When the alarm went off Friday morning, I had no trouble getting out of bed. We were about to begin our big trip. Lee and I got ready, loaded all of our huge bags into Lee’s car, and Trent gave us a ride to the airport.

After a lay-over in Dallas, we arrived in Portland. Anna and Jason gave us a wave from the other side of the security gates, and it was great to see them. They looked great, and we got along just like old times.
They gave us a tour of Portland, the rose gardens, and Anna’s station (wow). I really liked the town – all the cute neighborhoods, the river, all the shops and restaurants downtown. There were about a billion Starbucks, but hey, we were close to Seattle so it made sense. We ate some great pizza, then retreated to their apartment to play Mario Kart for old times’ sake. It was great to be back with them.