Adios, Blogger

For those of you who are subscribed to my Blogger account, move on over to Wordpress with me!

wordsbykarabeth.wordpress.com

All of my old posts and comments have moved over there, and I'll be deleting this account once you all have read this. Lots of fun pregnancy and engagement posts to come on the new site :)

Atlanta Vacation Part 1

Living away from my family and friends is weird. Back in Atlanta my idea of a vacation was usually the beach. Or visiting a new city with Tom.

This year my first vacation was going back to Atlanta to visit everyone. Plus I didn't have to work for about a week and a half :) I guess I'll break it down day by day.


My first flight leaving Portland departed around 9 am, and I arrived in Atlanta at 6 pm. Damn time difference.

Katie picked me up and we headed straight to the park! I wish I had taken pictures. Next was Ecco for cocktails, and La Tavola for dinner. My friend Matt joined us too. Once again I wish I had taken pictures! Dinner was amazing, I've missed La Tavola. Working there, and eating there. If you live in Atlanta and haven't been, you are missing out. Spending time with Katie was great, I've missed my sister! It's weird for me sometimes, hanging out with my adult little sister. It doesn't seem that long ago when we were sharing a room, playing with dolls and stuffed animals. Love you, Katie :)

After dinner she headed home to get some sleep (probably a good decision) and I met up with my Buckhead Life friends for drinks and dancing. I never go "dancing." Meaning, I rarely drink at an establishment that has a dance floor. Let alone actually dance on that floor. With that said, Burkharts was a lot of fun! I miss you guys. I definitely can't keep up with you, but I'm glad I have you to drag me out way past my bedtime. 

Thanks, Christian for a couch to sleep on. 

The next day Tatyana and Joe came to pick me up! We went to the Grant Park Farmers Market and ate some pizza for breakfast. I miss that market, such a fun crowd. I got my King of Pops fix, some fresh peaches, and I got to see how popular my favorite market has gotten. It was packed! 

After the market I got a tour of their beautiful apartment, and we headed to the pool! No one hangs out at pools in Portland, so I'm glad I got TWO pool days this trip. 

Sweetwater also made an appearance. 

Tatyana and Joe were awesome and let me stay at their apartment a few nights while I was in Atlanta, thank you guys! I had so much fun hanging out, I miss being able to see Tatyana on a regular basis. But it's nice to know I can come back to Atlanta and we can spend time together like nothing has changed. Thankfully we like to hang out at the same places, so they were more than willing to take me to Six Feet Under and Jack's that night. I wish Tom could have been there. All my good memories at those bars include Tom or Tatyana. Or both :)

I got to hear some thunder! First time in months.

Followed by a rainbow.

Mmm.

It ended up being a pretty night in Old Fourth Ward. 

I love Midtown. I might be a little jealous of their apartment.

Sorry for those of you who have already seen these on Instagram.

The next morning my momma drove downtown to pick me up! Before we headed back to the suburbs we had to go to LottaFrutta for lunch. 

I think about that fruit cup all the time. 

I should probably take a break here, this post is so long already! I can't help it. I don't know how to just post a bunch of pictures and not say anything about them. I had such a great time on this trip, and I want to be able to remember that. So I'll post about the rest of the trip later. 

Happy Monday!

Thoughts on "Coming Home"

The past six months spent in Portland have been full of so many new experiences. One being the feeling of homesickness that can only come from moving away from the only city I've ever known. The longest I've spent away from my family/Atlanta is probably only two months. Maybe less than that. The semester I attended Valdosta State University I came home a few times to visit. With that said, it is new for me to be so far away from my family, friends, and the city I called home for 23 years.

Mom, don't get upset, but I think the first thing that was hard for me when we got to Portland was the lack of friends. Living where I spent most of my life meant that I was never lacking in the friends area. I had friends from high school and earlier that lived OTP, and new friends from my restaurant jobs ITP. So if I felt like going out or doing something with friends, there was usually someone available. Plus, I lived with one of my best friends for almost two years so I always had someone to talk to about anything. (I miss you so much Tatyana.)

I swear there is a point. Oh yeah, so when we first got to Portland I immediately noticed my lack of friends to call up and share my life with. Tom is my best friend, so he is the first person I want to go out with and spend my time with, but I missed my girls. I still do. Ashley has been such a blessing in my life the past few months, I don't know what I would do without her right across the courtyard! But I miss those friendships that have grown and matured over the years. They haven't gone anywhere, I still have their voices, but I miss their beautiful faces.

Next was my family. They were only 45 minutes away when I lived in Midtown so I could drive up and get my family time whenever I needed it. Having my parents so close if I ever needed a big hug, advice, or just a nice conversation on the porch, was so nice. And my siblings are pretty fun to have around too :)

So a couple months after the move the absence of the ones I love really started to get to me. I started comparing Portland to Atlanta in more negative ways than when I had first moved there. At first it was "Portland is better because of this," "Atlanta sucks because of that." Then I started to miss my daily routine and "normal life." I think in a way I resented Portland because my friends and family weren't a part of it. (Thankfully I have an amazing man by my side who has put up with this.)

