10years ago...

10 years ago, i fell in love with a little town called Hillsboro, situated in the Northwest of Oregon in the NW, this place has etched a very deep longing in my heart. It was my heaven on Earth.

When i graduated in 2001 and travelled up north to Penang for a job, it was my first time leaving 'the nest'..i was seeking for excitement, adventure and most of all freedom. Landing my first job in Intel, at that time, was a dream job for most, but to me, was excitement of something to discover and unknown. When i started work, almost immediately we(new hires) were told that the company was going to send us  to the US for training as we were the pioneer group of the CPU design team in Penang..Nonetheless, i had no idea what this meant, i didn't even know where Oregon was pinned in the map.

When we arrived, it was winter...days were short and nights very cold..driving on the other side was a challenge..but every weekend was filled with things to do and see. There were 70 of us, and we grouped during weekends for trips. My first time visiting Mount Hood, we were giggling all the way when we saw snow dirt on both sides the road leading up. Stopping halfway to put on the chains on the tires were 'scarry' and we thought something bad was going to happen. Upon arriving at the Timberline lodge, it was snowing and we were almost knee deep in fresh soft snow. How esctatic I was! Catching the first snowflakes in my palm and observing..WOW..realizing for the first time in my life what a snowflake actually looked like! Giving myself the 'Ohhhhhh'...no wonder i see this patterns on Christmas back home..ah..it was a bliss! I was totally in love!

Mount Hood - Timberline Lodge

My Apartment at Hampshire Downs

The place i worked was about 5minutes walk from my apartment. I had a cozy 1 bedroom apartment all to myself and a car. I bought a bicycle which i would cycle to work, and back for lunch break sometimes. After work, I would sometimes cycle around the neigbourhood. I remember vividly it was spring 2002, how the flowers bloomed along the path, and how clean and refreshing the air was...I had never had those in Malaysia, unless if i drive all the way up the highlands maybe. I also didn't ride my bike very well before, but it was not a problem here, as bike lanes and pathways were safe and smooth.


I had never eaten a baguette or loaf of bread, besides the regular Gardenia bread. Seeing my first loaf, i never knew those were real bread and edible..i've only seem them in picture books..and boy were they hard! Later learnt to enjoy these 'crusty' and 'aromatic' bread...dipped in herbs and oil...food never tasted so good...my first taste of wild alaskan salmon, first 10oz steak, hand tossed pizza, tonnes of diff cheese...blah blah blah..

God gave me many blessings, to be able to return to my little heaven on earth, year after year, since 2002. My son Jayden was born in Sep2007 and we finally returned to Penang in Mar2009. It has been 3.5yrs! Anyway, i'm soooo excited..i'm going back! God is so good to me...i've asked him so many times...finally after 3.5yrs, the chance is here. This time we're going as a family, with hubs and my 2 boys..I want to try to blog every event that takes place in this 7 weeks again to recapture memories and for keepsakes..after all, who knows how many more years?