I love flying. I’ve been doing it all my life, and I still find myself glued to the window like a wide-eyed six year old. Something about the view, the sheer volume of new input, is a sort of addictive agent for me. There is so much to learn when you’re flying! Watching the continental steppes, and seeing land rippling like water dropped in a bucket. I’d never realized how beautiful and ugly the Great Salt Lake is, with green evaporation ponds and alkali salt flats. Not something I would want to live anywhere near, but so fascinating I didn’t looked away until we were over the airport.

Portland skyline, courtesy matt and tracy
The flight to Portland was significantly more dull, by dint of the fact that I didn’t have a window seat. I did notice something of interest however: looking behind me, it was a sea of white. All those passengers, and not a drop of token ethnic diversity. Bit of a surprise, that. I’ve gotten so accustomed to being surrounded by Chinese, Africans, South Americans, Indians, and all other races that it felt a little odd to be on an airplane filled with those of strictly European descent.
PDX is nice. Free wifi, bright open spaces, plenty of seating, ample electrical outlets, wine stores showcasing local product, and a reasonably priced light rail connection to downtown. What more could a Jovialist want? After a night hanging out with new friends, a Saturday morning trip into the downtown area was next. Read more »