During August of 2014, I moved from Portland, OR, down to Los Angeles for school. The first semester of college is a lot of repeating the same information over and over again—name, major, what dorm you live in, and where you're from. The moment I mentioned that I'm from Portland, people's eyes would get big and they would ask if living in Portland is just like the show "Portlandia."
Yes, it is true, people in Portland love flannels and beards, carried things in mason jars before it was cool, and do love recycling. However, there is a different aspect of Portland culture that is only truly understood if you grew up in the area. A childhood in Portland is like no other, something that "Portlandia" will never fully explain.
1. "Let's go on a Dutch run!"
And you felt special as hell when you got a pink straw.
2. You felt like a part of your family passed away when the iconic Portland carpet was replaced.
R.I.P
3. You spend your no-school days doing one of three things: on 23rd for Salt & Straw and attempting be trendy in the shops, brunching at Slappy Cakes, or hiking the trail to Pittock Mansion.
Or if you're really cool, you do it all.
4. You wished you had a significant other during the holiday season, just so that you could be that annoying (I mean cute...) couple in the tunnel of lights at Zoo Lights.
5. You've posted a Snap to your story of you at the Nike Employee Store.
After asking everyone and their mother if they have a pass.
6. If you played baseball or softball, you had more rain-outs than actual games.
7. "Now you have a friend in the diamond business. The Shane Company. Located off Highway 217 across from the Washington Square Mall. Open weekdays till 8, Saturday and Sunday till 5, online at ShaneCo.com"
If you don't know by heart, did you even live in Portland?
8. You took your prom photos at the Waterfront. Or Pittock Mansion.
If you're edgy and hip, that brick wall in the Pearl District.
9. You hiked to Punchbowl with your friends.
And have the photo evidence on Instagram to prove it.
10. You've had days of school canceled in preparation of "storm watch [insert year here]," only to have no snow.
No matter how many snow dances you did...
11. Whenever it is Storm Watch [insert year here], you talk about the year that essentially every school in the Portland area had a three-week long winter break because of the snow storm.
12. You feel uncomfortable when you go somewhere and there isn't a recycling bin.
Is it even legal?
13. The flannel trend has been a thing for the past 10 years.
Flannels: a Portland Staple since '89.
14. You don't actually live in Portland, rather you live in Hillsboro, Beaverton, or Lake Oswego.
However, no one wants to say they're from Beaverton.
15. You probably dislike Jesuit High School for no particular reason.
And if you didn't, it means you went to Jesuit.
16. Your parents probably worked at Intel or Nike.
And if they didn't, you knew someone who did.
17. You don't own an umbrella.
If you own one, you either don't know where it is or you're from California.
18. You know there is a minimum of 10 ways to describe rain.
Mist, drizzle, scattered showers, downpour....
19. You didn't know how to pump your own gas until you went out of state and awkwardly sat at various gas stations, waiting for the attendant.
20. You couldn't be happier to call the City of Roses your home.
