Back in the USA

Just finished a great cup of coffee. I am at Marianne's, it's an unusual and quiet afternoon "at home." "Home" is a rather complex notion these days. My home is just a few blocks to the west. But no, my home is in Zuoz, except that right now it's here, at Marianne's. It actually feels very much like home. Her house is a great fit for me, right size, right feel, right amount of time of being here alone and time with her. I'd love more time with her, but we both are very busy, and I'd rather regret that we don't spend more time together than being too much on top of each other. Both of us are used to much space and independence. It's the perfect set up for me - I hope it works equally well for her.

My Portland household is in storage. I set up a new household in Zuoz. The other day I was buying some food to take on a trip. I was about to grab some nuts when I remembered that I have plenty of nuts at home... until I snapped back into reality and realized that the nuts are in Zuoz!

All my friends want to know what my plans are, when I am coming back to live here. Thanks to the warm welcome I very quickly felt reintegrated into my Portland life. People also are curious about how it feels to be back. It feels so normal, so easy, so much like my life. And then I remember that although odds are that I will return permanently mid-September, it's not a done deal and there still is a good possibility that I'll stay in Switzerland - if I find a good job. I saw my financial adviser, and he painted a rather spartan picture of a potential early retirement. So finding work still is a high priority. Between not knowing where home is, and not knowing what tomorrow will look like, despite the fact that I like planning and certainties, I am very much having to learn to live in the present. It feels frivolous and irresponsible, but the happy-go-lucky attitude certainly has its advantages - sparing me from a lot of agonizing.

What can I write about my stay in Portland so far? There isn't much to write about, since it's "just" coming home. I don't like this blog to be a boring compilation of my activities but that's what will have to do for today.

The trip over was hell, 28 hours in total. The only redeeming factor was an absolutely wonderful Swiss attendant in Chicago who went well beyond her duty in making sure I somehow got to Portland. It's terribly embarrassing having to ask friends to pick you up at the airport in the middle of the night - but Ron did so very gracefully. Despite my exhaustion I couldn't sleep between Chicago and Portland because it was so cold on the plane - at one point my teeth were chattering, despite 2 layers of fleece. Lo and behold, I came down with a cold a couple of days later.

Between the jetlag, the cold and the horrible weather my first few days here were laid back. Joe provided the perfect resting place, his cozy home at Black Butte. We birded a little, walked a little, hiked some, but spent plenty of time in front of the blazing fire, playing gin.

The mammogram was fine, always a relief, and there still is hope that the dental work will not be as extensive as I feared, although I have to go back on Tuesday and he will have to numb me up before he can figure out exactly what's going on.

My yoga group had a little party for me after the class; next week I will go for coffee with the pool ladies; I went to the Sierra Club High Desert Committee meeting to see the fellow desert rats. I am just returning from a weekend in the John Day country with some of them, staying with Anne who now lives there. We finally had a couple of sunny days and roamed around in our favorite landscape. We saw a snake, a scorpion, found a fossilized tooth. Everywhere there is flooding because of the non-stop rain over the last few months. The John Day, the Sandy, the Columbia... all the rivers are high. If only we could send some of that water to parched Switzerland!

Thank you:

- Ron, for the late night pick-up at the airport. Thank you Ria for being on stand-by.
- Marianne, for the hospitality, the coffee, the laundry facilities, etc.
- Catherine, for a gourmet lunch and for driving me around for an afternoon.
- Joe, for your kindness and offering the perfect setting for recovery.
- Dory, for a great walk along the Willamette.
- Beth, for the ride to yoga.
- Jim Gillen and the Tuesday night yoginis for the welcoming party. Namaste.
- Hannah for coffee, the ride home and letting me get caught up on your life.
- Jody, for the ride to and from the pool.
- Sandy for the cup of tea, Ken for the ride in the Miata (!)
- Bill, for the Y2Y book. These pictures alone are enough to make me want to return to America!
- Rustica for taxi service and dinner.
- Velma for a great day: brunch, walk, errands.
- Martin and Laurie, for still being my family.
- Anne, for the warm hospitality in Fossil.
- Borden, Rustica and Heidi: for putting together the perfect weekend.


Pictures:


Tomb at Camp Polk Cemetery, near Sisters. Very interesting and colorful.


















On the Metolius Bridge at Camp Sherman. I am wearing Marianne's too big sweater because I didn't bring enough warm clothes.












Hiking among Painted-Hills like formations. They contain mammal fossils. Near the Twickenham bridge over the John Day River.












The bar was a great reflection of the John Wayne movie playing on the screen.