Wide eyed and excited, I stepped out of the busy United airlines baggage claim terminal and immediately into the light summer shower. As I tried to track down my Uber, I thought to myself, "Ha, this little drizzle of rain is what everyone's been making such a huge fuss about". At that moment in time I did not understand the full extent of the common warning I heard upon arrival, "You're going to need a rain jacket".
I had just spent six hours on a plane from my hometown, Atlanta, Georgia to the mysterious land unknown to southerners, referred to as, "above California and below Seattle". With my only prior knowledge of Portland, Oregon, coming from the sketch-based, hit comedy show, Portlandia, my decision to move here was daring. I got in my ride and rode to my new home for the next 2 years: the University of Portland. On my way to campus, I rattled off all the activities I couldn't wait to try and experience: Snowboarding on Mount Hood, hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, having dinner with Nike executives, starting a rap group named "Chicos!" All of these were brilliant ideas racing through my head. Little did I know that my next year was going to be spent on the campus of the University of Portland studying at the Clark Library, or working out at the Chiles athletic center. The few times I did get away from campus, I made some exciting memories around the city and experienced notable comparisons and differences to hometown in Georgia.
As the Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard once said, "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards". These are the 3 things I learned about the culture in Portland after my first year I wish I could tell my incoming self or the incoming southerner on their visit to the magical city of Portland, Oregon.
1. The only dress code is to stay dry.
Instead of the unspoken dress code of the southern teenage male which entails Polo Ralph Lauren shirts, matched with Vineyard Vines khaki shorts, combined with the multi-purpose unofficial boat shoe of the south, known as the Sperry, there is no real look in Portland. You have a large fashion spectrum starting from the tattered and quintessential "hipster" shirts, the Baja hitchhiker’s hoodies, all the way to Adidas interns track suits and their bosses’ real suits — ones you wear to a high paying job, not a track. The city is an urban melting pot, which is a breath of fresh air if you’re from a small suburb outside of Atlanta, where there is a noticeable majority that governs not only the fashion, but the way of everyday life. The people of Portland come from all shapes and sizes, and they bring their own original style that matches their culture. The one article of clothing that all Portlanders have in common is a rain jacket for mother nature’s ever present gift that she so graciously blesses the pacific northwest with, called rain.
2. Boredom is a choice.
In the city, there are a variety of activities and sights to see, even in the winter months. Pioneer Place Mall, the Japanese Garden, and the Portland Timbers games are just a few out of many places that are unique to Portland and give the city that special European vibe. However, when the weather is nice, you’ll have to spin a wheel to decide which outdoor activity to visit first, unlike the dry heat of the south that forces its inhabitants inside of their suburban houses for the best parts of summer. Portland summers are in the mid 80’s, which invites people outside for numerous opportunities to explore: The sleeping giant known as the Willamette River that runs the through the heart of downtown Portland provides countless activities for the population to partake in on the river such as jet skiing, tubing, kayaking, fishing, or taking a barge cruise. But then again, if action water sports aren’t your cup of tea there are areas upstream where you can lay out on the shore, or take your date on a romantic river walk. For those that want to get out of the city, Portland is in a prime location where adventure is just a short car ride of, ‘Oh he’s a jolly good fellow’ away to your destination. With the beaches of the Oregon Coast a mere two hour drive away, the ski resorts of Mount Hood another two hour drive away, and the hikes the of the Columbia River Gorge only an hour away, you find your friends blasting and hallowing the lyrics to “The Life of Pablo” album more manageable. Hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, such as Angels Rest, Dog Mountain, or Multnomah Falls have breath taking sights on the journey to the top. Then, once you arrive at the summit of these beautiful climbs, you can take that perfect scenic photo for your Instagram. The only view that will remind an Atlanta native of home is the view of red brake lights and license plates. In Portland, you can see “Let’s Keep Portland Weird” bumper stickers lined up in front of you for miles as you’re stuck in back to back traffic doing 4mph on I-84.
3. A Food Cart will take you heart.
Chick-fil-A, Whataburger, Canes, and Waffle House aren’t in abundance or even exist in this food metropolis. In addition, sadly I still haven’t found the hidden tea river that flows this sweet liquid gold in Portland, but I’ll probably find it in my dreams tonight. However, there are ample food options that you can choose from which more than just replace the generic fast-food staples we live from in the South. As the young people are saying these days, the food here in Portland is “Dank”. The St. Johns food carts have been a constant breakfast staple for my boys and I when we want a freshly cooked breakfast sandwich, or heavier prepared omelet potatoes & hash. The organic whole wheat kale smoothies that give Portland its stereotypical heathy-weird-reputation can be bought alongside a strawberry banana smoothie that will give your friendly neighbor smoothie king a run for his money. When you’re done trying on the latest sneakers at Nike that you can't afford at Pioneer Place Mall, you’ll probably be looking for a spot to eat. Lucky for you, your next food location is the city food carts abundant on every other street corner downtown. At the food carts, you hear all different kinds of dialects ordering and describing foods mixed in with pans sizzling and bikers commuting to work yelling at customers in the line to make room so they can get by. There's the Gyros at the Greek cart, or Burritos from the Mexican cart, and the Che’ Café, which has your choice of BBQ or breakfast depending on the time of day. Choosing what to eat at the food carts is the hard part, while inhaling you meal for cheap will be the easiest thing you do on that day next to breathing.
