We have returned to Portland. Initially the plan was to make
a four-month trip up here for the summer and to have our second baby surrounded
by our network of family and friends. But this spring it became more and more
obvious that LA was not a good fit for Ellie and probably never would be. I
never imagined a three-year-old could be so vocal about her needs and opinions,
but ours is, and just as we have been doing since her first day on Earth, we
listened.
Ellie would say things like, “this is not my country.
Portland is my country.” And, “California is too crazy. I don’t want to live in
California.” Every day.
So when a promotion came up in Ian’s company, which would
require being in the Portland office, he jumped at it and he got it. Suddenly
our trip became a move and I, at eight months pregnant, packed us up and off we
went.
But as with any story there are a hundred ways to tell it,
and another version of the story is that we returned to Portland for Ellie’s
health.
