The day has finally come where I have left the magical city of New York for a better life out west. I basically had to throw myself in my Uber and had several mental breakdowns as I made my way to the airport on February 21st. Was I making the right decision? Did it make sense to leave my support and the comforts of New York that I had grown accustomed to? A mani/pedi on every corner, food at all times of the day, a beautifully merchandised boutique in every section of the city?? My Uber driver spoke zero english, which was extremely awkward trying to explain the tears but then comforting because I could just cry and not have to speak. It's like that first cry on the subway when no one asks what's wrong and it's just you and 40 people pretending not to look at you while not caring enough to ask.... (Ahh New York) As I approached the gate with swollen eyes, I instantly felt like Dorothy as I looked around at the people getting on the plane. Momma wasn't in Kansas anymore. BUCKLE UP.
I have now been in Portland for an official two weeks. HOLY S. In this very short time, I have managed to come up with my initial thoughts on Portland and Oregonians (who are the nicest people on earth). **Please note; I'm new and have lived in manhattan for 12 years.
Environmentalists. Let's go back to the airplane....I should have received the memo that (A) you wear backpacks in Portland and (B) you carry a canteen or some sort of "green" water bottle. I had never seen anything like it...they were asking the flight attendants (is that the politically correct name these days??) to fill their water bottles instead of accepting the mini size glass of water we get on planes. I'm the idiot that buys a huge water bottle every flight because I feel like I got out of the sahara desert every time I land. They definitely looked more refreshed when we landed and weren't struggling with all their carry-ons like myself. Point for the Oregonians.
Friendliness. You know you are a New Yorker when you find it shocking that someone asks how your day is. AND is genuine. Everywhere. It's actually uncomfortable. Is that bad? I've managed to have multiple awkward conversations every day with absolute strangers. It's going on 10 days. I always thought I was a nice person, but sometimes I just don't want to speak to people. Was I like that before New York? Or did New York make me that way? I mean. I would hide from people on the streets of New York or walk to another car on the subway if I saw someone I knew. Does everyone else do this? Sometimes you just want to zone out and listen to music during your commute....no small talk before 8am or coffee. That universal sign of; I have ear plugs in please leave me alone. It's so easy to get lost and be left alone in New York. Unsure how I feel about this one. I'm going to have to give a point to New Yorkers because sometimes I just want to be left alone.
Weather. Let's make this one CRYSTAL CLEAR. It rains here. A lot. Don't let them fool you by saying New York get's more rainfall in inches/year. (What does that even mean?) It has rained everyday since I have been here. Albeit, when the sun comes out it's pretty magical and everyone starts talking about how great the summers are here. Um...we'll see. New York summers are pretty incredible. Point for New Yorkers.
Homeless. There are a ton of homeless people in Portland. This surprised me. You actually have to ask apartment buildings if they hire people to police the area because you don't want to walk outside your door into someone's home (i.e. tent). I have also seen multiple "homeless" charging their iphone. (??) I'll leave you with that. Neither Portland or New York gets a point here.
Fashion. I'm sure this will be a main topic in the future, but wanted to share first observations. There are two types of people in Portland; People who wear beanies and people who wear rain jackets. Hopefully that is a good point of reference on when I start talking about fashion. I have yet to see a Patagonia paired with a beanie, but I'm sure they exist. We do live in the outdoor capital of the United States. There is a beard on every corner, which just makes me so happy. Bearded Beanie or Rain Jacket...I'll take it. Point for the Oregonians.
There are so many more thoughts as I begin my west coast life, but wanted to get out a few and get this blog going!