My Trip Back to Oregon (Plus, Wine Country recs!)
Last week, I headed west to my hometown in Oregon. I took a late flight and woke up in a friend’s home, where it’s easy to be me. We’ve known each other since we were seventeen and I proceeded to spend the next four days with our gang — we call ourselves the “New Old Friends” because we’ve known each other for so long, but reconnected more closely during our college homecoming at OSU a few years ago.
We spent the first morning walking around my friend's Northeast Portland neighborhood, then traveled to the Willamette Valley for a wedding.
Our first stop was Sokol Blosser (SB), a second-generation owned and operated family winery in the Dundee Hills. SB was one of the first ten families to plant grapes in the Willamette Valley (in 1971!) and now 52 years later is a true leader in organic viticulture. The SB Tasting Room is located down the road from where I grew up and has incredible views of the valley, that is when you're not gazing into a tasting glass as big as your head?! I learned that Riedel designed the glasses specifically for tasting Oregon Pinot Noir, which I think is so cool! Surprisingly, the popcorn that was served with our tasting flight was the perfect pairing - who woulda thunk?! I brought home a case of wine (thanks to Alaska Airlines allowing one case checked free from 32 different wine destinations) and a tin of the popcorn spice, so you know what my next #girldinner is going to be.
From SB, my friend and I headed to McMinnville, Oregon and checked into The Atticus Hotel. Darlings, I can honestly say that The Atticus is one of my favorite properties, anywhere. Each of the 36 rooms is different and truly reflects the spirit of the local community. I especially appreciated the gorgeous houseplants that are in every room and fill the common areas with lush greenery, and the thoughtfully curated book selection that is found in each room complete with reading notes and the encouragement to cozy up and dive in. If I hadn't been there for a wedding, I would have spent my Friday night in, reading and sipping wine! What we did do was venture out to explore historic McMinnville. And of course, just as we stepped outside we ran into friends also in town for the wedding - yay! The four of us headed to the rooftop of Hotel Oregon where we enjoyed a delicious dinner while watching the sunset and catching up. I went to sleep with a very full heart.
Saturday morning we slept in and had room service - can't remember the last time I did that - and slowly started our day. We decided to explore downtown McMinnville and made our way to La Bella Casa and Cupcake Couture. Yes, I did come home with a cozy fall sweater! Checked out Left By West, and a new vintage shop that wasn't open for business yet, but let us poke around. Wish I could remember the name of the vintage shop because it is so beautifully curated. If I remember, I'll share. Around 1 p.m. we found ourselves at the Montinore Estate and Landlines Tasting Room. Yes, another wine tasting from glasses as big as our heads in one of the more beautiful tasting rooms I've experienced! I was especially drawn to the digital art by Craig Winslow, which featured a day at one of the vineyards from sunrise to sunset. We had the tasting room to ourselves and then headed back to The Atticus with enough time to catch a nap before heading to the wedding. McMinnville surprised me with how walkable it is, and the variety of shops, tasting rooms, and good restaurants it offers. Next time I go, I'm bringing all my new old friends and booking the luxury bunkhouse at The Atticus.
The wedding was held on my friend's family's hazelnut farm in Dayton, Oregon. Hard to imagine a more grounded place to start a life together.
I've shared about my new old friends before, and how reconnecting with them has been one of my greatest joys. My focus here, in my new hometown of Bozeman is to invest more energy in my "on purpose" friends. These are the people I'm coming to know through shared experiences and similar interests. I don't always feel like making the effort, to be honest, missing the ease of my new old friendships, but my on-purpose friendships are starting to flourish. We are not all in the same stage of life, and most are in solid partnerships which means I'm often the third person when we're out and about, but I'm getting more comfortable with this too. What I value most about these new friendships is that, like my new old friends, these friends are seeing all of me - the good and the messy - and are still showing up which feels amazing.
Returning home from Oregon has been surprisingly difficult for me - I really miss my friends and the grounding I felt being back with them. As I sit here reminiscing about the incredible time I just spent in the place I used to call home, I can't help but acknowledge the overwhelming sense of nostalgia I'm experiencing. Change is an inevitable part of life, The places we've previously lived carry unforgettable memories intertwined with intricate networks of experiences, both bitter and sweet. Similarly, the bonds we form with friends in those places are like threads that connect us to a particular time and space.
I know you have the same kind of friends. Here’s a little reminder to reach out to them today.