Monday, August 16, 2010

Weekend of Endless Energy...

This weekend, marathon training called for a 20 mile run. I was mighty dismayed when I found out that BOTH of my training partners were going to be at the coast, thus leaving me on my own for a beast of a run... I was SO relieved when Anna told me they had room at their beach house, so Brian and I drove out to the coast on Friday afternoon to hang with that crew. Anna's husband Travis's mother invited us out to her home in Beaver, OR for a salmon dinner, which was amazing. :) Prior to dinner, however, we had another classic KP moment. Brian has officially decided that he is in charge of directions after this one... I say "OKAY!". :) To get to the Southern Oregon coast (where we were going), there is a bit of a bypass on highway 6 that cuts diagonally across the state. I, um, sort of missed that in the directions, so we drove all they way west to the coast, then took highway 101 all the way down. Neither Brian nor I minded the scenic route, especially since it was his first time seeing the Oregon coast, however, I felt like a total idiot. A drive that should have taken maybe 2 hours took us over 3. Oh, and to make matters worse, when we got there, we were greeted by Travis's stepfather saying, "Oh, so you are the ones that always get lost...". Nice. :)

Anyways, the next morning, we met at 7 and hit the road. We had an amazing day for a run - not too hot, not too cold. It was super peaceful to run out on the country roads... kind of reminiscent of home. :)


Anna, KP, and Michelle... post run and still smiling. :)

After the run, I was pretty ready to hit the road, so Brian, Anna and I headed out to the Pelican Bay Brewery in Pacific City for a well deserved burger and beer. :) It was actually my first time in Pacific City, so it was a little strange for me to see cars driving on the beach... not very picturesque to be honest. But, the drive afterwards was... :)


I actually put in about 22 miles on Saturday... we did a little hike out to Cape Lookout (okay, not all the way, as we decided that since things were so fogged in it was kind of pointless! :))


View of the Oregon Coast on the 3 Cape Scenic Route... This was the last thing I saw before totally passing out. :)


Brian and KP... we had such a nice afternoon. :)

After getting home, we had a couple of hours, and then the non-stop weekend continued with a concert at a smaller venue in Portland. We saw the Temper Trap, one of my new favorite bands, but I also really liked the opening band, Blue Giant. They are a local band and sing a lot about finding the sun and gray skies. hehe - go figure. ;)

Sunday was my maiden voyage on my new bike. It's much, much different than my Dutch bike, including the fact that it is WAY lighter. :) I went out with Brian and my good pal Allison on a little waterfront tour. They are both pretty experienced bikers, but were super patient with me. I kind of felt like a 7 year old all over again... but I guess you have to start somewhere. :) I was doing pretty well until a darn train track jumped up and grabbed my tire... um, or something like that. Anyways, I bit it pretty good, and have some nice scrapes on my leg to show off tomorrow. :) I guess the first crash had to happen sometime, so I'm glad to get that over with. :) I'm going to start riding in to work with Allison a couple of times a week, so training for the triathlon has officially commenced. :)

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekends!!! Lots of love from PDX! :)

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Just a glimpse...

Just a hint as to why I can't remove the smile from my face... :)

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Good Stuff

Yes, a generic title this time... but it's the only one I could come up with that truly captures my life over the past few weeks... it's been all "good stuff".

I can honestly say that I can't remember any other time in my life that I have been so uncontrollably happy. The whole "re-entry" process to the US has been difficult at times, but I'm really starting to feel like I am getting in my groove. I've had a few great weeks with friends, enjoying some of my favorite things, and pushing myself to experience some new things as well...

One thing that is relatively new is that I've been swimming. My friend Krista is an amazing swimmer (she is in an underwater hockey league!), and, when we were at the coast a few weekends ago, volunteered to teach me how to swim. It's pretty pathetic that I turned 30 without knowing how to swim... but... that's the way it was. So... Krista started meeting me on Wednesday mornings at the Nike gym to teach me all kinds of important things - like how to open my eyes under water. Yes, seriously. ;) It's getting SO much easier, and I'm really enjoying it. I think I've even talked myself into doing a triathlon next summer. I know, I know... I never do anything halfway. :)

The other new thing is that I got a DSLR camera that totally rocks my world. If you could be in love with an inanimate object, I am in love with this camera. :) I see so much beauty in the world around us that I am so happy to have an instrument that will better capture this... The pictures on this entry were all taken with the new DSLR, so hopefully you can see the difference. I only wish I would have had this in Amsterdam to capture all of my amazing adventures there.


Playing around with the camera...