What I'm trying to get at is that I've realized something this week. PORTLAND IS AN AMAZING CITY. I've fallen in love with it. I miss it after being away for 4 days. I can't wait to go back to my life. I thought this visit would feel like "coming home." In a way it has. The time spent with my friends and family makes me feel at home. But the city makes me feel like a visitor, a stranger. Portland is my home right now. Atlanta may be that for me again some day, but this vacation has finally made me realize how great of a home I have in Portland.

Tom, you know I've loved this adventure with you and I wouldn't trade any of it for a minute. You have always made me feel safe, secure, and happy. But now I realize all those other things have started to fall into place as well. I can't wait to see what the summer holds :)

For those of you who read this, thanks for getting through the rambling. This time in my life has been so much to process, growing up is weird. It feels good to finally be honest about how I've felt about being far away from you all. I miss you guys all the time, these few days I have to spend with you have been such a blessing.

Oh, and come visit us in Portland!

Another Lovely Weekend

It didn't go as planned. Kendra had invited us to go to the NW Cherry Festival in The Dalles but the Jeep had to stay parked all day. I was upset because I loved the idea of leaving the city for the day and checking out a festival with Kendra and Isla. But we made it work...

Our great friends Ashley and Tyler who live across the courtyard from us decided last minute to join us for brunch at Grain and Gristle (where Tom used to work). It was the perfect way to start the day. We all rode our bikes there, it was great to have someone to talk to and to take it easy instead of my usual rush to work.

If anyone who lives in Portland reads this, check out G&G for brunch, it was great food, no wait, and affordable. Plus some yummy pickled veggies with my bloody mary.

Tom's bike needed a little work (oh yeah, he just got a bike this past week!) so we ran by Community Bike Shop and Ashley and I grabbed coffee and a couple cookies and did some window shopping. Two girls in a mixed media store full of crafting supplies and mini everything is a bad idea. But this latte was a great idea.

Tyler and Ashley were already planning on riding down on the waterfront so we all headed down there to check out the view! I already took the waterfront path after the farmers market last week but I was thrilled to go back. This is why.

That last picture is in the exact same spot as the first two, I was just aiming towards the left. That's Portland for you. Clouds are always right behind the sun.

After enjoying the view we starting heading back to the apartment. Tom and I insisted we stopped for beer at a brewery we almost passed. Because why in the world wouldn't we? Cascade Brewing was awesome, they do a bunch of sours which I love. I had an apricot sour and a cherry sour. So good.

The ride back was even better than the ride there. We made a detour through Laurelhurst Park, finally! I've been meaning to take Roxy there for a while.

Riding through the neighborhoods in that area is great too. That's the same way I took to go to the farmers market. 

Once we got home we all played track ball in the courtyard while the dogs ran around (we also jammed out to R. Kelly for a few songs, be jealous). Overall it was a very eventful and fun day. Tom and I hadn't had a full day off together in almost two months, so we were ready for it. What about the rest of my weekend you ask? I worked! Today is the rest of my weekend. And Tom is cooking dinner without me so I better finish this up.

Peace.

Biking Is A Blast!

To start off this post, here is a picture of my blue beauty. I'm taking suggestions for a name.

I knew I enjoyed biking, I've done it before.

I think it's this city. The people of Portland have designed the roads for bikes. For some people I'm sure this isn't new, but I've never experienced roads that are marked specifically as a "bike route." Not only are these roads everywhere here, but Google always gives me directions for the most gorgeous rides. My ride to work is so quiet and peaceful. I'm rarely passed by a car, and have less than ten stop signs or traffic lights. It's a workout, but it's a workout that involves so many sights and smells that make me feel alive. I have no desire to drive anywhere now.

It helps that the sun was out for four days this past week, but even when it was raining I felt so invigorated by the time I got to work. It's the perfect way to start my day.

Last Saturday I road to the PSU Farmers Market, and by the time I got home I had biked about 13 miles. I never would have guessed I would enjoy that, but I can't wait to do it again this weekend! This is the route I chose to get there. I had to write it down on a small piece of paper to keep in my hand because there was no way I could remember all of that.

There were so many opportunities for photographs, but I just soaked it all in. People are serious about their yards/lawns here. They are covered with flowers and filled with trees, and a house on every block has some kind of vegetable garden or small greenhouse. Maybe it has something to do with overcompensating for all the gray days. When the sun comes out all the flowers open up and the colors seem brighter than I've ever seen. Tulips are very common, I'll have to take a picture of a yard close to our apartment that I pass every day. It makes me so happy.

On the way back from the Market I screwed up the directions and ended up down on the waterfront. Not a bad mistake. I tried to take pictures without looking, just held up my phone and "clicked." You can tell.

Last weekend was a lovely one. My bike and I are new best friends. And I have a feeling this is going to be one of the most beautiful summers I will ever experience.

