Portland and a few life lessons

Last weekend, Janssen and I met up in Portland for a blogging conference .  It was great to see Janssen again and to fall in love with a new city.  It was my first trip to Portland, and it was lovely.    I love traveling (although it kind of stresses me out), and seeing new places always opens my eyes to different people, places and cultures.  I also took a lot of pictures that I wanted to share, because Portland is a pretty, pretty place!  

Three life lessons I learned in Portland: 

1. There are a lot of incredible people out there.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming to meet a lot of new people at a conference, or party.  You worry that you won't fit in, or find friends, but then you arrive, and realize that so many of these people are some of the nicest people you have ever met.  They are the kind of people who are willing to help you out, get to know you, and be your friend.  That is what blogging and social media are about.  Connecting, and making real friendships.  

The conference was great for this, but even on my flight home, I sat next to this delightful couple who had just spent a few days in Seattle and both of them are big foodies!  We spent about an hour talking about food.  The husband is retired and he has a huge kitchen in an extra building off the house where he makes homemade deer sausage with his friends, prepares and cooks huge racks of ribs in his custom smoker (that holds 70 racks of ribs!) and other meals for friends and family.  Suddenly I started wondering who should be the food blogger in that conversation.  

I loved coming home with so many new friends.  

2.   Family is the best.  There is nothing was quite as sweet as Fox's face when I walked through the door after a 3 day absence.  That smile is the best.   Adam's support, love, willingness for me to pursue some personal dreams, and his incredible editing skills are the best.  Nothing makes you appreciate your family like going away for a few days.  

3.  There is always room.  There is a sea of bloggers out there, especially food bloggers.  Many are incredible photographers, or they make the most delicious looking food.  It is easy to feel lost in the shuffle.  Then I remember that just because someone else started a food blog doesn't negate the value that I can bring to the internet through my food blog. There is always room for more perspectives, more experiences, more memories.  There is always room for more ideas.  Always room for success.