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Imnotgonnatellu,
Thank you! Thank you so much! You get it!!...
I've been looking into Portland as well. But I think even tho it's not as big as LA...it still might be a little too city-ish for me...maybe. Don't mind rain as long as there's tons to do. I like an active night life (i'm single), but not somewhere over run with college kids that every pub is like a frat house. I'm very cool with a mix of people. My politics are as follows: gun rights, gay rights, ganja..right on!, gal's right to choose... Along those lines anyway. Pretty simple, middle of the road I guess. I get along with everybody. I'm not fast paced either and I don't have a cell phone in my hand 24/7 like everybody does here.
I think it's really funny how californians aren't exactly welcomed with open arms in this forum....heh, what a shocker.
You wouldn't happen to know how far you have to drive to hunt boar, deer, or upland game birds would ya???
This is important..
As I would be looking for work at an Outfitters Ranch, gun store, gun range, or something to do with animals (yes, i hunt AND i love animals...go figure), caretaker, sales, anything to do with helping people/animals and having fun..
I'll shovel cow poop all day as long as it's outside in clean air.
Money is not important. I've had a lot of money, fancy career, expensive toys, and rich celebrity friends....it's ALL B.S... a big steaming pile of it at that.
I'd be really happy with land to do what I want to do without driving hours out of my way to do it.
jrkliny,
Just curious...why Colorado Springs?? I did a little research on here..not bad at all.
Not sure exactly how far one has to drive out of Portland to hunt, but I know that people do it all the time, so it can't be THAT far... (I don't hunt myself - only humans - when playing paintball that is!)
On a political note, here's a couple more sites that you might be interested in -
Guns and Dope Party (http://www.maybelogic.com/gunsanddopeparty/ - broken link) - this has nothing to do with Oregon but u may find it amusing nontheless.
Sounds to me like you would fit right in. I'm originally from Orange County. Lived in the Bend area since 1987. Just like you had to get out of the rat race of So Cal. It's the best thing I ever did. My husband is a born and raised Oregonian. He is an avid hunter and fisherman. He hunts Deer,Elk,Pheasant and Chukar and fishes for Bull Trout,Chinook Salmon,Steelhead etc. all within miles of our home. We actually live in the town of Redmond, which is 13 miles from Bend. Don't let anyone tell you Californians arn't welcome here. This is America, you are free to go wherever you please. You are more than wlecome to come to Bend Oregon. You would love it! It's beautiful here,people are friendly and lots to do if you love the outdoors. Just remember; if you dont like it here, California will always be there (well mabie) lol.
I escaped SoCal 9 years ago, under the cover of darkness. Moved up here on a Saturday, by Monday I had new plates, a new Driver's License, a new outlook on life and a fresh start.
I agree 1000% with your description of Smell-A. It's why I hardly ever went up there from San Diego, which is almost as bad.
But why Bend? I gotta tell you- Bend is cool and all, but **** me running - it's S-M-A-L-L. After coming from the concrete and steel jungle u are stuck in now, yes, you will feel right as rain for a little while - until you run out of things to do. I mean, I like shooting (not necessarily hunting) and other outdoorsy stuff too, and there's tons of kayaking and snowboard/skiiing stuff to do there, but not so much else. And the place rolls up the sidewalks and goes to bed fairly early, from my understanding.
Lots of people will not like me for saying this, which is why my Imnotgonnatellu my name, but I REALLY dig Portland. It's big enough to stretch your legs, but retains somewhat of a small town feel. (I crack up every time somebody from Madras or somewhere like that refers to P-town as "the big city".)
There's your share of smug Prius drivers, but guess what - THERE'S OTHER TYPES OF PEOPLE HERE TOO! You have everything form tree hugging patchouli/B.O. smelling hippies, to anarchist anti-establishment commie punks, to great-white hunter "how many deer did ya get this year" flannel wearing flag waving truck driving dudes and chicks, anad everything in between. Not that there's anything wrong with any of these different folks - not at all - I'm just saying that there's enough of a mixture here that you don't feel pressured to think and act in one particular way or nobody's gonna talk to you.
There's TONS of stuff to do - most of it either free or low cost - and it's not too hard to go find it. Yes it rains. ALOT. ALOT more than Bend, that's for sure. Like 6 months of rain. No I am not kidding. But it's not like down there. It's usually a misty sort of light rain does not require an umbrella (I've used mine once or twice the whole time I've been here) but stays long enough to make you long for the sun. And when it does, the whole place EXPLODES with colors and people and beer festivals and such - it makes you actually appreciate the sun, not just take it for granted.
And the people? I have met so many REAL people here it's amazing! Truly great, non pretentious, non FAKE real human beings. Not to mention the women - it must be all the rain - or their parents putting Miracle Grow in their cheerios or somethiin - there's a natural beauty in many of the women I have met up here that were born and raised in Oregon (not just PDX).
