I LOVE LOVE LOVE being back in the Great Northwest. As I drove into Portland, I began singing out loud with joy my made up song (“I LOVE LOVE LOVE being back in the Great Northwest!”). It is soooo green here. Evergreens are everywhere. Mt. Adams looming in the distance. It’s simply beautiful. Not only do I love being back in the Northwest, I love being back in Portland, the city of Roses. Grateful for all my years as a Commercial Carpet Rep when I covered both Washington and Oregon (really that meant Seattle and Portland) and drove the I-5 Corridor every 2-3 weeks.
While stopping to get gas in Roseberg, OR, a fellow traveler remarked “Let’s see, you’ve got a Seattle License plate holder, California Plates and you’re in Oregon….You get around Girl!”. I laughed and explained I used to live in Seattle for 20 years (I purposely did not want to remove my “Seattle University VW” license plate holder when I put my California plates on my car) moved to California about 2 ½ years ago and now was driving up to participate in a Nursery Trade show in Portland. “I’m sorry to hear that” was his comment on the moved to California part of my statement. Laughing again, I did tell him that I was too…that I loved returning to the forested green of the Northwest. Clearly he was a local (dog hanging out the window of his battered station wagon) and proud of his locale.
The Far West Nursery show has been interesting. Slow would be the appropriate word to describe the amount of traffic at the trade show. I’ve written only 2 orders but I have met a number of people who are interested in carrying my cards it’s just they are not the buyer at their Nursery’s so they take a catalog and I take their business card/information and hope that I’ll be able to get to the buyer and eventually write that order! There are so many kinds of people that attend this show…it’s a trick learning to read all the badges. Some say “retail”, others are “exhibitor” (but that doesn’t mean they aren’t also a potential customer because they may own Nurseries that have gifts), others still “grower” and a few other categories it seems. I’ve sold LOTS of individual cards and received LOTS of positive comments. “You should have left the Corporate Sales world 10 years earlier!” stated a guy when I told him I left Sales about 2 years ago to focus on my art. The usual “beautiful”, “these are so unique!”…”you write the words too!” (I say yes and don’t explain that I get lots of help and feedback…thanks Lauren, Steve and Sarah!)
Though the traffic is somewhat slow thankfully the reduced show hours make it fun and not grueling. With hours from Noon to 4 today, I’ll be packing up my booth in no time to hit the road I know so well…I-5 Portland to Seattle, I’m already anticipating a burger and walla walla onion rings from Burgerville!