Portland felt. Where was everyone? I think I’ve gotten used to the scale of Melbourne, although I still prefer Portland’s size. I also couldn’t believe the gas prices—I don’t think I’ve ever seen $5/gallon before.

By the time we reached Tom’s parents’ house, we were both exhausted. But I needed some fresh air, so I went for a walk around the neighborhood and nearby trail network, and was immediately taken by Portland summer. I noticed everything: the delicious woody smell of tree bark, the towering pines instead of eucalyptus, and even the different bird songs. I spent five years living in Portland before we moved to Melbourne, so it will always feel like one of my homes.

 

After a shower and a nap, we had a lovely, home-cooked dinner with Tom's parents. That night, I was out like a light.

Sunday morning, I woke up early but took my time getting out of bed. The jet lag wasn't too bad this time. After some yoga and a walk, I spent a few hours working. This was our third overseas trip of the year, so Tom and I decided to work a few days.

That afternoon, we headed to northeast Portland to see our friends Kyle and Dani and their 14-month-old, Hazel. Afterward, we drove to the Marshall family property for dinner with all but one of Tom's siblings. Skyline is where we were married and one of my favorite places.

The week passed by in a flash, although the individual days felt long and leisurely. Tom worked in the city Monday–Wednesday at his company’s Portland office, while I usually spent some time outside before working from the deck. I also picked Tom up from the train station and squeezed in a few errands, like renewing my driver’s license and getting our wedding rings cleaned. Weekday traffic was heavy, but it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be to switch back to driving on the right.

 

Our evenings were packed with social engagements. On Monday, we had dinner in the city with Tom’s high school running coach, Jen, and her husband, Jay, at Afuri, followed by drinks at Loyal Legion. It was interesting to see how Portland has changed since we left. A lot of my favorite vegan restaurants have closed, but the city seems to be bouncing back.

Tuesday, Tom’s mom and I went to lunch at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse—the site of our wedding reception. That evening, we visited my friend Kyle in Beaverton, along with his wife, Kristen, and their two-year-old son, Landon.

On Wednesday, I drove to Vancouver to spend time with my Aunt Judy. 

That evening, we had another family dinner at the Marshall house, this time joined by Tom’s Uncle Mike, who had flown in from Colorado.

Thursday was another reunion, this time with my old pharmacy friends at a different McMenamins restaurant in Beaverton.

 

By Friday, we were feeling pretty tuckered. We had lunch with Tom’s mom at a favorite Mexican restaurant, and later headed into the city's Hawthorne Asylum food cart pod to meet Tom’s law school friends at the welcome party for Alina’s wedding.

 

On Saturday morning, I went for a 45-mile bike ride with my friend Kyle on the spectacular Banks-Vernonia State Trail—my fourth time, third with Kyle.

Interestingly, during our visit two years ago, I felt a real urgency to adventure—to get out to the mountains, coast, and everywhere in between. This time, though, I was working and our social calendar was so full that I gracefully took adventures off the table. Trying to squeeze them in would have felt like too much. Instead, I felt surprisingly balanced by simply getting outside every day, having some downtime, and enjoying the familiar places around Portland.

That evening, we celebrated Alina and Steph at their beautiful wedding at their home in Damascus. Despite feeling socially depleted, I had a great time.

 

And just like that, our Portland visit was over.

On Sunday afternoon, we flew to Denver for Schaller Camp—the next chapter of our US adventure!

Swing Patrol

Mid-winter in Melbourne is a mix of rainy, gray days with the occasional burst of pale sunshine. Most of the deciduous trees are bare, but I was surprised to see some still glowing bright yellow, almost like it's peak autumn rather than the middle of winter. Thanks to the mild climate, plenty of plants and flowers continue to bloom as well.

 

I've kept up my weekly morning ocean swims, even as the water temperature dropped to around 10°C (50°F). I'm proud that I've stuck with it through winter; it feels like I've made up for my struggles with the jellyfish last summer.

I've also picked up a new hobby: swing dancing! Tom and I have been joining group classes with Swing Patrol, and it's been so much fun. It started as something for us to do together, but I want to keep going even if he decides it's not for him.

We celebrated our second wedding anniversary this month. I surprised Tom with an Australian whisky masterclass at Whisky & Alement, which ended up being a fantastic experience. We learned a lot (and sampled some excellent whiskey along the way).

Unfortunately, we also decided to do Dry July this year. Great cause, but not the best timing when your anniversary falls in the same month! We'll probably stick to June or August next year instead.

 

Later that month, Tom and I had a fun date night seeing Pretty Woman: The Musical at Melbourne's beautiful Regent Theatre. It was a little strange at first seeing such a familiar movie turned into a musical with an entirely new soundtrack, but it was really fun to see the story brought to life on stage.

Before the show, we visited the new city location of one of my favorite vegan restaurants, Smith & Deli, which now serves wine and tapas in the evenings. I also recently tried a delicious Mexican spot, Maíz y Cacao, with my friend Nadia.

Now we're counting down the days until our trip back to the U.S. in August. We can't wait to see everyone!