Just Give it a Chance

Today is a momentous day in my life in Portland. I feel good! Let's be honest with each other: I've spent the past few days (since AJ left and even a little while AJ was here) intermittently sobbing, whining, fuming, and fantasizing about Houston. I came up here to Oregon oh-so-willingly because it sounded kind of magical, but when I actually got here and I realized, wait...I know NO ONE, and finding a job here is HARD, and my room is FREEZING, and what the heck?! it's raining again?!

So, anyway, thanks to some much needed revelations of the spiritual nature I'm a little wiser to all the things that are trying to discourage me and get me to focus on the negative aspects of my move. What negative aspects?

So, here you go: some thing I like about Portland so far, and some things I've noticed about Portland, so far...

• My roommates are so nice and friendly and great
• I feel comfortable in Portland
• There kind of is no "weird" in Portland
• Portland is a good place for free spirits
• Portland is beautiful
• I love Imago Dei’s view on women
• I really like the women at Imago (& their pro-feminism yet Christ-centered views)
• There is no Southern Baptist culture. Ahhh!
• The coffee is amazing
• I like the Imago book group I tried on Tuesday night
• Portland has truly friendly people
• Walmart isn’t disgusting like it is in Texas
• Most of the homes are old and quaint
• It’s cool to be eclectic and “whatever”
• I feel prettier in Portland
• There are lots of ruggedly handsome…yet nerdy guys. oh, that combo!
• Trader Joe’s (although I haven't bought anything yet!)
• Consistent weather (I love you Texas, but that is only true of you in the summer)
• Every other car is a Subaru
• Everything is natural – since it doesn’t get extremely hot or extremely cold in Portland, no one has an air conditioner and some people don’t really have heaters(!)
• Parking is not easy, they don’t like cars. I'm from Houston - my car is like an extension of my body - I need it!
• There are bike riders everywhere! At night time there aren’t many street lights (to save the earth I assume) and the bike riders have little blinking lights on their bikes and sometimes on their helmets. But I’m pretty sure I’ve almost hit and killed no less than 3 bike riders while I’ve been Portland
• There are trees and bushes that smell amazing! Just amazing!
• Today I saw a car (most likely a Subaru) covered in Christian stickers and references to "clergy", but ALSO covered in gay pride and rainbow stickers. Definitely a different culture! :)