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2 hard weeks but it paid off

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I've been working for an Institute as their head chef for the last 2 weeks (the first gig I got here in Oregon) buttttt despite not having a professional kitchen or the proper tools. I think these are some good looking dishes and I wanted to share them. :)

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once we get some money saved up again, we’re going to start traveling throughout the state of Oregon. & then once we’re done with Oregon, we’re going to continue our travels. so this isn’t the last of this blog. please, don’t think that. ever. We're gonna travel for the rest of out lives.

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I guess it makes sense now we're not traveling, this blog wouldn't be updated as much. I'm trying, but nothing really exciting or worth posting about has happened (photo wise). other than this gnarly sunburn. I was literally in the sun for ONE HOUR & I got that burned. other than that, I got a job. I'm working at planet fitness (following in my brother's footsteps :'D). Que & I move into the apartment on the fifteenth & then I don't know really how long we're going to be there. the lease is for a year but it's apparently very easy to sub-lease, so we'll see. I think it would be neat to stay in a place for a year & then move to another place for a year & so on. I'm personally having a really hard time adjusting to the "American standard" again. a really hard time. It was one thing to be at home, dreaming about it, planning for it. & now that I've had that taste of freedom, literally living on the road for a month, with no worries whatsoever, I've been spoiled. that's all I want. I don't see the point in staying in one place for the rest of your life. there's SO MUCH WORLD. there's SO MUCH TO EXPERIENCE. I cannot even begin to grasp how someone can just lay dormant. now that I've had that freedom, & I'm forced(low on the funds) to stay in one place again, I'm just. it's hard. but it's really exciting to officially have a place with Que now. I'm excited to be able to come back from a long day at work & snuggle with my love in our own place. that's a plus. a bed is far better than the car, I'll be honest. but any place with Que is a good one. my parents are coming to see us at the end of this month. it's going to be amazing to see them again, & I'm secretly happy that we decided to stay here because it's a reason to get them out to the west coast ;-) they'll love it, I think. I love them.

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I know we haven't been posting very much & I apologize. But it makes me happy that despite the little bit of obstacles were facing right now, Que can still smile like that.

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one of the hardest things is being stuck in one place when you've had a taste of freedom

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Hey. So I know I don't post as much as Sav. Sorry. Butttttt this is what I'm working with this week. A local institute hired me for two weeks to prep and cater for for 130 people. 130 people is easy but not really when you were promised two cooks but don't have any (I raised heck and they gave me volunteers🙄). They didn't mention the kitchen was dirty and I had to spend 3 hours cleaning before I could cook. Nor did they mention that there's only 2 burners and only 7 sheet trays. SEVEN. NORRRR did they mention that they wanted 1,360 cookies baked (I don't do baking). Either way, I was hired to make delicious food and that's what I'll do. So pray for me. And I'll try to post so pics later. XOXOXO -Que

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Que's been working his butt off & both of my interviews went well. I'm hoping really hard that I can get the position for the cake decorator. I visited the bakery & it's really beautiful & everyone working there seems SO HAPPY. it seems like such a positive environment, & I'm hoping I get to be a part of that. photographed above is a meal that our recent couch surfing host made for us. we cooked him a meal the first night & he surprised us with this when we arrived last night. stuffed peppers with a nut & rice mixture & then a vegan fruit & nut salad. very delicious. honestly the most amazing couch surfing experience we've had yet (not for the food. Lee is just an incredibly amazing human being) (but the food was really good too - not photographed was the HUMMUS he made, which if you know me, you know hummus is the real deal aka my fave thing). idk. Eugene is just really great. We're staying now with an older couple, Rita & Wayne, & they're so authentic in their ways. They have "family" all over the world that they take a week out of every month to go visit. incredible, honestly. I hope to be the traveling wanderers that they are when I become older.

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update: Que & I have been relentlessly job searching & it's been an exhausting task. countless hours of sitting in the public library looking at a computer is a bore. I'm not going to lie. but! it's rewarding. Que starts work tomorrow! He's gotten the opportunity to be the head cook for the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts. :-) We're not entirely sure if it's going to be a permanent job, as he's only helping right now with their music festival. But we have high hopes that it will be a forever thing. if not, he has another interview lined up later on this week. I have an interview tomorrow for the Noisette Pastry Kitchen. I'll be interviewing for the position of the Bread Baker, so that's pretty cool. We're excited. ALSO. FUN FACT. A guy that used to live in Elkton, Tim, moved to Eugene about a month ago. what a small world for two people to come from a really really small town only to move to another pretty small town. crazy. my mind is blown. but. we're doing laundry now. & it's boring.

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sorry que. I'm really sorry. but look at how handsome my man is :-)

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so here’s some photos of the apartment we’re moving into on the 15th (guess who's coffee). :-) :-) :-) we’re extremely excited to have gotten the deal that we did. we have a pool, sauna, steam room, gym, yoga studio, & even a few courtyards with barbeQUE grills & whatnot. we’re extremely grateful.

we’ve been sleeping in the car a lot recently (we usually realize we forgot to set up camp as the sun goes down, so then it’s too late), which isn’t that big of a deal, but we honestly cannot wait for a bed (which the apartment comes with brand new furniture). a bed. a pool. a sauna. relaxation. SPACE. we can’t wait. OH & ALSO THE APARTMENT ALLOWS PETS SO GUESS WHOS POTENTIALLY GONNA FOSTER SOME DOGS. this girl. :’-)

Que goes to work next week, he got a job, & so I don’t really know what I’m going to do for the time being. I just found out today that a guy I went to high school with moved here to Eugene a month ago (which is crazy because today marks a month since we’ve been on the road & we both moved from ELKTON to Eugene, of all places). what a small world. anyway! I’ll probably spend some time with him & continue exploring & hopefully make some new friends.

If you’re from Eugene & you’re visiting the blog, please say hi & introduce yourself.

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we're in Eugene, Oregon now. have been for the past two days. we absolutely adore it. adore it so much we went & got an apartment today. we move in August 15th & this doughnut isn't even as sweet as that. :-) we aren't sure how long we're going to in Eugene, to be honest. we're both looking for work (Que already has two interviews tomorrow) & we're just going to settle. find ourselves. save some money. then get back on the road. I've been saying for the past year or so that I'd like to have been in Alaska by my birthday, but I think this is the frosting on the cake. having an apartment with my love. one that's officially ours. I'm really excited for what's to come & to see what Eugene has to offer us. :-) ps the doughnut is from voodoo doughnuts & it's called the dirty bastard. aka doughnut with chocolate frosting, Oreos, & peanut butter. my three fave things.

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r we doing this???

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What's your final destination?

Alaska! 

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& now we’re officially in Oregon. FINALLY. this is the moment we’ve been waiting for since June 29th. (aka the first day of the trip). I think we were both looking forward to Oregon more than we’re looking forward to Alaska.

Everyone’s pretty much told us that Portland is going to be our place. the food scene is apparently astounding & the community is so so eccentric. I think we all need a little bit of weird in life, otherwise I don’t see the point. :-)

we stayed with this college student named Nijal last night & his sister lives in Eugene. so he hooked us up & we’re headed to her place now. we’re excited. we’re meeting people all over & making friends. we have at least one friend from each state, except Kansas. thanks Kansas.

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