Setting off on our move with both cars loaded.
In mid-November - somewhat unexpectedly - we decided to move our family from the Bay Area to Portland.
The reasons we had were many and varied but for the most part, Portland seemed a better fit for our family than the Bay Area. Our son had yet to start kindergarten and we were both self-employed or looking for work, so if there was a time to go, it was now. A new adventure! Why not? We love adventure.
Admittedly, moving during the holidays was not the easiest choice, but once we decided to do it, we were both anxious to get there. Every day we delayed seem to be putting our future on hold.
Once Christmas was over, it was a mad dash to pack our belongings and get the cars ready to go. We left the day after New Years.
Unfortunately, ten minutes after we got on the road, our car died. We found ourselves and most of our bagage at a roadside auto shop.
It took two more days before the car was ready to go. Originally we had planned to stretch the ten hour drive into three days. Due to the unexpected maintenance delay, we instead split the trip into two days.
The first night we stopped at the Best Western Tree House in Mount Shasta. We arrived just as night fell.
It was giant cozy log cabin of a hotel. (more about this stop and two other fab hotel spots on this Travel Nueva post).
After warming up - it was 6 degrees there! - we had a celebratory dinner in which we shared a prime rib between the three of us. They had a wonderful indoor pool and hot tub which we used before going to bed.
The next day we ate a quick breakfast and got on the road, driving the entire day with only brief stops for snacks and bathroom breaks.
My view from the Prius following Julie and Luke all day.
The adorable and delicious Limestone coffee shop in Medford, OR.
We made it to our sublet in the South West of Portland pretty late. The power to the keypad we had been given as a code to get in the place was not working. After some shivering in the cold, we knocked on the neighbor's door and asked for help.
Once we found our way inside, I put our very tired son to bed while Julie went out food shopping. We had heard there was a snow storm on the way and we wanted to be prepared in the case of us not being able to get out.
Thanks goodness we did! During our first breakfast it started snowing and did not let up for three days.
Watching the snow fall from our sublet's kitchen window while we eat our first breakfast.
Blanketed with snow, the world outside our window on that first morning seemed strange and otherworldly. The perfect fresh start to begin the next chapters of our life.
