I made it to Portland, y’all! Travel was uncertain, what with Hurricane Ian bowling over Florida. My thoughts go to those with homes in Sanibel and Ft. Myers. Even in Orlando, we experienced quite a bit of flooding in some areas. No sharks visited our neighborhoods, though.

Orlando International Airport didn’t reopen until Friday at noon, and our flight for Seattle was set to depart at 6:00pm EST. Because the attendants arriving from Seattle couldn’t land earlier (there was some question up through Friday morning as to whether any flights would be going in or out of Orlando at all), the airline delayed our flight until the crew arrived. Although we missed the connection from Seattle to Portland, we were able to catch another. Yay for going back in time when flying east to west, amirite?

But we made it (my twin and I) a day before the marathon. A day to explore local markets, marvel at the multitude of bridges, and visit the Japanese gardens.

Sunday brought the marathon–the impetus to our travels.

We didn’t take pictures after because we were separated. But this marathon was my 5th (and slowest), and I finished at 4:55. Portland ’22 was my twin’s 11th, and she finished at 4:42. This is a marathon both of us would like to run again.

On Monday, I explored Powell’s City of Books. Oh my god. I will fly to Portland again just for this place.

Our trip was a huge success, even though we missed hiking Mt. Hood. I’m planning to take this trip again next October–for the marathon, for Powell’s Books, and for Mt. Hood. And simply because Portland was a beautiful city I’d love to see again.

Thanks for taking this ride with me. If you enjoy reading my posts, please like, comment, and/or subscribe. I’d love to connect with you.