sususushi

i went for a friend’s wedding at the edgefield recently, and since i know people up there, decided to stay for longer. every time i go up there to visit, i get this tremendous urge to move there, which contradicts my need to be in places like St. John, USVI. so i can’t explain it. i used to think it was because of the guy i liked there, but i don’t like him anymore and i STILL have these thoughts. and i could write a travel guide to portland, i’ve been there so much and done so many things great there. one of the days i was there, i had brunch with some locals and they were amazed at all the places i knew about that they didn’t. that’s because i love the place and love adventuring around! being from SF, it’s nice to go to a city that still is a city and has the culture of a city, but isn’t a concrete jungle. and buying a home here is possible for me, unlike SF. i don’t think i could even afford a studio! sigh check out dot’s and order a gentle ben sandwich aka vegetarian reuben and a pbr, see a show at the aladdin, dante’s or doug fir, have a cuppa joe at stumptown coffee, browse the aisles at jackpot records, get lost in powell’s books, go see andrea at her vintage clothing store avantgarden on stark. or take a drive out to mt. hood for some amazing skiing, and come back that evening and sing some karaoke and eat meatballs at the alibi, have a late night snack at voodoo donuts, or have oyster shooters and mac’n’cheese at montage (make sure you have leftovers so you can get a foil swan or crab), then go have a greasy breakfast at cup and saucer or zell’s and catch a matinee at the bagdad…i could go on….

i worked at Maho Bay Camps summer or 04 & 05, and i think a left a piece of me there. the island itself was so magical, i couldn’t believe that i was so lucky as to be able to wake up in paradise every day. i watched every sunset, never missed an opportunity to take a midnight skinny dip under the stars and in the din of the tree frogs, i felt good and healthy every day, i worked hard, partied hard, exercised hard, and came back even more alive. did you ever see something so beautiful it hurt? i can’t explain it, you just have to go there. the people were so nice, i made new friends immediately, and people remembered me when i came back. make sure to go to rhumblines in cruz bay and have their mango gazpacho w/ a lime in da cocnut while swinging at the bar, and hit happy hour at woody’s, or anytime at the quiet mon. you must hit every single beach at least once. bring your swimsuit everywhere – wait, actually just wear it all day – and also your snorkel gear. find capt. slade in cruz bay beach and have him take you to the willy T’s or anegada. go there for carnival (month of june) and stay for J’ouvert and the 4th of July – a party you’ll never forget (or remember should i saw…) and since you went all the way to Da Islands, visit the neighboring islands too – virgin gorda (the baths), jost van dyke (ivan’s campground!!), tortola (full moon party at the bomba shack), sandy cay (felt like i was gilligan, see picture), st. thomas (the grateful deli…mmmmm),….i can’t write about this anymore, i wish i was there right now…sniff…sniff…