Things you learn living in Portland
For one, its weird.
Inspired from my “ 8 things you learn when living in San Francisco” I am coming back at you, yet again, with some more reflections about my ride so far in the Pacific Northwest, now that I’ve moved bases to Portland! DISCLAIMER: I have to establish right at the beginning of this post that all the subtle digs I make are truly intended for pure fun and in good spirit! And while there are several other observations to note about Portland, these were a few things that stood out to me.
Now without further adieu, lets dive right in!
Amalgamation of companies to work for
..With Nike and Intel at the forefront of it all! I mean kids grow up in this city wanting to either rep the swoosh as part of their outfit or memorizing processing chips because they know no better! The city is home to some of the coolest sport companies, bazillion tech and urban planning consultancies, creative startups to name a few.
It only makes sense as to why the Nike Employee Store or the Columbia Employee Store is often flocked with the entire city of Portland in it because everyone knows of someone at who can get you that employee discount + Did I mention NO SALES TAX!! #Winning
NEWSFLASH: Rain or shine, people work out!
Its 6 AM, pouring rain outside (it always rains here!) and yet you would find this super fit dude, (side note: with beautifully crafted calf muscles) running alongside the road. And that’s completely “NORMAL”. People here are the definition of fit- I mean we’re talking, rain-running-ice-climbing-all-day-hiking-pro-slope-skiing kinda fit! While it is very easy for me to blame the weather for not being able to work out (99% of the time), it doesn’t stop any Portlander to put his/her runners on and hit trail.
No beer no life attitude
Breweries EVERYWHERE! Sour beers, IPA’s, Ciders- you name it, they have it! An ideal night out here consists of some good food, chill music and TONS of beer. If that’s the kinda vibe you are going for, you’re at the right place my friend! I find it ridiculous how everyone manages to look so fit when they drink like tanks (insert all that running during rain or shine!!). It is worth appreciating how much people know about the extensive list of beer the state of Oregon has to offer, enough to judge you HARD if you choose the wrong one (hint: always pick the IPA’s if you panic!)
The mountains/outdoors are calling!
If the suns out, you’ll find most of the locals packing their bags and cars up, on their way to Mt Bachelor, Mt.Hood or even the coast (to name a few). Oregon is blessed with an abundance of nature and honestly has every scenery to fit your mood. Whether you want to camp/hike/ run or even do hardcore mountaineering and summit a 10K ft mountain, Portland’s gotchu. Your ticket to thriving here is a car, sustenance to the rain and love for the wilderness (none of which I have), and you’ll be golden!
Athleisure baby!
Me in college was a girl in sweats, hair in a bun lookin like a potato straight out from training. Portland’s not far from that! I’ve seen almost every other person throw on some workout leggings, sneaks and most definitely a Columbia/Patagonia/Arcteryx down jacket, with barely any makeup ON and rock that look everywhere. You could possibly even get away with it at a nice restaurant! Now look, if you would’ve asked me back in college if I would ever repeat my comfy athletic clothing in the adult world, I would’ve said “I cannot wait to shed this appearance and take on a more put together look!”….little did I know back then!
The vibe is relaxed, liberating and all about confidence in your own skin, and I am not mad about that… well maybe for the times I’d put a cute top on, but legit change because every other person around me is BARELY making an effort..*SIGH*
Vegan food everywhere!!
I have never been less frantic of checking the menu prior to going to a restaurant than now! Portland is THE home to vegan/vegetarian food and they make sure every single restaurant accommodates to that request. As a vegetarian- THIS. IS. A. BLESSING. It makes me so proud that my kinda people are not only being acknowledged, but also catered to with binge worthy food! Plus the food is hella creative (thank you Beyond Meat). Truly a thriving time to go vegan- I mean coconut cream FTW!!
Coffee overload
The city is obsessed with (overpriced) coffee’s and cafes! I am personally big on tea, not coffee, but every time I am at a cafe, I find myself getting drawn toward the unique choices they have to offer. Every block has a cute cafe and every cafe has its own innovative spin to a latte. This weekend, I had my first ever “Pistachio Moroccan Latte”… whatever that means, but it tasted absolutely delicious. PLUS they always have oat milk (makes every lame coffee drink better!). So the next time you see me at a PDX Cafe, you’ll mostly find me saying “May I have that fancy orange scented dark chocolate Mocha with Oat Milk pleaseeeee!”
The friendliest (mildly weird) people you’ll ever meet
Its hard for me to explain the weird part, because you’ll have to be here to experience some of that but Portlanders are some of the nicest, eclectic and interesting people you’ll ever meet. They’re curious souls willing to help you even if you just met them 7 seconds ago! Sometimes they are SO nice, that my east coast mind is like “What happened to personal space!?” But if you ever find yourself in a pickle and are lonely, know that this city takes great pride in their sense of community and has various different types of groups with several interests, that it’s almost impossible to not find your clique! :) Just be open to exploring your inner weirdo, with a couple other weirdos around you!
