27 july 2008.
i’ve been in portland for almost a week, and it’s been really fantastic.
everyone here treats everyone else as actual humans. strangers say “hi, how are you?” to passersby and give genuine smiles. bus drivers work patiently with old ladies, forgiving their broken english and figuring out which stop they need. people don’t feel uncomfortable leaving their laptops behind as they use the restroom, or leaving their doors unlocked at night.
i had one big worry coming here: portland has a really tough job market. one of the toughest in the country, due to the huge influx of people who have realized how amazing it is here. i was told by a barista that her company received 70 applications within one day of posting on craigslist. specialized jobs are even worse. it took josh three months to get a job. it took various other friends a couple months.
so, i was really worried. and then, it took me less than a week to snag a really sweet job. i got the interview on day two, and met the boss on day four. i had a really good feeling about our rapport, and right after meeting him, i got an offer. the place is called macforce, and it’s basically what i was doing in new york, but on a smaller scale, which is exactly what i need in this phase of decompression. same hip, irreverent vibe, and i still get to work with macs all day. hopefully the co-workers will be cool and i’ll have some new drinking friends.
drinking is big here. portland has more microbreweries per capita than any other city in the country-it also has more mac stores and resellers per capita-and everyone really adopts a laid-back approach to life. this is certainly a double-edged sword because i see the value of my type-a personality, but it’s nice to find a little joie de vivre after four years stressing out over nothing.
i told josh everything is minutiae now. i have shelter, love, friends, and income. now it’s just closet organizers and furniture and appliances. and that’s really nice.
Originally published at scott anthony dot org. Please leave any comments there.