i live in Walla Walla now, moved out from Portland a year and a half ago. Just came back to celebrate thanksgiving and take my car in for repairs. Drove straight shot to my Parents to drop off a bunch of wine and then headed to the car place. I spent almost two hours in traffic driving maybe 20 miles, and only 3.5 all the way from walla walla a couple hundred miles away. My stress spiked, I was immediately upset and tortured by the driving in PDX. Made me realize, I'm done with city dwelling forever. I'll visit of course, but I hope I don't ever move back. Perspective changes. I moved to WW thinking I'd go to school, learn my trade and move back to a "real city". Well, since then I've found a community, people and a town I love. Not to mention I've fallen in love so I have someone to jopegullybrgin my new life with. I want to get a little farm, make and sell wine, and do it in WW. Always be a Blazer fan, but I'm down for a different life than I've had previously in PDX. These are just some recent thoughts.
PDX traffic is terrible. Good job on moving away and finding a career you love. Cherish that! I wish I could get out of here. Telework a couple of days a week but that's about it. Good on you sir.
I moved to Wilsonville over 30 years ago to be closer to my job down the valley. It took me a long time to get over the resentment of "having" to live in (what used to be) Podunkville. To me, Portland was the be all and end all. I went to the dentist this morning on 120th and NE Glisan. My appointment was at 11. It took me most of an hour in bumper to bumper traffic. Going home took me almost an hour and a half. Under previously "normal" traffic conditions, the drive used to take me 20 minutes either way. This kind of driving hassle is now the new normal at any time of the day or night. And to top it off, Portland has turned into a dirty, unkempt city with homeless encampments every few blocks. And the quality of the streets and roads suck big time. I am now so over Portland and I am genuinely grateful we got out when we did. Of course the sprawl and congestion has now reached Wilsonville.....but we can still get out of the mess faster than if we lived in Portland. If we had an actual reason, we'd move down the valley to the general McMinnville area like BG did......The immigrants and hipsters are welcome to have have Portland.......
Country living = a quality life style with peace of mind. City dwelling = stressful navigating the slow moving human sewer system. BTW, Walla Walla is a very nice clean small town, with most professional services and major stores you find in big cities, plus, several good restaurants. The only negative I found about WW is the price of gas and diesel is the highest in the Pacific NW, not sure why?
I envy you. I don't really live in a big city, 430k but a large map, but it's large enough. It's only 60 miles from Los Angeles. I wish I could live in the country.
Didn't you hear that we are superior since we rejected Trump? So much better than uneducated white racists that don't live in Ny, LA, SF or Chicago
In any case, the best plan of action is to get a small abode in a cool neighborhood, be a hipster minimalist and never travel more than 5 miles unless it's by plane
I used to love bend. this town has half the population but feels bigger cause it's not surrounded by public land like bend. i wish i could live in a town under 1000 population but with good internet
