Switching it Up
I am an Oregonian. I've always been an Oregonian. I'll always be an Oregonian. I require 4 drastically different seasons to survive. Rain nourishes me. I know how to say Willamette, Tigard, and Champoeg. I live off of all things Tillamook, i.e. cheese and ice-cream! I cheer for the Trailblazers if ever I watch basketball and the Winterhawk's are my all time favorite sports team. I know all the bridges in Portland. I call it the "coast" and never the "beach". I wear wellies but never use an umbrella and yes, I do have a flannel shirt or two or three. I wish I had one of those Oregon stickers for my car of the state with a green heart in it. I love Oregon, LOVE. I love the million shades of green, the pristine fresh air, the friendly people, the mountains, the coast, the valley, the farm country and Portland is just the right amount of city for me. I'm a little bit of a tree hugger, a little bit of a hippie... I am an Oregonian.
But... I live in Washington now.
I still get about 3 out of the 4 seasons up here [still waiting for a REAL summer!]. There's still plenty of rain to keep me from drying out completely. I now know how to say Puyallup, Snoqualmie , and Snohomish. I find myself cheering for the Mariners, Sounders, and Seahawks. It takes me at least 30 minutes to get anywhere because I live on the Peninsula and there aren't nearly enough bridges. I still have wellies and I still don't use an umbrella. Where I live now is only 3 hours from where I used to live so I'm able to get back there often enough to the place I still find myself referring to as "home". But I have a Washington state driver's license and Josh and I just set up our Good-To-Go passes... and the last time I was in Oregon for almost 2 weeks, I found myself having the strangest sensation of wanting to go... home. It's probably mostly due to the fact that I missed Josh because he is my home but I also just really missed my friends up here and being HERE, in Washington.
Oregon will always be my first love and I will never tire of going back there and I won't give up on the hope of living in Portland someday... but in the meantime, I am perfectly and surprisingly content to call myself a Washingtonian. If that's what people in Washington call themselves. I guess I better find that out before I go around proclaiming that I am one. :-)
But... I live in Washington now.
I still get about 3 out of the 4 seasons up here [still waiting for a REAL summer!]. There's still plenty of rain to keep me from drying out completely. I now know how to say Puyallup, Snoqualmie , and Snohomish. I find myself cheering for the Mariners, Sounders, and Seahawks. It takes me at least 30 minutes to get anywhere because I live on the Peninsula and there aren't nearly enough bridges. I still have wellies and I still don't use an umbrella. Where I live now is only 3 hours from where I used to live so I'm able to get back there often enough to the place I still find myself referring to as "home". But I have a Washington state driver's license and Josh and I just set up our Good-To-Go passes... and the last time I was in Oregon for almost 2 weeks, I found myself having the strangest sensation of wanting to go... home. It's probably mostly due to the fact that I missed Josh because he is my home but I also just really missed my friends up here and being HERE, in Washington.
Oregon will always be my first love and I will never tire of going back there and I won't give up on the hope of living in Portland someday... but in the meantime, I am perfectly and surprisingly content to call myself a Washingtonian. If that's what people in Washington call themselves. I guess I better find that out before I go around proclaiming that I am one. :-)
Photo proof that I am good to go!
I haven't lived in (or even very close to) Oregon for 7 years... Im still an Oregonian :) I still love it, and more actually now that i'm not there. Oh and you know how to pronounce "Oregon"... haha... oh boy you should here these minnesotans pull the whole "or-y-gone" thing... I pull all my hair out every.single.time! Im like "oh deeer, dontcha knowww we orygonians dont care for thet talk too much now dontcha. You betcha weee get the grumps when you minnesotans say it wrongg." haha- I'm learning this midwest accent quite well ;) I always love reading your blog!!
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