But this knowledge comes with RESPONSIBILITY. Especially coming from the fast pased I'm-in-such-a-goddamn-hurry-to-go-absolutely-nowhere lifestyle u are in now. For starters, you CAN"T DRIVE LIKE THAT UP HERE. You know what I mean. Pedestrians actually have the right of way here. Cars will STOP in the middle of the road - get this - on BOTH SIDES OF THE STEET - to let people cross or other cars out of driveways. Also, you CAN"T tell anyone else - especially those living in SoCal - about how great it is here. All these damn Californians are moving up here and are slowly ruining it for everyone else. Why is Seattle's traffic so absolutely horrible nowadays? All those folks moving from L.A., that's why.
So why am I bothering to tell you this? Why am I breaking the rules? Maybe it's because I'm bored. Maybe it's because I read something in your post - somewhere between the lines maybe - that told me this guy gets it. And if we can't build a giant electric fence to keep all the other Californians out of here, at least we can tell the cool ones, and then maybe, just maybe, it won't turn into another Hell-A.
p.s. - do yourself a favor and google Rose City Motorcycle Club and Tri County Gun Club. Keep the shiny side up, and the lead only where you want it to go.
I'm a native Portland Oregonion of 50+years. All the things you describe as wonderous----For some reason, I think are perfectly normal.
Portland, and Oregon, are getting to crowded, and what I consider home is gradually fading away.
But it's all good.
Oregon has a way of weeding out superficial people or changing them. (Not to say that there aren't any here.)
I think the pace of life, weather and the scenery here tend to make people get a little intospective and think about themeselves and how they relate to other folks instead of being continually busy and as you say "in a big hurry to get nowhere".
Some people need constant outside stimulation and activities because they are afraid to be alone with themselves and ponder their true thoughts and actually think about things.
Read it's history from fur trappers, to the Oregon Trail to Portland being a major west coast port to WWII shipbuilding to present day.
Oregon was, and is being, populated by independent people who came here looking for something different.
Nobody is really a "native" anyway. We all came here from somewhere else, including the tribes (they just happened to get here first).
Welcome.
Last edited by pdxMIKEpdx; 04-24-2010 at 01:39 PM..
I'm 40 yo single guy moving... I mean, escaping from the worst place on the planet.
Yes, you guessed it... "hell-A".
I live in santa monica right now. I hate it.. I hate the people, claustrophobic lifestyle, and everything in between. Smug, smarmy prius driving tools that only think of themselves...and their next botox fix. I feel like I'm slowly rotting away, day by day.. It's dirty, crowded and unless you like to **** away a lot of money at idiotic clubs or on something retarded like ed hardy, there really is not much to do. What's the opposite of Mensa?? ..Densa?? Yes, they all belong to that here.
I like to hunt, fish...and ride motorcycles without the constant fear of some "twittiot" on their cell phone obliviously trying to kill me. I like dive bars, pubs, and grillin' outback with friends. I could care less about the ocean...it has sharks in it. I like lakes and rivers. And a trout won't bite you in half.
And don't even get me started on the women here..
too late, I'm starting..
Souless, dead-behind-the-eye, fake EVERYTHING, materialistic succubi...
And the guys....good luck on finding a true friend here. Bunch of soft, sackless whiners driving their bmw's with that stupid bluetooth stuck in their ear.
wow....I really need outta here.
So, if Bend is nothing like santa monica, I think I'll really like it. And I'll do anything to keep it from turning into another hell-A...
I'm a lifelong Oregonian, but when I was a couple of years older than you, the rain finally got to me. If it wasn't for the rain, I'd say to look at Portland, because you can find a ton of outdoor fun there....unless it starts raining. Lot of cultural things to do, lots of restaurants to choose from, lots of nightlife considering what a relatively small place it is. I practiced law there for years (as did my dh), traveled overseas a bit, showed horses there too, but I woke up one morning and told dh we needed to find a place with sun - either CA or Central Oregon. And no more rush rush to airports, or faraway destinations, etc. Instead of just driving to a sunnier recreation place, I wanted to shake up our lives totally, and base there so CO seemed a good fit.
Since we are not night life people, we ended up buying a ranch > an hour away from Bend. For us, it is perfect - nearest neighbor miles away, can hunt, atv, snowmobile, hike, horseback ride, & fossil hunt right from our back door (we also adjoin BLM land)and take a meal with us as we atv out to the remotest area on our ranch and build a campfire to watch while we eat. Then watch a sunset that still never fails to be anything short of stunning, see the lights come on in Bend (from the high ridges), and once darkness falls, see the Milkway Way like I've only seen it previously in photos - nothing short of breathtaking (no light pollution). Almost an overwhelming presence - who knew? And those are the things we do & see almost daily, without ever leaving the ranch.
Fishing is just a few hops down this or that road to a lake or reservoir - like if I want fish for dinner, dh just has to drive a bit and fresh trout is on the menu.
