The West Coast - III

We’re heading back to Portland from the beach house in Oceanside. I had a good phone interview with the Extrahop recruiter. I hope I make it through to the next stage of the process; fingers crossed!

Kelly had a phone interview yesterday, which seems to have gone pretty well. We all went to a coffee shop so that she could prepare. The shop had a stark grey interior and a high ceiling, and the latte I had was creamy and delicious. After that was done, we left Portland for Oceanside.

Leaving Portland!

Soon after we arrived, we went straight to the beach. The staircases leading from the house to the road below were covered in thorny blackberry bushes, laden with delicious ripe fruit. We soon arrived at the beach, where we could see the whole town; a cute assembly of houses perched on a steep hillside. It was a beautiful sight. This time I got to swim in the waves, which were incredibly tall. The water was bracing, but it was a lot of fun.

The beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Later on, Kelly took us to the restaurant she had worked at once upon a time. We had a very nice albeit heavy meal, Kelly and Maiya sharing an amazing pork shank while I enjoyed mac and cheese with oysters and pork belly. Following that, we were quite exhausted, so we decided for an early bedtime, but not before one last walk on the beach…

This time around, it was pitch black, and Kelly led us to a long, dark tunnel through the cliffside. It was quite a scary corridor, and the path was treacherous and covered with large rocks. The blue rectangle of the nighttime sky ahead guided our path. Finally, we emerged onto a wild and empty beach, with not a sound but the crashing of the waves. Maiya pulled out her mandolin and played while we enjoyed some ciders. It was a beautiful place, but it was nice to return to the town afterwards. Seeing the little lighted windows dotting the cliffside beneath a stormy sky and staring at the vast, dark ocean was a warm and happy sight to behold.

We arrived back home exhausted. Since Pat and Scott didn't come with us to the beach house, Kelly and I got to sleep in their beautiful room with view on the ocean!

Wow!