Today my wife and I depart from Oregon. Actually, we may have entered Idaho, Utah, Colorado, or New Mexico by the time you read this. I wrote this post a few weeks ago as a resident of the northwest. I wanted to put my thoughts into words while I was present.
Oregon has been kind to us yet difficult. It was kind because the pace of life is quite slow. The cost of living is manageable. It is a west coast state so the culture was familiar enough for me. Portland isn’t too bad a place all things considered.
It was difficult because we had to leave California to come here. While it may be expensive to live in California it was worth it. “You get what you pay for,” goes the old saying ending in a preposition. While neighbors to California there are many differences between where I was raised and Oregon. To be fair, there are many differences between northern California and southern California. Yet Oregon was particularly odd. As much as people spoke of Portland as a utopia I couldn’t get past it being a monochromatic, “Johnny-come-lately” to the scene of culture filled with people who couldn’t admit the city had faults lest they would break some magical spell. Also, the rain was wearisome. Terrible. I hated it. Portland was not home. It never had a chance at winning my affections. I know that I didn’t give it a chance from day one, but it didn’t do anything to challenge my prejudices. I arrived with my wife in August of 2009 with the mindset of a nomad coming to do what I had to do to leave. I leave in September of 2012 with the same outlook.
Powell’s Books is amazing. I confess that when Portland has a summer season it is fantastic. Mt. Hood is majestic.
It is possible that if we had remained another year Portland could have become comfortable. If there was a dry and/or snowy winter instead of the endless rain.
What was “best” about our time in Oregon? Our friendships were great. We met some amazing people here. They provided us with solid friendships. I fear naming names lest I forget someone important. Also, our academic programs were fulfilling. Miranda enjoyed her time at Portland State University and I did the same at Western Seminary.
I fear that it may take a while to duplicate some of the friendships I established in the northwest. I am nervous about being a California living in Texas. Sometimes the thought does cross my mind, “Oh my God, I am about to be a southerner!” Scary.
Thankfully I will be living in San Antonio. When I tell people I am moving to Texas they cringe. When I tell them I will be in San Antonio they say something like, “Oh, well, San Antonio is nice and it is really close to Austin.” My heart is in San Francisco. Oregon couldn’t change that. Texas shouldn’t try. I may live the rest of my days in the south. I may never again be “home” to watch the sun set over the hills of the Napa Valley, or to watch the fog roll through the streets of San Francisco, but my heart will be there. But I regress. Let me end this pity party:
Three cheers to transitions, journeys, and new destinations. “Every new beginning comes with some other beginning’s end,” correct? We are on the road on our way to Texas. If I arrive alive I will blog about it when I get there.
the archives near Emmaus 
Best wishes on your journey! Seems to be a recurring theme among our circle(s)… new chapters, new beginnings.
To be frank for a moment, I am a Southerner who lives in Texas and wouldn’t advise staying anywhere near San Antonio long-term if you could help it. Of course, there are many people there who love it, but they’re usually from South and/or West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and not places like Northern California or Oregon; I am more of a Kansas/Oklahoma type myself and don’t understand the appeal of San Antonio. It might seem “good enough” at first after you visit the Riverwalk with family, but it won’t be long before that wears off (at least, that’s the case for me).
No doubt, there are parts of the Texas you could fall in love with long-term, like the hill country, Austin, Corpus Christi, parts of Dallas, etc. But San Antonio? It’s a massive, chaotic, dirty, sprawling suburbanopolis with an air force base in South Texas where the climate is – shall we say – markedly less than ideal.
“No doubt, there are parts of the Texas you could fall in love with long-term, like the hill country, Austin, Corpus Christi, parts of Dallas, etc. But San Antonio? It’s a massive, chaotic, dirty, sprawling suburbanopolis with an air force base in South Texas where the climate is – shall we say – markedly less than ideal.”
YES YES YES–this soul is right on! I love San Antonio as a tourist, but I have always been drawn to Dallas. If the Lord permits, I will call it home until my last breath escapes. However, tons of people call SA home and I hope you can say the same after some time. I’ve failed to remember or ask, but what brought you to SA?
I feel the same as you, Brian. But my affections reside a little further south, back in home in Southern California (the Los Angeles, North Orange County areas)—but I’m still stuck in the soggy land of the Pac NW … see you aren’t the only one who can have a pitty party 😉 . Glad that we were able to meet a couple of times, you are a good brother, Brian. Blessings.
You did make some great friends and you both spent your time wisely. That’s more than a lot of people could say.
California is so utterly inferior to any part of Oregon. Sorry you couldn’t see the truth.
Oh Halden …
Christian
Thank you! I hope your travels are safe!
resident
I’ll be here as long as I need to be here. It’s my wife’s hometown. We have family here. So Austin, Dallas, Houston, etc….are not appealing. I wouldn’t have moved to Texas if it weren’t for family connections.
Bobby
I wish we could have met up one more time! I hope someday you can return home as well.
Mom
True!
Halden
I am glad you believe that. If more people felt like they lived in a wonderful place the world would be that much brighter. That said, no where in Oregon matches San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Francisco, Berkeley, Napa, or even Sacramento. I would take ANY of those places over Portland in a split second….save maybe some of the absurdly busy parts of LA. Also, if you like to see and hear people who aren’t white, Oregon is a bad place to call home. There is more culture and diversity in Stockton, CA, than all of Oregon. But Oregon does have nice trees. And Portland does coffee well.
Been to all those places. There just is no comparison. Sorry, these are facts. (Though I suppose I get the whole dynamic of childhood nostalgia clouding the facts as to a place’s merits and beauty.)
But if you got to go to Texas, you could do way worse than San Antonio. 🙂
I can see how nostalgia would play a part. I am quite sure it is why I think California is the most wonderful place in the world!
Ecclesiastes 7:8a The end of a matter is better than its beginning…
I felt the scintilla anima of Brian LaPorte linger as I did my usual Wednesday walk about through Armstrong today .. alas … I returned to my Christian bunker across from the furnace room in Millikan Hall, a return that was wanting
If I could haunt the place while simultaneously being alive I would do it!