The Prodigal Daughter

I've been remiss in my posting lately. I think it might have something to do with the fantastic weather we've been having. And with daughter Alina's visit, post-finals and pre-summer camp job. And with our temporary border, Andrea, aka The Prodigal Daughter.

Andrea is the daughter of our friends Tom and Leila, who are living and working in Bangkok right now. Tom and Lloyd worked together in CA, and we've enjoyed adventures with them over the years. Work brought Tom, and sometimes Leila with him, to visit us in our various locations. But the last time we actually saw the girls was on a Disneyworld trip in 1997 after we'd been transferred to Louisiana. Andrea was in 6th grade. Now she's a SDSU nursing school graduate looking for her first job. After her December graduation, she spent 3 months traveling with a friend in Brazil rather than jump right into a job in San Diego. Hence her father's reference to The Prodigal Daughter.

She'd had enough of the beach, I guess, and needed a change of scenery (ie more green) so she decided Portland was a good place to start the next chapter of her life. She set out from CA with all her earthly goods packed into her Honda, her surfboard tied to the roof through the windows, heading for her friend Elise's apartment in Portland. After a few days' stop in the Bay Area, she drove all day to Portland. One hitch in the plan, Elise was gone on a trip home for Mother's Day. Modern communication is a wonderful thing. Her dad called her with some phone numbers of people who might be of some help. Ours was one of them, and we're delighted she used it!

Arriving at 11 pm after driving through the gorge in the rain, she exited her car via the driver's door window (remember, the surfboard tied on top?) and happily fell into a real bed, grateful she didn't have to sleep in her car.

She attacked her job and apartment search with great focus and purpose immediately the next morning. Entry nursing jobs are not easy to come by in these economic times, but she's been on several interviews and is casting a wide net...all the way to Anchorage, actually, which is a little further north than she bargained for, but is still on the plan B list.

We introduced her to some favorite hiking spots, and to Hooba's deck dining on a day when Mt. Adams was basking in blue sky. Alina loved getting reaquainted with someone she hadn't seen since she was in grade school. They had a great time rafting the White Salmon River one day last week on a Wet Planet trip. We had a relaxing afternoon watching kite boarders and wind surfers in Hood River. I think she's addicted to our hot tub. And, of course, Andrea enjoyed the crawfish boil with her usual gusto. Her friend Elise, back from Mom's, joined her and Alina for that adventure.

She's moving in to her new place this week, so we won't be seeing much of her any more. But we sure hope she calls again, whenever she needs to escape the city for some place a little more green.