We actually raise cattle now, so there is all the labor involved in that. Yes, it is a far cry from our lives with our law practice during our go-go years in the Valley - and we'd both have missed out on something even bigger than that, had we not done this. But again, it is a bit far to Bend for us, so the night life you crave would mean you'd probably want to be closer to Bend, and I can't speak about what Bend could offer in that regard. One other thing - when I first came, I was all into the snow here. I'd even hike through it for miles during the winter, use my atv as a snowmobile, and ride the horses too. A decade later, I am finding it harder to do things in the snow without noticing the cold now. But I'd never give up a moment of the past decade here - so I just bundle up more. Mostly, I notice it when I am doing cattle and horse chores and other ranch work
Since part of what you seek is achievable in Bend (the recreation at your fingertips), you should really come rent a place for awhile before making a permanent move. Be a shame to get here, love the outdoor part, but hate the lesser amount of social activities, like you are probably used to in hell-A. If the time ever comes for us to want to make a change (if I get any less cold tolerant, for ex), I am going to pick some cities, and rent before I leap into anything.
I shudder to think of the life we would be living right now, had we not done this, because in our case it turned out to fit us like a glove. Wish I'd done it a bit earlier, but hey, I traveled and that was worth its weight in gold too.
So that is my other advice to you - whether your final destination is Bend or anywhere else in the world, get started now. Like us, you are moving toward an expiration date that doesn't care if you haven't found a better situation for yourself than the one you have now that isn't making you happy. You don't get to ask for more time. As we say out here, get going, you are burning daylight
HunterRiderJohnny,
I would just avoid talking about California. You can't win. If you talk about how great California is, Oregonians just about everywhere except CA expat ghettos like W. Bend and Ashland will hate it. If you trash California, it will be seen as an attempt to say you are different and meant for Oregon. Won't wash. Too damn many have come with the same story.The humbling thing is just about any story you could concoct has been heard thousands of times. Californians are changing Oregon, just as easterners and immigrants have changed California. It's a fact and people are afraid of change at some level. Our immigration story has been much less interesting than California's. While eastern and midwestern immigrants are well represented in teh Portland area, most of Oregon gets Californians, especially Bend. Bottomline, we are bored with EVERYTHING about California transplants. But it is a free country, so my advice is to come up, live your life, be a good citizen, and make no apologies or self-indulgent explanations.
I have been thinking about Oregonians, and what would define our culture. Transplants with resentment of outsiders would be the generality. Whether you were born in Oregon or moved here from elsewhere, you want to protect this gorgeous state from the hordes that have overrun California, Washington, and most nice parts of the country. We are all afraid that the secret will get out, and we want jobs, but we want to keep Oregon to ourselves. I feel the same way, so by that measure, I am an Oregonian. Resentment of outsiders, and a bit of selfishness and hypocrisy in a state of immigrants, is who we are. Being an immigrant is the story for most Oregonians, so why would you be different?
So, leave the California baggage behind and grab your life by the (insert colorful noun(s) here). In your first post, you struck me as an opinionated blowhard. In another post above you seem to be a flexible person who embraces a variety of centrist political positions and tolerance of different lifestyles. Not sure which is closer to the real you, perhaps both. I am in no position to judge. I suspect that a sensible approach will serve you as well here as anywhere, though I will warn you Oregon is pretty polarized politically (too many conservatives, liberals, not enough fiscally conservative, sensible centrists IMO). Bend is adjusting its traditionally conservative rural Oregon mindset to accomodate the perspectives of many exurban people from California, Portland, and Seattle. The incomers are often much wealthier than the locals and social stratification and special interest group politics is likely a problem (Sierra Club vs. ATV riders, for instance). A level-headed, hardworking person who listens to others and can compromise is always a gain for any town, especially in Oregon. But blowhards need not apply, we have plenty already.
Hear! Hear! You are preaching to the choir here....I think you might really like Bend, from what I hear; there's a LOT of outdoorsy stuff to do every day all year long and it's really quite pretty there. I'm trying to get my family out of California too. I'm originally from Oregon and have grown to hate California deeply and thoroughly since moving here 15 years ago. My husband, however, grew up in Hawaii and only moved to California during his high school years. I think he may still be saved.
My real concern for my husband would be the weather since we are planning to move closer in to the Portland area and it really seems quite gloomy if you aren't used to it. My only concern for you would be maybe, and I say MAYBE making new friends since IMO Oregonians tend to keep to themselves a lot more than in other states - even WE don't know why, it's just true. MOST of the time, I'm saying - not ALWAYS. So those seem to be the top two reasons that transplants end up leaving; the weather (Bend is not the typical Oregon weather that you hear about since it's outside of the valley) and the inability to make friends.
GOOD LUCK!
Please dont conflate L.A./SoCal with the entire state of California. There are 8 million people living in the SF Bay Area and it is much better, on every level IMO, than L.A.
If the withholding on our paystub is correct, then Oregon's income tax is more than double California's. I'd say that's pretty high. I think it evens out with not having to pay sales tax.
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