A coffee a day during my Portland winter staycation

Still remote working, but with a little adventure

I worked remotely for a week in Portland in early January. Elliot grew up in Portland, Oregon, and his sister was in town from Chicago. Since we didn’t spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with his family last year, we decided to visit Portland for five days so he could hang out with his family in the evenings. Since Portland is only three hours away from Seattle and we’ve visited the city so much in the past, this trip felt like a staycation rather than a special trip.

An early lunch at Nong’s Khao Man Gai

A cozy Portland staycation

We booked a hotel right in the middle of downtown Portland, a few blocks away from Powell’s Bookstore, Kinokuniya, and MUJI (you know where my priorities lies). It was a novel experience to enjoy the luxury of the hotel, and the convenience of the gym and pool just a few floors up from our room. On this trip, I also reclaimed a little bit of nostalgia of when I used to live in condos in a dense city, and walking to lunch or a local bookstore felt like the most natural thing.

The trip is just the right length — we drove down on early Sunday morning and returned to Seattle on Friday afternoon. Throughout the week, Elliot and I shared the cramp table in the hotel room, working from our laptops. Although our day routine is just as it would be back home, I’m determined to add some flair to this trip with some side quests and new experiences while I’m in town.

Cafe and Stationery Hopping

On Sunday, I was joined by my friend Kelly on a laid-back cafe hopping and stationery filled day. We kicked off the day at our favorite Thai street food restaurant: Khao Moo Dang. It was a pretty chilly day, so I slurped down a warm and spicy bowl of tum-yum egg noodles. After lunch, I had wanted to visit a bookstore new to me: Always Here, but they happened to be on a winter break. We pivoted to a quaint bookstore right next to the restaurant: Backstory Book and Yarn. It’s a homey bookstore painted bright teal with yellow accents. The interior was packed floor to ceiling with books, each section divided by the original partition of the house in separate rooms and maze-like walkways. The walkways can barely fit two people, and the space feels claustrophobic and comforting at the same time.

Fantasy and Romance was my gateway to becoming an avid reader when I was young.

Next stop, Kinokuniya, because it never hurts to browse new stationery, even though I’ve owned enough to last a lifetime. The downtown store is located in a historic cinema building called the Guild Theatre. Unlike Kinokuniya stores that I’ve visited in other cities, the store retains the bright and gaudy theatre signs on the exterior, giving it a quirky Portland personality. Kelly picked up some stickers, and I enjoyed looking through the latest Japanese Eihon (illustrated children’s book). A block away is Grand Gesture, a bookstore dedicated to the romance genre. We poured over each shelf and the different themes. My sister and I enjoyed reading romance growing up, and we’ve built up quite the collection. They’re all currently stashed at home in Taiwan, and my sister constantly battles my mom over her urge to purge. It’s been a while since I dove into a book; I sort of longed for those carefree youth of mine where I would not budge from a chair before the final chapter has concluded.

You need a map to navigate this store.

The last bookstore of the day is Powell’s City of Books. The famous establishment is comprised of huge sections, each with a color designation. One can really get lost poking through the aisles and climbing stairs to a different room. I was searching for a specific photography book featuring Saul Leiter, inspired by the pencil board design that the Hobonichi brand made years ago. It so happens that the same display also featured a Moomin-themed 100 writing and crafting paper pad — I’m sold.

Kelly and I decompressed at a nearby cafe: Never Coffee. It’s rainbow neon sign stood bright against the slowly grim day. We coveted its large picnic bench table and spread out all of our journals and stationery items. I brought with me the new Kodak Charmera, a key-chain sized portable point-and-shoot camera that produces grainy but nostalgic perspectives. It’s the cutest item for an analog lover like me. It stayed in my purse throughout the trip, allowing me to capture interesting perspectives of everyday common things. Sometimes, all it takes to feel excited is viewing the world through a different lens.

Trying a new coffee place every day

To make my work week more interesting, I decided to walk to different coffee shops each day from the hotel. Sometimes it would be the first cup in the morning, and on another day it would be an afternoon pick-me-up. Just like Seattle, there is no lack of interesting coffee shops around town.

Monday - Courier Coffee, a Japanese-core coffee shop with its own house-roasted, single-origin beans. It was a noon and the warm sun was slanting through its floor to ceiling window. A record player plays a comforting tune and other patrons are enjoying sushi makis for a quick lunch. I got the Kokuto (brown sugar) Hojicha Latte.

Tuesday - Stumptown Coffee, a Portland icon, and their downtown location is on the first floor of an-assuming office building. However, I was immediately enamored by its “pink cat cup”, apparently quite the sensation on social media. I went back to the store before we left for Seattle to ask for extra cups so I can repurpose them into pen holders on my desk. I got the Sugar and Spice latte.

Wednesday - Spella Caffe. Elliot’s sister’s boyfriend works in the coffee industry in Chicago. He recommended that we check out Spella Caffe. The coffee shop is take-out only, and its marbled interior and brass trimmed window immediately gave off East Coast Italian vibes. They’re known for their shakerato espresso, but my mocha was the perfect brew for a very foggy morning in Portland.

