My final days in Portland - Running 3 1/4 hours on the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park; wandering the streets of NW Portland, camera in hand; observing hipsters, hipster stores, hipster bus drivers; practicing the pentatonic on the ukelele?!; watching the swifts darken the dusk sky as they descend into the chimney at Chapman School, a full moon rising.
Back in Eugene, I am trying to adapt to a household of four - KC, her son, his friend, and myself. I found myself settling into strong mindful states while in Portland, due to practicing everyday in Morgan's meditation hall. I believe the only way an introvert like myself can remain happy in a crowded house is to go deeper into meditation so that I can clearly see when my mind is turning negative and paranoid, which it tends to do when it feels cramped and stifled. I have learned that I need a feeling of spaciousness and freedom in order to remain healthy - the test is to experience this when the external circumstances are anything but.
