In my [nearly] three decades of hurtling around the sun, my bucket list of places to visit gets longer every year. Thankfully, my favorite guy in the world loves traveling just as much as I do. We decided to start the year off with a fun friends trip. Since tickets to Portland were $225 roundtrip, we set off for the west coast.

If you’ve never travelled with a rag-tag bunch of your favorite peeps, I seriously think you must do it at least once in your lifetime. Personally, I travel with my friends as often as I can. It’s been a bit harder to do since leaving teaching and starting law school – but we’ve made it work.

This trip was short and blissfully wonderful. If you’re going to spend 48 hours in Portland, Oregon, I recommend visiting these savory spaces.

Cafe Ponte

This little coffee shop was my absolute favorite. We tried every open coffee shop. My least favorite thing about Portland was how few shops were open on Sunday morning. Sadly, this cafe is one of them; their coffee was so good, I thought about it for two whole days. We even ordered some from their site when we got back to Texas! This adorable shop also introduced me to Petunia’s!

Petunia’s!

I’m a sucker for sweets and when I noticed that Cafe Ponte sold some of their goods, I sought them out. Added bonus? Petunia’s is around the corner from Blue Star donuts! Apparently, there’s some sort of battle between Blue Star & Voodoo Donuts.

I’ll tell you here and now, Voodoo is better (and much cheaper) than Blue Star. But hey, if you’re in the mood for an expensive square donut, then you’ve gotta stop in at Blue Star.

The food scene in Portland was mostly phenomenal. Sadly, we didn’t have the opportunity to spend any time at the food trucks (I know, what the hell were we doing?!). We did manage to pop into several restaurants, shops, coffee joints, and a couple of chocolatier establishments. Having traveled the world, I’ve decided brunch is the best meal of the day.

Mother’s Bistro

Hands down, the best meal of the trip. The staff is incredibly friendly, they take reservations (which is fantastic) and they offer coffee while you wait. Need I say more, friends? This not-so-little popstand is a Portland staple and recently moved super close to Voodoo donuts. It’s an excellent people-watching spot and the portions are definitely share-worthy. We ordered several drinks, coffee, and a cinnamon roll the size of Kolby’s face!

This trip was full of hilarious discussions, law and politics debates, shocked realization that the entire hotel shuts off its air conditioning system in the winter, and enough cupcakes and coffee to fill our happy bellies for a few days. In short – this travel adventure was both necessary and thoroughly enjoyed by all.

I woke up extra-early on our last morning in Portland so the Beau and I could traipse around the city. we enjoyed the hushed, early-morning whispers of passersby and stopped at a last-minute coffee shop. If we move to Portland, my caffeine-loving veins will never tire of the variety in coffee shops! Every single one offered up something different and each barista was super helpful – always suggesting their idea of what my favorite latte might entail. How can you not fall in love with this type of edible art?

At this moment in time, there are 71 days until graduation. I’ve registered for the Bar exam, applied for graduation, and just about made it through midterms. There’s an incredible amount of work left to complete before the semester ends. My hope is to sneak in a trip or two before the end of June. It’s hard to stay cooped up, studying. These quick trips keep my heart and soul happy, effectively grounding me in my purpose. I mean, what more can a girl ask for than great friends, delectable treats, and endless supplies of coffee?

What kind of adventures have you gone on lately?