Portland vs. Basel

Who Does It Best?
As you may know, Karena and I recently moved to Basel, Switzerland (yes, right before my book launch - yikes). We kept the house in Portland since we work between the two pretty often, so that had many of you asking me on my book tour "Which do you like better?" Tricky question really... so I decided to do a list of Who Does What Better: Basel v. Portland. (And yes, those are the names on coke in Switzerland - who is Reto?)

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BASEL, SWITZERLAND
You will never have cleaner dishes. They use special salt in the dishwasher that I believe is really captured angel kisses. 

The tram will take you anywhere and has never been urinated in. 

You can buy amazing, pre-packaged desserts like tiramisu and panna cota and creme caramel on the cheap in every grocery store.

This.

PORTLAND, OR USA
The law mandates having hot food in every bar, so they made that shit amazing.

Your barista and all the cashiers at your local organic hub have MFAs.

You will find random handwritten jokes tied to benches near graffiti that says "You are too good for this world."

This. ​

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Amazing-ness from the West Coast book tour
Here are a few images from readings with Jillian Lauren and Siel Ju at Book Soup in LA, a banter with Kate Carroll de Gutes at Powell's in Portland, and with Charlie Jane Anders at the amazing Writers with Drinks in SF (three bucket lists CHECK)! More touring to commence in the Spring...