Thursday - Roseline Coffee. I wasn’t up to date with the tea on this. Apparently, the owners of Barista split up and half of the Barista coffee stores are now Roseline Coffee. I went to the location in the lobby of Woodlark Hotel, and it is crowded at 8 AM from its hotel patrons and other locals. I went a little crazy and got the Orange Buttermilk Toffee Latte. It felt like a breakfast dish.

Friday - ABBA Coffee Roasters is one of my favorite coffee shops in Portland because of its nutty and creamy Sesame Latte. It is also conveniently located right around the corner from Oblation Papers and Press stationery store. This coffee shop offers menus with a Korean twist; next time I’ll have to try their Caramel Gochujang Latte.

Am I at a sento?

Our hotel has a luxurious indoor pool and hot tub, opened from 9 am in the morning until 10 pm at night. This bath soak lover took full advantage of this amenity throughout the week, sneaking in 15 minute dips into the hot tub here and there. While I was enjoying the jets from the hot tub during midday, I noticed some parallel to a Japanese bathhouse experience.

The sun streamed through the large windows, warming my skin that wasn’t submerged in the water. Across the pool, you can see Mt. Hood clearly against the slightly hazy blue sky. I was reminded of the Mt Fuji murals inside traditional Japanese bathhouses. Although this is a completely different environment, I was still pleased about this similar experience.

A walk in search of zen

Continuing the theme of reminiscing about Japan, I took a much needed stroll through the Portland Japanese Garden early in the morning. This beautiful garden is perched high up on the hill surrounding the city. To visit its ground, you first have to walk up a gentle hike from the front entrance by the famous rose garden. I wanted to avoid the crowd and enjoy the garden’s silent tranquility, so I purchased the earliest ticket possible.

Fog was still slightly covering the hillside, so I felt like a character in a fantasy climbing to seek a treasured hideaway in the mountains. I specifically wanted to visit the beautiful installation of Yukizuri (雪吊り) in the garden — support system made out of straw ropes that prepare the precious trees from snowfall or extreme weather. They are meticulously built around moss covered branches and particularly placed stones. To a foreigner’s eye, they even look like Christmas trees. I also found the Komo-maki (菰巻き) straw belts wrapped around the tree trunks whimsical. They are designed to prevent insects from reaching the roots, but they look like belly warmers as the trees prepare for cooler weather.

This garden boasted mountain views, a meditation garden tucked away, pebbled ponds, and even a little waterfall. I was feeling pretty restless — a mixture of the horrible news happening around me as well as friction at work — so I took my time breathing in fresh air, enjoying slices of sun through the canopy, and sat on benches designed for you to zone out at the tapestry.

I brought my KNOX in Mini 5 Square size with me, and I took a moment to just write about the moment and the sensations I’m feeling. That morning, I was able to escape and find peace for a little bit, albeit temporarily. It was the best 1-hour break I took for myself this year, so far.

Back home and back to reality

The Portland staycation was a luxurious getaway from the daily hustle and bustle, but I wasn’t reluctant to leave, we have to get back to fight evil in its ugly rearing head. It has barely been a full year since I became an official citizen of this country, and yet I’ve felt a huge spectrum of emotions since the start of the year: rage, fear, frustration, hope, anger, helplessness, tears…anything but numb.

After all, I’ve been living in the United States for a decade now, and it finally feels like I’m fully at home. Yet, to see my home be ravaged with cruel crooks and greedy liars is an infuriating feeling. How dare they stamp around, lawlessly, in my precious home, a place where I finally felt comfortable in. To be frank, I wasn’t able to function normally at work at all since Renee Good was murdered in cold blood. I would read the news and burst out in tears, yet needing to switch gears in the next hour to talk about selling stationery in upcoming events. The whiplash is real, and the cognitive dissonance is also real.

While I am tempted to fall into the deep pits of despair, I am also holding on for dear life with sparks of joy here and there: watching the Seahawks advance into the playoffs (it’s Elliot’s favorite team), walking Cookie along Kerry Park in the sunset glow, catching the Northern Lights ripple across the dark sky from my balcony. I binged watch and finished “Can This Love be Translated?” and I couldn’t stop smiling with giddyness from its lovely romance.

I squealed like a kid when I saw the aurora ripple across the sky. Joo-ho-jin!!! (K-drama reference)

I wonder if Cookie can feel my stress?

This year, more than ever, I realized that life is not a straight line to any destination. It’s a constant circling of emotions, embracing duality of identity, juggling priorities, and feeling very lost and very angry and very happy at the same time.

I went back to Nong's Khao Man Gai twice because it was so good!

This weekend, I’m going to join another protest for ICE OUT for Good, and play an hour of Animal Crossing. I might also have to catch up on some work items that I’ve slacked off on during the week. What are you feeling strongly about today?