CHAPTER VI: On my way to Portland, Oregon

“what thrills me about trains is not their sizeor their equipment but the fact that they are moving,that they embody a connection between unseen places.”

It’s clear by now that I didn’t have my camera with me all the time. Yep, my dad got me this beautiful Fujifilm FinePix Camera as gift for my 1st university degree, then, after my 3rd University degree, something happened to it and for some reason in 2013 (while I was Washington State) my camera was no longer a reliable friend. Thanks the good Lord, my friend Donna let me use hers.

My first pumpkin!My first authentic AmericanHalloween!

I made it to Portland, the day after Halloween. I didn’t know much about the city itself, basically my friends and I packed our bags overnight to reach out for Sabin and his family, so I got no time to read the list of “things to do in Portland”. I was so young,inexperienced and very too emotional too. I used to take with me my heavy big ocean color suitcase all the time. At least, nowadays I know how to get things ready to travel comfortably. See my tips here:

Who is Sabin M? A dear friend born in Nepal, who’s living in Portland, Oregon. I was fashinated about his culture. I never heard anything about it before meeting Sabin. He taught me that life is now, nothing but this very present moment. Life is a matter of “change” and “transformation”.

As Human Beings, CHANGE is something we should EMBRACE, It is humbling, and it doesn’t feel good, but it is the greatest gift we have as human being….. you know, animals…any other species , they don’t have a CHOICE. We do. To change is all about Humanity. You can read more about this topic in my book “Inside the Outsider” here.

For the first time I traveled on rail. I went downtown to the King Street Station in S Jackson St to catch my train (Amtrak).

STation fixing the king street station clock

I must say The King Street Station looked amazing. I’m not an architect but I could admire some buildings for hours. When I walked in, I just zoned out for some minutes. Architecture is just art we live in. Carrara marble and glass tile were wisely used, and you know the attention to detail was astounding. Carrara marble comes from Carrara in Tuscany, Italy, and I was sad and disappointed to see such delicate and majestic work, done overseas rather than in my own country, my towns, places were true beauty and architecture were forged and created. I wish my people could catch a train in a place built just like that, “work done the hard way, by sweat, application and craftsmanship.