Last weekend, Michelle and I drove up to Seattle to see one of my favorite artists, Amos Lee. We drove up on the early side, so we could enjoy the city before the concert began. We went to one of my favorite places for lunch, Elliot's, and, of course, I had to take pictures of my food:


Crab Cakes... oh so yummy!!! :)

After an amazing lunch, we just walked around the Pike Place Market, home of the famous flying fish... so many beautiful flowers there, and an amazing selection of seafood:



The concert was that evening near the Space Needle... what a beautiful setting to listen to beautiful music. It was "green concert", so to lessen the carbon imprint (yes, this is the Wild West Coast here), the artists all performed acoustically without their backup singers. It reminded me of the first time I saw Amos Lee way back in 2005... since then, he's been touring with Dave Matthews and his music has changed quite a bit... It was an amazing night spent with a great friend. :)


Waldo & K Pitty


The Space Needle, as seen from my spot in the grass... amazing.

The next morning, Michelle and I met up with one of my friends from college, Christina, at my favorite breakfast spot, the 5 Spot. Amazing food as always, and great to catch up with a friend I haven't seen for 3 years. :)


5 Spot = Yum City! :)


K Pitty enjoying a cup of coffee... should have known better - coffee makes me CRAZY!! :)


Yes, the picture-taking of food has resumed... hard to resist when it is SO yummy! :)


Aw, such great friends. :)


Um, yep, pretty sure that somewhere on my resume, the title "dork extraordinaire" appears...

After breakfast, Michelle and I went to Gas Works Park, which is an old oil refinery that has been decommissioned and turned into a public park... it is a beautiful setting right on the water with views of the city. Such a relaxing morning... We had such a great time having a "photo shoot" with the new camera. More dorkiness ensued... ;)


Gas Works Park...


She can run, she can jump... :)


What a beautiful day! :)


Downtown Seattle...

This past weekend has been just as great... I went whitewater rafting on Saturday with a great group of people, mostly from my kickball team. We rafted on the White Salmon River, and managed to NOT lose anyone in the rapids. We did get mighty wet, but that just added to the fun. :) Unfortunately, I totally forgot my camera for this trip, so there are no incriminating photos. :) After rafting, I went camping with a special someone... I have to say, for all of my time in Oregon, I never really got into camping, but, the time spent there was just so peaceful and relaxing, I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot more time doing that in the future. :)

All in all, just enjoying life... and still smiling. Much love to all my friends and family! :)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Summertime in PDX... why I LOVE living here! :)

Well, folks, summer has FINALLY arrived in Portland... These are the months that make the months upon months of rain worth it - it's gorgeous! I've been enjoying Portland so much... with friends, with my family, and just being back here. There is so much that this amazing city has to offer, and I'm taking full advantage...

Case in point... one of my favorite things to do is pick berries/cherries/fruit-in-general in the summer months. I usually like going out to Hood River, but Sauvie Island is a little closer, so one Saturday, I asked my friend Cristina if she'd like to go, since her husband was away for the weekend... it ended up becoming a kiddo extravaganza, when we were joined by the lovely Michelle & Jo, and Meghan & Davis. I think doing this kind of stuff is SO MUCH more fun to do with the little ones - the sense of wonder on their faces is just priceless... it's not really about the berries anyways... it's the experience. :)


Cristina working hard... Mateo staring down his strawberry. I believe he ate more than he picked. So did I. :)


MM, JM, & KP... don't get to bust out the red sunglasses that often, but, it was a festive day with one hour of sun, and we were in it!! :)

Another fun weekend with one of my favorite kiddo's... I drove to St. Helens to teach Samuel how to fly the kite that I got him for his 3rd birthday. We had SUCH a fun time!! :) I love it when he calls me "Aunt Pitty". Too cute! :)


He did great! :)

I was so happy to welcome my parents back to Oregon for the 4th of July weekend. It was so good to catch up, and to celebrate both their 60th and my 30th birthdays. Such a nice time! :)

It's become a tradition to stop by Edgefield on our way back from the airport - gotta have the McMenamin's tater tots! :)

We went to Cannon Beach on Saturday of their visit - one of my favorite places in Oregon! :)


Dad and I in Jamison Park by my new apartment


We went wine tasting with my friend Zoe from Amsterdam... such a nice, relaxing afternoon. :)


Mom and Dad in Wine Country... so amazing that this is just an hour outside of Portland - LOVE it! :)

The weekend after the 4th, I went to the family beach house of my friend Anna in Waldport. There were four of us there, and we had SUCH a nice time! :) Anna and I started off Saturday with a 12 mile run, and then decided to do ice baths - in the FREEZING Pacific Ocean! This is our sad face after getting chilled to the bone (okay, I'm not so good at sad faces):