                            ____________________________________________

Most of this post was written earlier in the week. To update, I still love my bike, haha. But I had no idea how much goes into biking here! People take it so seriously. I guess I need to take my kickstand and fenders (after the rain stops) off to make the bike lighter, I need a dry bag and waterproof pants, and I need to learn the bike routes. The whole city is bike friendly but within the city their are bike routes that are like highways for bikes. I'm sure I'll get it down this summer.

Oh, and my brakes don't work in the rain. A man at a shop I went to mentioned the wheels being chrome just make it hard for the brake pads to grip when they're wet. Really though? I'm taking it back in soon to see if there is anything I can do to fix it, if not I'll have to buy new wheels :( Stupid rain.

If you can't tell this is pretty fun and exciting for me, and definitely new.

The PSU Market Is Back!

We had a gorgeous weekend here in Portland, and now we're starting the week off with rain and clouds. Good thing I have these beauties to keep my spirits up.

We had a pretty uneventful weekend. I worked Friday night, Tom worked Saturday, and Sunday I worked a double. Podnah's has been insanely busy lately so I'm hoping they hire a hostess pretty soon so I can start serving. And have Sundays off. 

Last week I looked up the Portland Farmers Markets to see when they were starting back up for the summer season and I saw that the PSU Farmers Market has been open for a month! We've been going to the Hollywood Farmers Market during the winter since most markets closed in November/December so I was pretty pumped to go back to this huge market. The PSU Market is on Saturdays so I went by myself after I dropped off Tom at work, and I'm glad I did so I could take my time admiring the beautiful flowers!

The spring produce hasn't really arrived yet so the flowers stole the spotlight. More beets, carrots, and greens. 

I did find a few fun purchases though. I bought daikon radishes to make daikon kimchi with Tom (hopefully we'll do that today!), some INCREDIBLE goat cheese (splurge), milk, cauliflower, bok choy, cilantro, and some duck eggs! Last week I got rhubarb at the market and made a yummy coffee cake. I need to start giving away half of these baked treats, Tom ends up eating the whole thing and then complaining about it, haha. It did turn out pretty delicious. 

I want to try this cauliflower gratin because it looks simple and delicious. Not very healthy, but it's fun to go a dish packed with cheese every so often. I really like Smitten Kitchen in case you can't tell. 

Well I think that's it for today. Oh, I tried Baiyok Thai Restaurant on Saturday (from this list I keep talking about) and I was not impressed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't Thai Emerald. I can't wait to stuff my face with some cashew nut chicken when I'm in Atlanta in May. Oh yeah! I finally bought my ticket. I'll be arriving in Atlanta at 6 pm Saturday, May 19th and leaving Sunday, May 27th around 8 am. I'm so excited! 

Happy Monday! I hope it's the start of a beautiful week.

A Real Chinese Experience

This whole post is going to be about food. I figured I should warn you.

I came across this list on Eater a couple weeks ago and I've been dying to try every place listed. 82nd is right around the corner from us, and packed with Asian restaurants. Actually Portland is known for having Asian restaurants on every corner, so we have had a hard time figuring out which ones are legit. So far this list is dead on! I was craving some authentic Asian food all day yesterday so when I picked Tom up from work I let him know I was starving for Chinese. We also wanted a place that served beer so we headed to ShenZhen. (After a quick detour at a crappy Mexican place with a cheap happy hour, bleh.) I realized I've never really had Chinese food before. What we order for take out in America isn't usually real Chinese. I'm sure there are some authentic Chinese restaurants in Atlanta (probably on Buford Highway) but I've never experienced one. So this food was pretty mind blowing for me.

The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the dry erase board over the counter with menu items written in Chinese.

And we were the only... Caucasian people there. Score! The two main signs of something authentic, a language you don't understand and no other white people. The menu was the big book with huge pictures of each dish next to the names, like lamb intestines and chilled chicken feet! We didn't get anything that adventurous. We started with a sesame, scallion cake and shared Sizzling Glass Noodles and Crispy Duck.

I will take a picture of the menu next time we go. Which will be soon because I will probably have dreams about this food. The duck skin was crispy and salty and the meat was tender and sweet. It didn't need a drop of soy sauce or any condiments. The noodles had great charred and crispy bits from the sizzling pan it was served on, and it was also packed with flavor. A little chili oil made it perfect. I will never be able to eat crappy Chinese take out every again!

I am trying to cut back spending to save for my visit to Atlanta in May, but I want to go to another spot on that list today. Maybe the cheap Banh Mi one.

Just so this post isn't ALL about food, here is a picture of Roxy and Ava playing their game of "Queen of the Couch." Roxy is winning at the moment, but Ava puts up a good fight.

Ava belongs to Tyler and Ashley, our neighbors. She has quickly become Roxy's new best friend. And Tyler and Ashley aren't too bad either :) We feel so lucky to have a young couple who live right across the courtyard who are so much fun to spend time with! We all had happy hour and saw the Hunger Games a couple Fridays ago, it was a much needed night out. Tasty n Sons has an awesome happy hour menu, I wish I had gotten more pictures of the food. 

How awkward is it that I'm the only one in the shadow!

That's it for now, I'm off to bake a coffee cake with the rhubarb I got at the Farmers Market :)