Days 26 & 27

Nearly 6,000 miles of mountains rising gloriously out of the ground, rivers and glistening lakes and stretches of Mother Nature at her very finest have slipped by. I gaze out the windows for hours and take in every detail that my eyes and nose and ears can snatch up before it all floats away.

I love a big city as much as the next girl, but it is the wild landscapes that appeal the most to me at this moment. A metropolis is almost like an assault on the senses.

Portland is a small city on a river, with lots of shops and parks and fun things to do. I felt like a kid in a candy shop when I stepped foot inside Powell's, the world's largest independent book store. Words as far as the eye can see. I picked up a collection of short stories by Doris Lessing, whom I've never read before, and it was as exciting as buying a brand-new Michael Kors dress.

And did I mention that Portland is home to two of my favorite people from Tokyo: Katherine and Niles? They were certainly a sight for sore eyes, and they showed us an excellent time. We ate, drank and played board games. Jun and I explored Portland's famed food carts, and then went to check out a series of waterfalls just out of town.

The city, we both agreed, lacked the something that would keep us there for longer, though. Color? Wonder? Family? It was like seeing the whole city in sepia tones. I don't know, but we said farewell with easy hearts and turned our sights on California.