DISCOVER NEW DESTINATIONS

Now, I’d never seen myself as that kind of girl. Not in the boots, not in the fringe, not deep in the Oregon high desert under a blistering sun with cowboy hats bobbing like buoys in a sea of dust. But sometimes the universe nudges you—just hard enough to send you tumbling—and before you know it, you're slapping a bag of whiskey with a group of strangers and crying during a Sturgill Simpson set in the middle of nowhere.

I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to shrink into spaces that weren’t built for women like me — not just physically, but emotionally. I’ve stood in dressing rooms avoiding mirrors. I’ve untagged photos. I’ve chosen the towel instead of the pool. And I’ve told myself, silently and constantly, maybe when I lose the weight, I’ll deserve it. But something changed the day I walked into Cascada, Portland’s subterranean thermal spa tucked under the Alberta Arts District. I d

We recently moved to Portland from New York, and though we occasionally crave the kind of attentive dining that city does so well, we’ve outgrown the white-tablecloth hush and performative service. What we want now — and rarely find — is that golden middle: a place that makes you feel cared for without asking you to pretend you’re not still a person in shoes. Terra Mae is that place.