Welcome to the Pacific Northwest! I am very proud to come from this region of the United States. It is famous for microbreweries, coffee, hipsters, grunge, bikes, mountains, clean air, Starbucks, Nike, Microsoft, Boeing, Columbia, food trucks, and environmentally conscious/down-to-earth/friendly/easygoing people. I view the PNW to the rest of the country as the Netherlands is to Europe. It is very progressive and substantially more liberal than the very conservative central states. Washington and Oregon have a high standard of living with strong education and plenty of space for people to own land. Oregon is about the same size as West Germany and only has a population of 4 million people.
While in Seattle, my brother and sister-in-law rolled out the red carpet and took us on a grand tour. We ate some of the world’s best sandwiches at Salumi (if you go to Seattle, this is a must visit), sampled free trade chocolate at Theo’s, went to a plethora of microbreweries and a unique cidery, and visited the Space Needle and Pike’s Place Market. My wonderful friend from Taiwan, Jane, stayed with us for a few days. She made us Chinese pancakes, bubble milk tea, and came with a bag filled with goods from both Taiwan and the Netherlands (she is getting her Masters there). Jane is one of the many important people I have met while traveling. We met in 2012 in a hostel in Turkey. Little did I know I was meeting one of my future best friends. During my time in Taiwan, she and her family adopted me. They showed me temples, exposed me to new and strange foods, and took me to culturally important events. When I left the country, her father brought me to tears by telling me that I was his American daughter. Thank you for coming Jane. I look forward to a day in the future when we live in the same country again.
Next up was Portland for CHRISTMAS! More on Portland in the spring.
While in Seattle, my brother and sister-in-law rolled out the red carpet and took us on a grand tour. We ate some of the world’s best sandwiches at Salumi (if you go to Seattle, this is a must visit), sampled free trade chocolate at Theo’s, went to a plethora of microbreweries and a unique cidery, and visited the Space Needle and Pike’s Place Market. My wonderful friend from Taiwan, Jane, stayed with us for a few days. She made us Chinese pancakes, bubble milk tea, and came with a bag filled with goods from both Taiwan and the Netherlands (she is getting her Masters there). Jane is one of the many important people I have met while traveling. We met in 2012 in a hostel in Turkey. Little did I know I was meeting one of my future best friends. During my time in Taiwan, she and her family adopted me. They showed me temples, exposed me to new and strange foods, and took me to culturally important events. When I left the country, her father brought me to tears by telling me that I was his American daughter. Thank you for coming Jane. I look forward to a day in the future when we live in the same country again.
Next up was Portland for CHRISTMAS! More on Portland in the spring.
