upekkha

It’s a great little city with a mellow vibe. The community is tight-knit, there’s really only 1-2 degrees of separation. It’s of course beautiful in the summertime, but the winters can be long and dreary!

It’s really comfortable here, think of woolen sweaters and cozy fireplaces. I’ve had people from overseas tell me that Portland is the one place they would live in the US.

I live in PDX now. It’s sort of my last stop before I move overseas.

Portland is funky, progressive, active, friendly, and depending on where you live, snobby, militant, and indie. It’s just a great little city rolled into one. The one downside is the traffic. It can be really bad, especially with all of the commuters I-5 north to Vancouver, WA. However, I would say that is the only downside (besides the weather). The city itself is very clean, and there’s fresh air! I definitely notice the difference when I visit California.

As far as living here, I would definitely describe it as comfortable. Almost feels like being in your own cul de sac.

In the summer it’s beautiful to visit, and when you drive around and see the bridges it’s charming. It’s just a great little city. I believe it’s a very well kept secret since Seattle gets all of the attention. Personally, outside of the weather, I think it’s gotta be one of the best places to be in the U.S.

My heart longs to be in Australia. I’ve temporarily moved to Portland until I get my visa. I really like Portland . . if there were one place in the US I would live, it would be PDX. However, I miss everything about Australia – the beaches, the camaraderie, the values (family and friendship over work), the laid back lifestyle, the food, EVERYTHING. Being in Oz just feels like your in a corner of the world that is unspoiled and isolated, and leading a simpler life than you would in the US. I will be in Oz as soon as I can.

Moved up here from California. Wow, what a difference a state makes. Portland is mellow, laid back, and the people are so friendly and engaging. There is a real community here. I do not miss the California Rat Race and the “whatevah, whatevah” blause attitude there. It’s nice to be able to drive in Portland and not worry about other cars trying to run you off the road. The only thing is the climate. It’s dreary here. Other than that, Portland must be one of the top places to live in the US. I’m planning to move abroad to Australia, and I’m so glad I got to see Portland. It has restored my faith in America and it’s social structure.

I’ll share what I’ve learned from spending time in Sydney. Here are the differences between Oz and the US:

1) When you get take out or fast food, you get 1 napkin down under. In the US, you get a pile of napkins enough for a whole family.
2) Recyclable shopping bags are very trendy down under. Even when you’re just walking around Sydney, you’ll see people carrying their stuff in the green Coles bag. I go to Whole Foods here in the States and I hardly see anyone bringing their own bag (and Coles is just a regular grocery store, while Whole Foods is of course organic).
3) Healthy Fast Food – Oz has a lot more of it. In fact, even before the whole organic food craze, Aussies have always been into healthy food. BTW, they don’t feed their kids pizzas and junk food in school.
3) Forget about the comparisons to California. Sydney is easy going, while California is a Rat Race.
4) Petrol is $1.50 Australian dollars per LITRE.
5) You can go to Manly beach in the middle of the week and find throngs of people hanging out!
6) “Drink driving”, speeding, and cellphone use while driving are all taken seriously in Australia.
7) The Lifestyle. Oh, the lifestyle. Life in Oz is much more balanced than America, with Quality time (with friends and family) outside work being more readily available and encouraged.

I’m believe in the “leaving a small footprint” lifestyle, so I love that about Oz. And the #1, #2, & #4 differences are a microcosm of why the US uses so much of the world’s resources.

I really dug Portland. Friendly, friendly people. If I was going to move somewhere in the States, this would be it.

Quite a pleasant surprise. I’m from the States, and visiting Australia is like being in a time warp. Old fashioned values, social graces, they all still exist in Oz. Whenever I’m in Sydney traffic, I’m always amazed that everyone waves to each other. All of the kids still wear uniforms to school, and the ones that live on your street know your name. In other words, the social structure in Oz is alive and well. I think one of the biggest things about Oz is the laid back attitude. You can go at your own pace. Quality time with friends and family is one of the most important aspects of the Oz lifestyle – they call it “Catching up”, a term that’s almost non-existent here in the States.