From Oregon with Love

We have been so grateful for the hospitality we've received from our host families. Not only have they opened up their homes to strangers, they've included us in their lives and in their families.

As a small token of our appreciation we brought some gifts from home for the more than 30 Danish families that are hosting each of the five of us. We wanted bring uniquely Oregon presents to share a little bit of our home state with each of the homes we're staying in.

While we are definitely not diplomats, all travelers become de facto cultural attachés to some extent. And as informal ambassadors of Oregon we decided to bring myrtlewood gifts, pictures of the geographic diversity in Oregon and Pink Martini cds.

Getting enough myrtlewood salad tongs and Christmas ornaments for 35 families turned out to be much more difficult than I expected. But Stacy, pictured below, was a tremendous help at The Oregon Connection in Coos Bay. She individually wrapped all of our gifts AND they are a subsidiary of Star of Hope, helping adults with disabilities.

So if you're on the south coast and want something uniquely Oregon, stop in to their store to support the local economy and a rural nonprofit. While myrtlewood does grow in Israel too, Oregon is a lot closer :)