Hi everyone.
Just wanted to remind you that I’m leaving town again for another family trip and won’t be back until the first week in September. I wish there was a way for me to keep the site going strong while I’m away, but without any paid staff that’s just not possible. I realize this isn’t ideal, so I’m asking for your patience, understanding and support as I take this last trip of the summer with my family.
If you’re curious, all five of us (my kids are 13, 19, and 21) are headed to Budapest where my wife was born and still has family (dad, aunt, uncle, and cousins). The last time I was there was 2016. I was impressed with their bike culture and infrastructure back then, so I’m curious what it looks like now. But to be clear, this is a family trip so I likely won’t switch into BikePortland-mode much at all if I can help it.
The thing is, I really need a break! The past 19 years of BikePortland is catching up to me — both physically and mentally. I have a serious elbow tendon overuse issue (from typing and using my thumb) that makes it painful to type and use my phone — both of which are absolutely necessary to do my job. And it feels like I’ve got some sort of mental exhaustion going on from the daily grind of writing, thinking, talking, hustling, stressing, all the expectations, and so on.
Next year will be Year 20 for BikePortland and Year 50 for me, so suffice it to say lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what it all means and what the hell I’m doing here. You know, typical mid-life crisis type of stuff!
Thanks for reading and hearing a few of my thoughts as I get set to leave town for the second time this month. I already miss being home and I can’t wait to get back to Portland and settle into fall. I’ve got a ton of cool stories, videos, and interviews planned for when I return.
Hope your summer has been great. And thanks again for your patience and support.
— Jonathan