Portland Oregon, a fitting place for THPL to find itself on a trip in October. Portland, which is indeed named after Portland Maine, has a population of over 600k people and it is often referred to as one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the world because of its walkability, and its large community of cyclists where 6% commute to work on bikes as opposed to the .5% in the rest of the country. And with over 10,000 acres of parkland it is easy to find a trail to run on and explore the beauty that is Portland. And without much effort I found myself running in the midst of a veritable nursery of ferns, pine trees and greenery to hide a troll or two. Uphill I continued and found my way to the top for a stunning view of Portland and Mt. St. Helens in the distance. A few more trails to explore and I was on the proverbial runners high – outside, trail running, in an outdoors mecca that reminded me that THPL is all about seeing and experiencing. And that is what I did, today,in the early evening in Portland…..

Loving life, knowing I am coming back to Portland