Visit to Portland

Earlier this summer we visited family in the Pacific Northwest. Steven's family flew us out (it was actually his first time on an airplane). Our photos are not much to look at - I have to admit we were focused more on experiences than photography on this trip. Most of my photos in Portland were taken at the Portland Art Museum, which was such an exciting experience. My favorite part was an exhibit of early Richard Diebenkorn. I was also delighted to see a Van Gogh (the Ox painting), a Helen Frankenthaler, and a painting from my favorite artist, Hans Hoffman.

We enjoyed great food and thoroughly appreciated the humidity-free Oregon summer weather. Visiting the Portland Japanese Garden was such a peaceful experience that I wanted to live there.

We flew basic economy on American Airlines, and we were only allowed a small personal item that fit under the seat in front of us. Our trip was ten days and we could have checked a bag, but we decided to pack very light and carry only our personal items. I used Everlane's modern commuter backpack in reverse denim (it looks like they still have it in black twill) and it held up like a champ. I didn't have room for an extra handbag, so after I unpacked my backpack I used it as a day bag throughout the trip. I took ten items of clothing, two pairs of shoes, plus pajamas, socks, underwear, and a scarf. We luckily didn't have any rain, but my packable red jacket came in handy for wind and cool weather.

This is probably the lightest I've packed for any trip, and I had everything I needed. Steven said he felt the same way with his packing experience. We'll probably continue packing light in the future. It's very freeing.

Did you do any traveling this summer? Feel free to tell me how you like to pack in the comments.

⋆ bloglovin | tumblr | twitter | pinterest | instagram | art shop ⋆