We even got a bonfire going on the beach... yippy for S'mores! :)

Last but not least, I have to report on my amazing 30th birthday party... my wonderful friends planned a peanut butter pot luck picnic for my birthday... everyone brought something that had peanut butter as an ingredient. Seriously, it rocked my world. :) Check out the awesome cake my friend Michelle made:

My favorite cake... ever!! Peanut butter frosting, chocolate cake, with LOTS of peanut butter chips... heck yeah! :)

The picnic was awesome - I got to see so many people that I don't get to see that often, and we played lots of fun games, kind of reminiscent of the 4th of July parties that I used to throw in Amsterdam. :) After the picnic, the adult festivities began... we started with a few of these...


... and ended with kareoke and a trip home in a shopping cart. Quite possibly the most fun birthday I've had in my entire life. The problem is... now that I'm "old", it took quite a bit of time to get over it. Ah... life. :)

Big hug to all!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Life in PDX...

I know, I know... I'm a blog failure. Since moving back to Portland, I just don't seem to have the same downtime that I had in Amsterdam. I guess that's a good thing - it's kind of nice to be busy with friends all the time! :)

It's been a few months since I've posted, and life has been as much of an adventure as ever. Who ever said that life outside of my European adventure had to be boring? ;)

I guess first thing's first... after two years of 10-hour flights, 6am phone calls, loneliness, joy at being together again, ups, downs, and everything in between, Sean and I finally got back to the same city and promptly broke up less than two months into being together. I don't really want to say much here, but just know that time heals all wounds and things are okay. Kind of a big bummer, but for the best in the long run, I suppose.

To try to get over things, I decided to take a trip with my friend Raelee to Las Vegas. This was my first time EVER being there, and I LOVED it! :) We saw a couple of shows, including the Cirque show "O" and Blue Man Group, and enjoyed nice dinners and time by the pool. I can't wait to go back! :)


Raelee and I outside Caesar's Palace

I DID end up selling my house, but the timing was not great to be honest. My shipment FINALLY arrived to the US at the end of April, however the house wasn't set to close until the end of May. Since I had already had 3 other offers fall through, I was super nervous to sign a lease on anything until I for sure sold the house, but I wasn't given any more temporary housing after my shipment arrived, so I began my couch crashing after returning from Las Vegas. I stayed with my friend Michelle Wald for a week, after which I left for a spontaneous trip to Europe. My former manager had invited me to his wedding in Germany, and, since I had no place to sleep and work was actually at a pretty slow place, I accepted the invitation. I had enough miles to fly into London for free, so I spent a few days there, then spent a few days in Amsterdam with my old friends, followed by the wedding in Germany. A really great trip. To be honest, though, a little trippy to be back in Amsterdam but not be "home". I think my home radar is a little off still. :)


KP with Stonehenge - I did one of the oh-so-touristy bus tours... but it made it super easy to get around!


Cute German Family in their native dress


With the bride and groom

While I was in Europe, I found out that they were able to move up the date of my closing on the house, so I ended up moving in the day I got back! I slept on the floor for a few days, and then my shipment finally arrived that Friday! Yippy! I'm still in the process of unpacking, but it's really starting to feel like home. :) I have moved downtown to a part of town called the Pearl, which is absolutely great! I love being so close to all the action. :)


Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere! :)

Other than unpacking boxes, I've had a great time re-connecting with all the friends that I missed so much. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:


80's Dance party to celebrate Sara's Birthday


Samuel's 3rd birthday in St. Helens


Checking out the Grilled Cheese Grille with Michelle


Our kayaking adventure on the one sunny day in Portland so far (okay, I exaggerate, but, COME ON!!) :)

It's for sure been ups and downs since coming back. When you live abroad, life in your old home kind of gets put on freeze frame in your head, but the reality is that time marches on. Fortunately, I've been able to slide right back in where I left off in a lot of cases, and actually have made some really great new friends. Just looking forward for the summer to really begin!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Where Have I Been?

By the request and harrassment of my (two!) loyal readers, I'm updating my blog with some of the goings on of my life in the two months that I have been home. Since February 13th, things have been going full-speed ahead, without too much time to reflect upon the amazing two years in Europe I just returned from. Strangely enough, it all just feels like a long, fantastic dream filled with good food, amazing sights, and unforgettable friends. Being in Portland feels so completely natural and good that it sometimes feels like I never left.

