I had the opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon in the Spring of 2016.  I went there for a retreat for 5 days with a beautiful community of people.  It was a retreat given by Matt Kahn and Julie Dittmar.  I have been following Julie and Matt for several years now.   They are spiritual teachers whose humor and grace will capture you unwillingly.  I felt totally loved and nurtured the entire time I was there.  Not only by Julie and Matt but everyone at the conference.  My barriers came down whether I liked it or not.  I also felt I was in a safe place to allow my emotions to surface.  Imagine being in the company of 330 or more people!  Knowing that the person sitting next to me was probably going through the same thing I was gave me such relief and comfort.    By day 5 I was lighter, happier, confident and radiant.  Would I do it again?  Absolutely!  I have been to a lot of retreats and I would say this was one of my favorites.

The retreat was held at the “World Forestry Center” in Portland Oregon.  I was captivated by the beautiful trees which surrounded the center.  It was a hop skip and a jump from where I stayed.  I stayed at the Marriott Center in downtown Portland.   I was surprised of the short distance from the Marriott to the Forestery Center.  I took the Max Light Rail Terminal.  It was less than a 10 minute walk from the Marriott to the terminal.    Food in downtown Portland was delicious and fresh.  I don’t remember the names of the places I ate at but I can reassure you it was delicious.  One of my favorite dishes was a blend of rice, vegetables and sauce ( I wish I remembered the name of this place).  I ate there more than once and I found it soothing on my digestive tract.   The breakfast at the Marriott was good and the staff was very accommodating.  Can it get any better than eating breakfast and viewing Mound Hood.  I found Portland to be very clean and nourishing.  I was surprised of the amount of homeless people.  On my last day I was gifted with meeting several homeless people.  It’s hard to put into words how I felt.  My heart cracked open and I found the 2 men to be very wise souls.  Looks can be deceptive!  If you ever have the opportunity to travel I would highly recommend Portland, Oregon.  There was nothing I did not like about it!