Carol Gano – Tents

When Elle was in Year 10 at Burwood Girls’ High) she and I moved to Portland, Oregon USA for a year to determine if she wanted an American four year university degree or a three year Australian University degree. No contest you exclaim, why put yourself through an extra year in the land of raging gun-slinging ethno-centric Americans, who cannot understand the Australian accent?

Well, it was an option to explore. So dutifully I sold our home and packed us off to Portland via Nara Japan.

Once ensconced in Portland with Elle attending high school and continuing her Indonesian Language classes, by distance to Burwood, not Indonesia, we learned of several universities she could go visit as a potential student in the near future.

At that time in her life, she was especially interested in LANGUAGES. So, as a side-trip to Eastern Oregon University, we had an escorted tour – given weekly – to the orangutans…Or was it gorillas? Learning languages nearby the campus, following an 8-12 hour drive (I think). Even the drive there was monumental. Northern Exposure was a TV serial we were addicted to watching on our lazy boy couch and each end recliners. I’d make up a batch of parmesan-chili pop-corn, and we’d munch and watch, and laugh about this small town. The town was ACTUALLY in Oregon. So we thought we’d go visit the set, en route. Which we did! Charming, delightful! And so realistic! It was a real small village.

But I digress.

Near the university we decided to stay not on campus, but at a horse farm that offered ‘TIPI’ tent overnight accommodation. Hence the stay at the university and the language institute failed. But, the tent stay occurred. Very nice! Recommended five star next time you want to go to the Ashland Shakespeare Annual Festival.