Portland Global Getaway
Students and facilitators enjoyed a weekend in Portland with FIUTS!
Guest post by FIUTS Facilitators Kevin Sander, Sascha Krause, and Omar Altoaimi
Students and Facilitators in Portland
Friday, November 28th, 2014: storm winds swept torrents of rain over Seattle. Undeterred and kept warm by bellies full of turkey and gravy, 34 Huskies from around the world gathered at the Burke Museum and prepared to spend their Thanksgiving weekend on one of FIUTS’ epic Global Getaways. The destination was Portland and leading everyone there were facilitators Kevin, Omar, and Sascha. Joining the dream team was Fran who stepped up and volunteered to drive our fourth SUV. Thank you Fran!
Everybody was very excited to start their adventure in Portland (and to get out of the rain), so as soon as everyone was present and ready we packed into the cars and headed out. From the Burke, we drove almost four hours in the downpour across the State of Washington, stopping only once in Centralia for lunch, before safely arriving at Portland’s University Place Hotel. There wasn’t much time to check-in and relax at the hotel since it was the day of the famous “Tree Lighting Ceremony” in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Year after year thousands of Portlanders gather at the Pioneer Courthouse Square to celebrate the lighting of a spectacular 75ft Tree. The event features a holiday sing-a-long of classic Christmas songs and, of course, an early appearance by Santa himself! Everyone was excited to go downtown and join in the festivities, but the rainstorm hadn’t let up a bit causing some trepidation. However, after a rousing speech by the facilitators about how here in the northwest, sometimes you just have to “accept the rain and do things anyway,” the participants rallied and braved the storm. The rain finally let up a bit just before the ceremony started and we joined thousands of Portlanders in greeting the season by caroling. It was a great experience for everybody.
Saturday started with an all American breakfast to give us enough energy to explore Portland and enjoy some tax-free shopping. While brisk, the weather was sunny and beautiful; perfect for a walk downtown. We walked back through Pioneer Courthouse Square and all the way to Portland’s Saturday market, full of arts and crafts while mingling all the way. Oh, what fun!
We split up for lunch, eating at one of Portland’s many food carts or warming up at some indoor options, using the time to meet and greet any of the participants we hadn't met yet and get to know one another better. Afterward, we gathered at one of the world's largest bookstores, “Powell’s City of Books.” Powell’s was so big that they gave us maps at the entrance so we could find our way through all the floors and sections.
However, most of that afternoon was all about shopping for Christmas presents and taking advantage of the black-Friday-weekend deals at the Woodburn Premium Outlets just outside of the city. By the end, we had to squeeze back into the cars with all the stuff that everyone bought. We ended the day with a great dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant and a viewing party back at the hotel to watch a grandiose victory over the WSU Cougars in the Apple Cup. Go Huskies!!!!
On Sunday, we spent our last few hours in Portland back downtown. We went to Voodoo Doughnuts to experience all the weird deliciousness (or not so deliciousness) that they are famous for. What goes better with a doughnut than a cup of tea? Besides coffee, nothing! Hence, we stopped at the Lan Su Chinese Garden, featuring a traditional teahouse, to experience small piece Chinese culture in the heart of Portland.
After some more shopping, food carts, and downtown sightseeing, we had to bid beautiful Portland a fond farewell. But on such a glorious, sunny day, we decided to stop at Multnomah Falls before heading back to Seattle. Tucked into the cliffs adjoining the Columbia River and ringed by frost-covered stones, the fairytale-like waterfalls were the perfect backdrop for one of the best group pictures ever.
After the falls, we struck out for home. The warm, cozy cars quickly lulled most of our participants to sleep; no doubt to dream of the fun times and friends made at one very successful Global Getaway.
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