As I close in on 6 months in Portland this week, I am finally at peace with my answer to the follow up question when I explain to friends, family, acquaintances, or passersby that I have indeed made a cross-country move — “Do you like being in Portland?”
I think funnily enough, cliches are cliches for a reason. The coffee is insanely great quality, and the cozy revelry of finding yet another delightful coffee spot with its own distinct presence and ambience is a sheer joy I will never tire of.
The outdoors are so majestic and so accessible. One day, the highway traffic was a little jammed, so I took a sideroad, and was surprised with cliffside views and streams minutes away from the city center, overlooking the large Willamette River. Last weekend, I went to one of my favorite Wildlife Refuge’s and saw a slider turtle swimming happily in the brook, and a few months prior had seen a bald eagle in the same park making his rounds. Idyllic, iconic, and so matter-of-fact. I joke often that Portland is not a city insofar as a collection of towns, and that it’s cute that it tries to act like a big city. I mean it in the best way. It is untarnished land and slowly growing metropolis, but in that slow growth, the fabric of what was can still shine underneath. Stumptown was a nickname because the trees that were chopped down to make room for the streets were just trodden over– but Portlanders kept on moving. There is such a resilience of spirit here that I do appreciate, but is unlike anywhere I have lived thus far.
But back to the question… “Do you like it?” I like that I feel like I am learning. I am growing. I am challenged by the people I meet to reexamine what I thought I believed or how I wish to approach life. I am surprised by what ends up bothering me about the politics or the cultural differences, and that surprise holds inherent growth. I moved during a pandemic to a city sight unseen. Younger me would both be shocked (nothing went to plan, I have thrown out the plan a decade ago), but proud.
Portland also feels like an idyllic cabin in the woods– even in the middle of the Pearl district! I feel like as I look at the vista of the cityscape, I am drawn back to my books and my prose. In repose, I feel immense gratitude for what feels like a gift of self discovery and time. Yes, I came here to advance my career in the traditional sense. But I also came here to see what can I make of myself. How can I grow the community around me? How do I function without the anchors of my near and dear? It has been a challenge, but not one I have backed down from.
I am feeling like I am gaining confidence in little actions. I have some go-to spots and some local haunts, and some semblance of routines. When someone new asks where to go, I can prattle on a list and sound hipster as I discern where they should go versus what they’ve been recommended. I have a home away from home in my dance classes with my guru Dr. Jayanthi Raman. And my consulting work has given me the most surprising bunch of colleagues and clients (some turned friends!). I am excited for the next 6 months. So though it’s a long answer, the gist of it is… do I like Portland? I think so. Or at least, I’m working on it.
XOXO,
maithreyi
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