Jen West – Author Bio

Jen’s Bio
Portland, OR

I’ve been a traveler from a young age. I took my first solo trip when I was seven, leaving home to find the end of the rainbow and that pot of gold. I only managed a few blocks though before Mom caught me. I believe borders are meant to be crossed and new territories meant to be explored. My sense of adventure, high-spiritedness and the blatant refusal to accept the words “no,” “can’t” and “shouldn’t” has motivated my quest for new experiences. (It also got me eighty-sixed from the Vatican, but that’s another story.)

When I’m not working to earn my daily food pellet, I indulge myself in hobbies that change on a whim. I consider myself a jen-of-all-trades and, yes, I traffic in bad puns. Some of my hobbies have included writing, travel, Taekwondo, Aikido, scuba diving, and most recently, wood burning.

As BootsnAll’s returning Portland Guide-Girl, I bring an interesting perspective to the City of Roses. I have been both a native and a visitor of Portland. I often think of this city as my lighthouse — I may not stay for long periods of time, but it’s always the place I come back to.

Although I was born in Portland, I spent most of my childhood years from age six to twelve in the Deep South. After living in the sprawling metropolis of Dallas, Texas, my family moved to the small, picturesque town of Pulaski, Tennessee where you could still buy a Coke for a nickel. Once my family had their fill of southern hospitality, we moved back to Oregon � or “God’s country” as my grandma puts it. But Oregon couldn’t keep me within her borders for long, and in 2000, I left my family behind to study in Lyon, France for ten months. Although I have to admit that I studied the Beaujolais and the Bordeaux more than my text books.

Now, I’m on one of life’s most fulfilling and thrilling adventures. Last summer I married a kind, loving, brilliant writer/musician/everything-man from Washington. (I’m not biased or anything.) We live in marital bliss with our two fat cats named Annie Hall and Cujo.

Please email any feedback or suggestions to jenwestinpdx at yahoo dot com.

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