The Anxious Wanderer: What I Did, Ate, & Wore Visiting Portland

It's safe to say mini-getaways are probably my favorite way to travel. I mean, who doesn't love a short road trip, and BOOM you are somewhere completely new and different from where you live. Spoken from a true homebody, getting me to leave my house takes tearing me away from the doorframe kicking and screaming. I'd rather be in my comforts but if there's one thing the past couple of years taught me is to get out there and

do the things and live your life.

So here we go- husband, and two dogs in tow and this is what I did, ate and wore on our trip to Portland, Oregon.

Dress by Free People, thrifted

The first thing on the agenda was check-in to our Air B&B. We stayed at a place called The Tuscan Villa. If I can ever overcome my incredible fear of flying overseas, I hope to one day see Italy- it's on the bucket. For now, a rando Tuscan-themed Villa in Portland's Mt. Tabor neighborhood will have to suffice. I was actually quite excited about just hanging out there all weekend. I imagined reading by the fountain at the bistro tables in the morning with coffee and could care less if we did anything else. I'd almost prefer to just hang at the hotel, maybe go for a few walks and eat like a Queen. If I could find a place with an on-site spa and bistro, I'd be in my idea of the perfect vacation. This is why I think remote island-style trips are right up my alley. I don't need a party, I don't go to bars, but give me a coffee and my laptop to write a blog from my suite with ocean views and I'm happy as a clam.

Anyway back to the Villa. It's a unique building reminiscent of a lavish old mansion transformed into a hotel, so there are multiple rooms throughout the property. There's a koi pond, bamboo forest, and banana palms everywhere. Even though our window faced the busy street, it was far away enough that we didn't hear it at all, and at night the walls are so insulated as if the place was made of stones as old as castle's- we couldn't hear a thing outside of our room. At one point I was walking back toward the room and my dogs could see me through the door, they were barking their heads off but I couldn't even hear them. Impressive.

We were in a neighborhood within walking distance of coffee, bakeries, and a few shops. The houses nearby offered a peaceful walkable area for us to take our two pups to admire all the beautiful old homes and garden features. That is my true happy place, our dogs getting their wiggles out and admiring how well other people maintain their yards.

Both mornings, we walked to a coffee shop. The first one was Fressen which had some amazing baked goods. My husband hated his sandwich though and rightfully so, the ham was incredibly marbled and fatty...BIG ick.

I got the veggie quiche (which was delicious) and a regular drip coffee as well as the Nutella roll, also absolutely delish.