Birthday Bears

After a long, cold and wet winter (relative to at least the two previous ones), April gradually ushered in the spring blossoms, singing birds and longer, warmer days. 

In celebration of our birthday month, my mom and Anna, along with my dad (for good measure) flew into Portland for a long weekend. Tom and I were excited to host our first guests in the new house. Saturday was low key, with a morning walk to Mt. Tabor, lunch at Breakside Brewery and dinner at home--finished with vegan birthday cake from Sweetpea Baking Company. 

Aunt Judy joined us at the Woodburn Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival on Sunday, excited to stroll through the colorful tulip fields. It is always a gamble to appropriately time this event based on amount in bloom and weather, but we lucked out with a sunny day, just one week shy of full bloom.

 

  

We spent the afternoon wine tasting in the Willamette Valley. Lange Estate is a family-owned winery in Dundee. The property features panoramic views of the sustainably farmed vineyards, surrounding valleys and Mt. Hood.

Just a few minutes away, Hollaran Vineyard focuses on small production, sustainably farmed wines that represent the unique characteristics of their vineyards.

We stayed overnight at nearby Hotel Oregon. On McMinnville's main street, the historic building has been restored by the McMenamin brothers since its beginnings in 1905. Some of the eclectic pubs were closed due to the pandemic, but we enjoyed dinner on the rooftop bar, overlooking the beautiful rolling hills. A trip to Oregon is not complete without a visit to one of the unique McMenamins establishments!

After breakfast on Monday, we drove to the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Wahclella Falls is an easy 2.5-mile out-and-back trail that leads to an impressive cascade.

Aunt Judy treated us to a night at Skamania Lodge. Situated in the heart of the Gorge, the resort is surrounded by hiking trails, craft breweries and wineries. The lodge includes its own trails, zip line, heated pool and outdoor hot tub. It also features "luxury treehouses," which I bookmarked for a future trip! Dinner at Red Bluff Tap House in small town Stevenson.

On Tuesday morning, we soaked in the views from the Adirondack chairs before heading east to Rowena Plateau Overlook. This easy 2-mile hike features a marvelous wildflower display set against the Columbia River.

An unfortunately timed haze set in just as we arrived to Panorama Point to see the view of Mt. Hood amongst the fruit tree blossoms. We did, however, meet a delightful group of older women on a girls trip from Utah. Before driving back to Portland, we grabbed beers at Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River (#33 on my Oregon Brewery List).

It was, at times, overwhelming to have my family in town--especially following an intensive self-work retreat--but I am grateful for our time together. The Bear Family always has a fun time. Cheers to the next reunion!

  

The temperatures soared after my family left. The greenery around town quickly filled in and the blooms really took off, reminding me of why I fell in love with Portland almost three years ago.

On my 29th birthday, I cleared my schedule and went on a solo adventure--just like old times. Little Red and I set out towards the coast for one of my favorite local hikes. Saddle Mountain is a steep but short trek with spectacular views stretching from the Pacific Ocean to Mt. Hood. 

I drove the rest of the way to the coast, stopping at Cannon Beach, which was surprisingly not windy. After about an hour, I flipped it around to make it home in time for dinner with Tom.

Birthdays are the perfect opportunity to take a personal day, and to be reminded of how much you mean to others. Everyone important in my life showed up, making me feel appreciated and loved... a perfect birthday.

The Hoffman Process

Last November, I listened to the latest Rich Roll podcast with Toms Shoes founder, Blake Mycoskie. During the interview, Blake briefly shared his experience on a personal growth retreat called the Hoffman Process. I was intrigued. The past year has been a nightmare in a lot of ways, and has taken a toll on my overall health and wellbeing. Hours of therapy had initiated an inward journey to better understand myself, and this retreat sounded like the perfect opportunity to continue that journey; an ideal time to recenter and rediscover self love. If nothing else, I thought, it would be a week off of work in sunny California!

The Hoffman Institute Foundation is a nonprofit organization that teaches participants how to live from the positive dimensions of their beings, resulting in lives that are more free, open, loving, spontaneous, joyous, creative, balanced and whole. With centers in ten countries, the foundation aims to make the world a better place.

The Hoffman Process, founded by Bob Hoffman in 1967, is a week-long residential and personal growth retreat that helps participants identify negative patterns of thought, behavior and mood that developed unconsciously and were conditioned in childhood. Subsequently, participants learn how to transform these patterns on an emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual level in order to make significant positive changes in their lives. As a result, participants gain the tools needed to remove habitual ways of thinking and behaving, align with their authentic selves and respond to situations in life from a place of conscious choice.

I signed up almost immediately after hearing about the Process, squeezing into a spot in the late March group. Both anxious and excited, I said goodbye to Tom at PDX on Friday afternoon. On the short flight to Sonoma County Airport, I was awed by the beautiful, lush rolling hills of northern Californian wine country.

White Sulphur Springs, the historic location of the California Hoffman Process, sadly burned down in a wildfire last September. The retreat is now held at EarthRise Retreat Center in Petaluma. Nestled in the hills, this forested oasis is a scientific and spiritual hub; an idyllic sanctuary to immerse in the study and practice of personal development and transformation. It is also home to deer, wild turkeys and turkey vultures. Steep trails lead to stunning vistas of the surrounding landscape, a stone labyrinth and garden.

I was stunned by how green the area was--like Portland, but with better weather. Rain the week prior had left the vegetation lush and verdant. It was truly a gift that every day of our retreat was 65 degrees and sunny. And at night, the stars. Needless to say, I was outside every chance I had.

My Hoffman family consisted of three teachers and 21 students. Interestingly, professions were not revealed until the final night, which helped us identify and show up as who we are vs. what we do for work. Our coaches were extraordinary and inspiring, adept in conveying the material and guiding each student through the Process. Every lesson, experience and detail of the program was intentional.

The first few days seemed to last forever, but my perception of time sped up as the week progressed. By the end, I felt strongly bonded to all of my classmates after battling our demons separately but together. It is encouraged to take it easy the weekend following the retreat--before jumping back into the routines and responsibilities of life--in order to continue processing and integrating the work completed during the week.

Out of necessity, our schedule was strict and immersive, leaving no time for technology or distractions. However, the full days were broken up with breaks to stretch our legs and connect with nature. In order to fuel our inward journey, three delicious meals were prepared each day, which were vegan approved and made with love.

I am still unpacking my Hoffman experience, though I can say that it was one of the best things that I have done for myself. Humans are imperfect beings, but it is helpful for me to understand my negative patterns--especially the ones that cause friction in my life; awareness is half the battle. I now have the ability to transform these patterns into ones that will better serve me in future situations. It is an ongoing self-care practice that I aim to continue with humility, gratitude and patience. As a result of the Hoffman Process, I feel more present, confident, spiritual, free and loving. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with myself, and recommend the Process to open-minded individuals that are seeking change, freedom and love.