Portland, OR

So, I finally broke it to my family today, that I will not be returning home for the holidays this December. There are many reasons for this but number one is…I don’t want to deal with a Midwest winter, even for a week.

Other reasons…

1. I don’t like flying around the holidays. Way too many kids. Too much carry-on stuff to fight.

2. Flights are more expensive, and more likely to be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather. Not to mention, I really hate hanging out in an airport for more than thirty minutes, after an eight-hour delay from Midway (possibly the lamest of all airports — wait, Grand Rapids is the absolute worst, so I am not taking into consideration minor markets, so Midway is the lamest of the big market airports) to La Guardia.

3. I actually don’t enjoy Xmas or any of the holidays, except Fourth of July. What can I say, I like to light things on fire and then they go boom.

Not to mention, this is a busy time of the year for me and my video game addiction. It’s hard to explain to loved ones that sorry, I’d love to talk about that one time when I was little, but I am so close to finishing another level of Ninja Gaiden.

By the way, has anyone else noticed that commercials for video games have gotten pretty badass lately? Of course, you don’t watch television.

And again, my number one reason for not returning to the cold, continental winter season of the middle of the country is the cold, continental winter of the middle of the country. I hate to sound so callous and perhaps shallow, but seriously, winter can suck in those areas without mountains or something cool to ski down.

I remember everyone asking me, “How was your first Portland winter? Did it just rain the whole time?”

Myths dispelled…

1. It does not rain all of the time. Just most of the time, and even then it is a softer, constant rain, rather than hard, driving rain coupled with a windchill below freezing.

2. It is quite temperate here. For instance, last winter, I had calendula blooming throughout. It is November 17th, and I have zucchini coming in. It doesn’t freeze here, that often or for long.

3. If you dress appropriately, winter in Portland can be a lovely experience. The smaller streams are running high, and the light quality is reminiscent of Rivendell from the LOTR movies.

Portland, Midwest, winter, weather, rain, continent, holidays, Midway, La Guardia, Grand Rapids, family, Fourth of July, NInja Gaiden, mountains, calendula