i love Los Angeles. But the Northwest is a special place.
I moved to Portland around seven years ago. Portland felt like a small town, with a slow, connected pace of life. When I lived off Burnside, the center of town, it seemed I knew someone on every corner.
On a recent visit to Portland, I noticed how many more people had moved to the city. Traffic was dense. Faces were new. I’ve moved many times, but am always amazed at the short amount of time it takes to recognize a significant amount of change in a city.
My favorite part of returning is seeing the types of interaction retained. People running their indie shops selling homemade wares asked how I was– genuinely! Organic, sustainable EVERYTHING was readily available. Everywhere I looked, greenery dominated the moss-covered streets and giant, towering trees.
It feels so good to be in love with LA, but going back to Portland is like entering an alternate reality. If I could double myself, one version would still be Northwest, eating like a queen, recognizing everyone on the street, and grabbing friendly Stumptown coffee freebies.