Thanksgiving Day!

And so Thanksgiving Day is upon us! If you're unsure what exactly Thanksgiving is all about, this piece from the local newspaper here in Portland, the Willamette Week, might help:

 

So: Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent the entire morning (and a good part of the early afternoon) at Powell's City of Books, one of Portland's most impressive landmarks - apparently some people schedule an entire day to get lost in Powell's, browsing the bookshelves and drinking coffee.
Over five floors and across an entire city block, they must have virtually everything ever printed!

 

 

 

Obviously I needed sustenance!

 

Afterwards we went for our Thanksgiving lunch at a downtown restaurant, Ruth Chris' Steak House  (It's not just steaks - they were packed for Thanksgiving!).

 

Josh went for a turkey dinner, while I had Ceaser Salad..

 

And Scallops!

 

Afterwards we took a little stroll in Washington Park, and headed out to the cinema (again) to see Silver Linings Playbook - again, a really good indie-type film! We've been good at picking them here in Portland!

We decided to spend the next morning taking advantage of Black Friday shopping in downtown. Black Friday is basically the day after Thanksgiving when all of the shops do crazy sales. Yes, much like the Boxing Day sales - but this way you get to buy at bargain prices in time for Christmas. Oh, these Americans have it sussed.

I really do have so much to to thankful for (without sounding soppy) - amazing family and friends, both at home, at university and on this side of the ocean, and the opportunity to live in San Francisco for a whole year. Lucky or what?!

As much as I've enjoyed Seattle, Portland, the Thanksgiving break and travelling again in general, a part of me was just too excited to return to San Francisco - the California way of life has obviously got under my skin!