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... :)

Looking back on the past two years...

What a long, beautiful trip this experience has been... I arrived here on Tuesday, March 25, 2008. Since then, I've stretched my mind and my comfort zone to places I never thought I would. I've travelled to places I'd never even heard of before I moved here. I've eaten amazing food and tried the local beverages both bad and good. I've listened to native music and joined in on local dancing. I've made some of the most amazing friends I have ever had, transplants from both home and places far away. I've laughed a lot, and cried my fair share. I've loved and lost, and loved again. This experience was one that was a risk... it meant taking two years out of the life that I had grown into so comfortably in Portland, one that was full of amazing friends, a man that I love, my wonderful, supportive family, a workplace that nurtured and grew me, beautiful nature, and my native tongue. What I didn't realize when I left was that I wasn't putting my life there on hold - I was just letting my life grow to become even better. It wasn't always easy, but the tough days only made me stronger. I am so thankful that I have had this amazing experience.

Ready to start the next chapter... I'm ready for whatever life has in store for me. :)

To my friends in Amsterdam- thank you for the smiles, the laughs, and for sharing your life with me. For my friends back in the US - I can't wait to share the small things once again.

Goodbyes...

Well, folks, as hard as it is to believe... the time is finally here. I'm moving back to the United States in less than one week. I'm super happy and super sad, all at the same time. Most of all, I just feel nothing... not in a bad way, just in a way that I don't really believe that a major change in my life is coming. I experienced the same thing in Portland... at my going away party, I thought it felt like more of a birthday party than a going away party. It's exactly the same here. This past week has been made up of many good-bye dinners, capped off with a going away party thrown by my colleagues. I've met so many great people here, and they have been more than just co-workers - they have been family, so it's hard to imagine not seeing them very often. The good news is that a lot of them travel to Portland for work, so it won't be long until we get to see each other again! :)

My first moment of "wow, this is really happening" was when I got home from work on Wednesday. When people move here, they have to put up signs telling people not to park there on the moving date, because there is otherwise no where for the moving truck to go. I saw some signs posted, and then thought, "Oh, someone is moving." Then, I saw the date, and realized that it was for ME! Slight moment of panic, but no tears yet. :)

Here is the sign... and, don't freak out - dates in Europe are day-month-year... I'm coming home in February, not August! :)

I have made so many wonderful friends here... but not all of them know each other. So, rather than having one huge going away party, what I've been doing is trying to spend time with everyone just one on one, or one on two (get your sick thoughts out of your mind, seriously, people!). It's been so nice to share these last moments together. I've received such thoughtful, but unnecessary gifts. It's really overwhelming.

Last Saturday, my friend Gulsun and I went shopping together, because I wanted to have a few "european" things for my house. We had such a fun time shopping together, especially since she's a designer and has a lot different tastes than me. I ended up buying some fun new cappuccino mugs and plates (and then, upon discovering how happy they made me, ended up buying the whole set!). We had a great dinner together, both of us still in denial that these kinds of things are going to be few and far between in a week. Not thinking about it... la la la la la!!!

Gulsun and I at dinner

My new plates, getting their first use - Italian cake made by Rixt! :)

I've had a tradition for a few years now... when I travel, I always buy a magnet. It's gotten a little out of control since I've moved here! :) This is my cabinet at work before I took all of my magnets down - it made for a fun conversation starter. :)

I had the pleasure of getting to know a few Dutch people as close friends. One of them, Erwin, was a colleague of mine from day one. I got to know him and his lovely girlfriend, Marjolein, with dinners over the course of the past two years. Our last dinner was at the Tokyo Cafe, a fun all you can eat place! I'm gonna miss these two! :) You couldn't ask for nicer people!

Friday, my team in Finance threw a going away party for me at work. So many people came to celebrate - I felt so honored! They sure surprised me... all of my teammates in both the footwear group and the finance group had created an album full of pictures, memories, and other fun things from my two years here. I had to give a speech right after they gave it to me, and the tears were about to spill right over. I held it together, but, WOW! Such a thoughtful gift! I loved it! :)

Sanne, Femi, and me - how many people get to do this at work?!? :)

Camille, Gulsun, me, Jacques, Sanne

Erwin and KP - surf-style... again, what a fun place to work! :)

My brothers, Fabio and Stefano... Stefano and I were having a contest to see who has a bigger smile. I'm not putting the picture in where I won... I'm not sure ANYONE has a bigger smile than I do, but it's not exactly attractive! :)

Eric, KP, Feliz, Mayte, and Femi

So, everything is happening pretty fast... my shipment is leaving Holland tomorrow... My apartment is furnished, so I've been doing my best to get things organized, because they do everything so fast that if you aren't organized, your stuff ends up not leaving, and the owners' stuff ends up in Portland. My house is a bit of a chaotic mess right now, but after tomorrow, it's one step closer to being done!! :)

This is my "ship to Portland" room... I just piled everything that is mine in here... hope they are able to get in there to pack! :)

And these are my suitcases... all packed for 6 weeks of unpredictable Portland February/March weather! :)

I arrive on Saturday the 13th, and can't wait to see my dear friends Michelle and Raelee at the airport! Sean will arrive home later that night from a trip, and we are both anxious to begin "dating" again.

More to come as I close this amazing chapter of my life and start a new one...

PS - not sure what is going on with the formatting on this post... hopefully it is not confusing

PPS - I know my hair is CRAZY in these pictures... no worries - I got a haircut on Saturday, and we are all good now! ;)