Moving To Portland : Eight Months Later

I CANNOT believe we've been in Portland eight months. No way, not possible. I find myself counting the months out on my fingers in disbelief every time I think about it. As a point of comparison, we were in Ireland for seven months—roughly from February to September—and somehow that time felt ages longer than the past eight months. At least to me.

So how is Portland treating us? Mostly good.

Mark's job, the catalyst for us moving here, is going well. He feels more challenged and invested than he did in his previous job, and he'll soon be able to watch a building project he was in charge of come to life. And I continue to do a mix of freelance design and writing, pursuing ongoing creative projects, and training as a literacy tutor. And keeping an eye on what's next for me, as always ;)

A big part of our interest in the Pacific Northwest was the nature and outdoor opportunities, both of which were severely lacking in Illinois. We've been taking advantage of the mild winter/early spring weather and hiking whenever we have free weekends. So far, we've stuck pretty close to Portland with lots of treks around Forest Park, but we are looking forward to some Gorge hikes like Eagle Creek Trail and taking trips to Crater Lake and Bend when it gets warmer. The natural beauty of this area is incomparable—the mountains, hills, evergreens, moss, ocean, rivers. Even when we're not in the mood to hike, there are plenty of places to drive—we've gone to the coast for a few hours one afternoon and driven a loop around Mt. Hood. Oregon's nature definitely feeds a part of my spirit in a way I haven't been able to in the past.

Then there's the food. It's probably silly to some, but to a food lover it's really enjoyable to live somewhere with great food everywhere you turn. Maybe you heard that Portland was named the #1 food city in the US? What I love is that the food is great at every spending level—it's not just fancy-pants small plates places with good eats but also the food carts and counter-order places and bakeries. Not to mention all the coffee and breweries. (Side note: I hope to start a new series soon sharing my favorite spots in the Portland area.)

Portland has also been good for Mark and I as a couple. We're a team (duh) but since starting over in a new city we've had to lean on each other even more than before. It feels like we're really focusing on ourselves as a little family unit, and I think that is—and will be—good for us, even while it's challenging at times. Our free time together is more enjoyable as well, since hiking and exploring gives us more shared interests than we had in Chicago.

But it's not all great.

While I haven't really dealt with any homesickness (sorry, fam), there is an unsettledness at the lack of a social circle. I literally didn't know anyone here in Portland when we moved, and getting to know people is a long game, particularly given how I'm slow to warm to new people. I've met some people, but I haven't felt like I've met MY people. It will continue to be a work in progress and a good opportunity for me to grow.

While Portlanders are generally friendly, there is an occasional attitude once people discover that we've recently moved here from the Midwest. Portland is (and has been) experiencing a lot of growth and changes over the past few years. I can't help but feel like I'm part of the problem of the area—and in a way, I am. I currently live in one of those expensive new apartment buildings that are part of what's driving up rent (because it happened to be easiest for arranging a cross-country move). Heck, my husband is part of what is building and expanding Portland, quite literally. Portland's charm came from it's quirky characters and artsy atmosphere, and a lot of that is is being driven out as the city grows. I obnoxiously want to tell people that I wanted to move here long before it was the cool place to be, and certainly not BECAUSE it's the cool place to be. But I don't think that would help win me any friends, lol.

With Portland's growth has come ridiculous housing prices. I wrote about that a bit in my post about selling our Oak Park condo. It's crazy; like, how about this one for $420,000 sold AS IS? Yeesh. At least be CUTE if you're going to cost that much! Even condos go for $400k+. It's depressing, and forecasts estimate that it'll only get worse.

Not that real estate prices matter too much in the short term—we're not looking to buy for at least a few years until we're sure we want to settle down here. But we will most likely be moving out of our current apartment at the end of our lease this summer. Our apartment is nice and in a walkable location to explore downtown and learn our way around the city, but 1) it's expensive, and 2) it lacks the neighborhood feel that I love.

My only other complaint about Portland is the noticeable lack of diversity. This city, this state, is WHITE. We were aware of that fact moving here, but I think diversity is something I took for granted in Oak Park, where my condo neighbors were Latino, African American, Indian, and white, and interacting with a variety of people in terms of age, nationality, and socioeconomic backgrounds was just a regular and welcome part of life. There's something about Portland's progressivism and forward-thinking that rings false given the lack of cultural diversity. I'm at the point in my development as a human where I'm not entirely comfortable when I'm surrounded by people who look just like me, and I think about the people being left out and why. If and when we have kids, it will be even more important of an issue for me, although there are no easy solutions.

So that's my 8-month update. Things are good, and I hope they'll improve even more over time, as the other life pieces fall into place. It's definitely an adventure.