Blog

This trip to America has been a beautiful adventure. I’m so grateful for the time with my precious children in LA and for the gift I had of a stunning train trip up to Portland.

Your PNW girl lasted a whole three hours before making it inside a Powell’s.

I also managed to get some cajun tots and a Terminator milkshake pretty quickly.

And then I convinced Jen to drive me to the beach – and to the Goonies house because we had time.

I hunkered down to business on Tuesday and got Karin to take me to Trader Joe’s. Also, she sat down in Tall Fir Coffee with me and went over my Easter Camp talk.

Easter Camp.

Talk.

I’m sharing my testimony in front of 3,000 kiwi youth in three weeks, and Karin was the first person I told about it. EC socials shared my name today, but I kept this trip on the down low to keep myself from being burnt out upon return. Since my visits to America are rare, I usually cram in every available second with people I love and still run out of time. This trip, I planned to see Jen and Karin and a short list of others as I filled up in preparation to love well and live generously when I get home. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in July.

I crammed in a few super Portlandy activities including a trip to Newberg to see one of my precious children there followed by a Burgerville dinner, but I also made sure to get an elephant ear at Saturday Market (where I got a better quality picture with the non-London bridge that I have tattooed on my arm), saw the skyline through the trees at the international rose test garden while drinking a Dutch Bros, and even managed an epic 200 level view at a Blazers game. I’m so grateful for this beautiful life, and I do not take it lightly that I had the chance to hang out with some of my biggest cheerleaders in person before being sent back to share my story with youth in New Zealand.