10 Years an Oregonian

On October 4th, 2014 I woke up at my friends Tom and Doreen's house in Tualatin, Oregon for what was my first day as an Oregonian. I had just spent 3 days driving from Marion, Indiana where I went to college all the way to Portland to start my life after having graduated in April of that year. I had been planning to move here since spending the summer between my junior and senior year working as a camp counselor in Rockaway Beach in 2013. For being a closeted gay guy at a christian camp I actually had a really wonderful experience that summer that ultimately led me to wanting to move out here which I nearly didn't wind up doing.

After having planned this move for the better part of a year, I got freaked out about it a few months before I had planned to move. I had a college professor that had been encouraging me to follow this dream of moving out here and had been a cheerleader of mine during my senior year of college. I told him that I'd decided Portland was just too far away from my college friends in the midwest and family in North Carolina and that I'd decided to just move to Chicago as it felt less intimidating staying in the midwest and being closer to what I knew. I can't remember the exact wording of what that professor said in response, but it was something to the effect of "If you don't move out there, you'll always wonder what could of been. You're young with no real responsibilities and it'll only get harder to change your life." Hearing that really struck a chord in me and about two weeks later I was in my car driving west. If I ever see him again I'll thank him multiple times over.

Portland has given me a great life. I have a wonderful husband that I met here, great friends and community and a good job amongst countless other things. Whenever I land at PDX after a vacation I'm happy to be home even if I loved the place I just left. It's insane to think 10 years just flew by. In some ways I feel like I just got here yesterday and in other ways I feel like I've spent my entire life a Portlander. It's a wonderful place (despite what your chronically online uncle may have told you). I can't imagine having spent the last 10 years anywhere else.

So yeah, I'm feeling extra nostalgic today. If you're reading this and have been a part of my life in Portland big or small, thanks for being a part of my story. Please call me and let's hang out. The photo up top is me on Alberta St on my first day as a Portlander (the old mural is half covered up now ). I drove up there this afternoon with Charlie to recreate the photo which is down below. The same photo 10 years apart to the day!

• joseph