My 6 month review of Portland (how much, home, camper)

[VTHokieFan]

Here are my thoughts on 6 months living in Portland:

Basically it's been a totally awesome time. I've met friends quicker than I have ever thought. My career with one of the Big 4 Accounting firms has skyrocketed, and everything just couldn't be better. My thoughts are as follows:

Weather: The weather has been incredible. Living in the Upper South/Mid Atlantic, winters are very painful. Even along the Virginia coast with the gulf stream, you can still expect piercing mid-20s in January...no thanks. I enjoyed the Portland winters, despite their grey skies, they are very mild for the latitude.

People: The people here have been nothing but accomidating to me. I have a bit of an accent and everyone wants to know my story, and I tell them and they are nothing but welcoming to me. The people here are so friendly.

Beer and coffee: Simply put, after water, these are my two favorite beverages. If you told me, "VTHokiefan, you are only allowed to drink water and only Oregon beer and coffee for the rest of your life," I would be a happy camper. They get their own category because they are simply the best.

Job: I won't speak on the rest of Portland, or Oregon's economy, but my field is doing just fine to tell you the truth. I've learned so much in my job, far more than I learned in the DC area to be honest. This hasn't just been a great move personally, but career wise as well. I cannot speak to the future, but for the next 3-4 years or so, I cannot think of any better place I could be in my career than right now.

Beauty: This state is just beautiful. I don't think I need to beat a dead horse here, but whether its eastern or western Oregon, this is one hell of a beautiful state. I love the coast, the healthy eating, etc.


Here are my negatives of Oregon:

Fall: I know I talked about how much I love the weather in Portland, butAutumn sucks here because it's rainy. I miss the drawn out falls, the sweatshirt football weather, the sunny 60 degree november days in the Appalachian mountains watching a football game with orange and yellow leaves surrounding. I know it's a lame criticism, but I still miss it

[urbanlife78]

Being a fellow Virginian who now considers his home to be Oregon, it is by far one of the best parts of this country. The northwest in general is this coubtry's best region.

[JBPisgah]

No one can get a good sense of a place in less than a year.

[christiner81]

interesting..i considered this place to have a long, drawn out autumn. then again, i'm here from AZ

glad to hear you're liking it.

[sequoias]

I was looking into Oregon but don't really know because it is a different point of view to a deaf guy like me. Deaf and hearing community isn't created the same way.

[crisw]

Originally Posted by christiner81

interesting..i considered this place to have a long, drawn out autumn. then again, i'm here from AZ

Exactly- after having lived in San Diego for so long, the fall colors here are quite impressive!

[christiner81]

Originally Posted by crisw

Exactly- after having lived in San Diego for so long, the fall colors here are quite impressive!

agreed! (san diego native myself)

[sezzam]

Originally Posted by crisw

Exactly- after having lived in San Diego for so long, the fall colors here are quite impressive!

Yes, Fall colors in Portland can be impressive. The Park blocks provide a great study of the changing seasons.

[sezzam]

Originally Posted by sequoias

I was looking into Oregon but don't really know because it is a different point of view to a deaf guy like me. Deaf and hearing community isn't created the same way.

Thank you for raising this issue. Not being deaf myself, I can only imagine the challenges the deaf face.

Do you mind highlighting some of the challenges you face or the features you seek so the forum members can respond with specifics?

[sequoias]

Originally Posted by SMUR

Thank you for raising this issue. Not being deaf myself, I can only imagine the challenges the deaf face.

Do you mind highlighting some of the challenges you face or the features you seek so the forum members can respond with specifics?

1. Many deaf people have hard time getting jobs because of how hearing people look down at them thinking they can't do the job because they can't hear. It isn't always true, there are ways to make it happen otherwise some jobs are not suitable. I worked at Target distribution warehouse, don't have issue being deaf working at that job. (there are a lot of noise to be alert with) but I left the job because of the backbreaking work, it was pretty extreme.

2. Oregon has a less diverse economy compared to Washington state or California, so generally have a less chance of landing in a job altho some can get lucky.

3. Deaf community can differ city to city, also state to state. Some areas are full of druggies, other areas are hard working singles and families and other areas could be just lazy. I just prefer the hard working deaf families to hang out with.