The Move to The Dalles (Oregon)

A regular stop in life is to swing by the gas station to feed the vehicle with petrol to continue with needed errands, work, and escaping the city. I pull alongside the gas pump and wait. A worker walks up my car and I hand him my credit card. This is not Arizona, or Colorado, or Idaho and no, please don’t let it be New Jersey! The only other state that does not allow you to pump your own fuel is Oregon.

Yes, as I have been reminded by a cute note from a co-worker, I am now an Oregonian.

**Mt Hood on the flight from Kalispell, Montana to Tucson, Arizona. The Dalles is close to Mt. Hood.**

Many things needed to happen for me to be in the unique position to not be able to pump my own gas. I had been unemployed and seeking for the next door to go through (or window to leap through). After a lengthy time with no bites on zillions (ok, a lot) of job applications I was dealing with some challenges and some serious lack of funds.

When it rains it pours, comes to mind as I had two job opportunities hit the radar within a few days of each other. One would involve a flight to Kalispell, Montana for interviews with the three top people at Hammer Nutrition and the other would unfold with additional questions and a phone interview for the Director of Tourism position with The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce in Oregon.

They do not pump your gas in Montana, so as you can gather, I now call The Dalles home and I love it!

The trip to Montana went very well and I felt solid about the time there and the interviews but I feel that I connected with the job and the right location for me
in accepting the job in The Dalles.

Actually drove over the bridge that I had bungee jumped off (April 1, 2018) near Page, AZ on my journey to Oregon. Saw three California Condors at the bridge. They are very rare with only about 84 of them in Utah and Arizona.

Already, I have tales to tell and photos and videos to share of my new playground which sits in the Columbia Gorge. More to come…