Work picked up as soon as I started my new job on the 16th. I am still working in Footwear, but my role has changed quite a bit. I no longer get to work on product, which is kind of a big bummer; I'm now working on a little higher level planning across all of footwear. It's been an adjustment, I have to admit. I had gotten really used to the European style of working - informal meetings, working pretty much just 40 hours a week, and colleagues taking long vacations and truly relaxing. I've been pretty overwhelmed the past few months with a never-ending onslaught of meetings, long hours, and stressful encounters. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so starting new jobs is always stressful for me, as I don't have all the answers, and I have to ask for help. I'm feeling much, MUCH better than when I started, but I'm still definitely learning and growing - which is a GOOD thing, I know! It's so nice to see all of the people that I started my time at Nike with, along with some friends that have also moved over from the European HQ. I sometimes miss hearing all the different languages and accents that I got so accustomed to in Europe, so it's nice to hear a whisper of Italian every once in a while. :)

Outside of work, it's been fantastic to reconnect with friends. I'm so blessed to have so many amazing women in my life. My girlfriends are all just outstanding in their own ways, and inspire me by so gracefully handling everything life throws their way. If you want to read about a really amazing girl, check out my friend Michelle Middlebrooks' blog - she's a lesson in strength. With my friends, there have been countless happy hours and dinners, and I've gotten back into distance running. A new development for me is the fact that so many of my friends have children now - they are a true delight. I love making them giggle or watching the wheels turn in their heads as they figure out a new concept. Someday...

Sean and I have been spending as much time together as possible. We went on a wine tasting trip to Walla Walla, Washington, a few weeks ago, and that was a lot of fun. He's gotten me out to the golf course a couple of times, and I am not hating it as much as I used to... haha - still not LOVING it, but definitely not protesting as loudly as before. ;)

I'm currently still living in temporary housing, as my shipment literally missed the boat on the way from the Netherlands... it was originally supposed to arrive on March 15th, and now has been re-scheduled for April 27th. One piece of good news that I should share is that I think (fingers crossed) that my house has finally sold... after 4 offers! We've come to a mutually acceptable offer, and if all goes well with the inspection, we will close on May 21st. I'm torn on what to do next, but I think that my plan will be to rent an apartment downtown for at least 6 months while I figure out where to be. The housing market is great for buyers right now, but I am just so up-in-the air on where I want to be or what I want to be in that I feel like making a rush decision would be a bad idea. So, as soon as the sale closes, I'll send everyone a new address... somewhere. :)

Here are some pictures of my recent life... not quite the same as a weekend in Venice or a cooking class in France, but I love this life just as much as I loved that one:
















Sean and I at David Hill winery on Valentine's Day




KP busting out the Julia Child skills with Boeuf Bourguignon - a 5-hour production!



KP with Leslie's son, Samuel - such a fun kid!




Beer taster at Walking Man Brewery in Washington





l'Ecole Winery in Walla Walla - such a cute place!






Oregon Homebuilder Association Foundation Dinner
Couldn't resist this picture - I was kind of scared!












I've been going to the Farmer's Market every Saturday - these things are called Fiddle Head's, and taste like asparagas - I had never seen one before!









Michelle and I ran the Race for the Roses Half Marathon this morning, and had a blast! Raelee, Cristina, and her son, Mateo, joined us for breakfast afterwards - what a great day! :)

Monday, February 22, 2010

Hello, Portland!

Well, I'm back in the US! I've been back for 8 days now, and it's really hard to put into words how I feel right now. I think everything is happening so fast that it's hard to actually give myself a minute to realize everything that is going on!

I have to write about my welcome home. I had a really easy flight - I'm working on making a book out of my blog, so I was pretty much just editing the layout for most of the ten hour flight. When I got off of the plane, the flight attendants were so sweet - they gave me a wrapped bottle of champagne as a welcome home gift - so nice to be back to the US, where customer service can't be beat!

Meanwhile, my dear friends, Michelle, Raelee, and Raelee's partner Andy were all at the airport waiting for me to arrive. They had made me signs and bought balloons to welcome me home. I can't describe how happy I felt to see them at the airport, nor can I really explain how absolutely normal it felt to have lunch with them afterwards. I think we all just did such a great job of keeping in touch that it didn't really feel any different than it used to, with the small difference being that we don't have to say goodbye in 2 weeks. :)

It's been a busy week of learning a new job, training my replacement, and getting settled. With all of this going on, I managed to get myself a really nice cold which made me even more exhausted. I think I'm at the end of it now, and I'm finding myself re-energized just by being around the friends that I've been missing so much and enjoying the beautiful Portland weather that greeted me (it was 60 degrees on my first day back - wahoo!).

It's so great to be home!!


My Welcome Home Sign


KP in the City!

Nothing better than a hug from a great friend!




So happy to see these ladies!! :)





And here come my bags... :)