Just Looking for a Home

Portland's TriMet: it's working for me so far

If it’s Thursday, you may ask, why is there no poem or Writers Talk interview or book review on Robert Frost’s Banjo?  It appears there may be some scheduling changes in the offing, dear readers.  In my new surroundings I am more interested in having some more “personal” posts on a somewhat regular basis, so that’s one thing you’ll be seeing at least some Thursdays.

I’ve been in Portland just over a month, & I’m very comfortable in a temporary housing situation provided by friends Sue & Jay who’ve shown me great hospitality & provided wonderful support.  But the fact is, I need a place to call my own, & living on a fixed income, this is a bit challenging.  But I will say this: I’ve gotten to know certain parts of Portland pretty fast as I’ve toured looking around at various subsidized housing complexes.  It’s also enabled me to get to know several bus routes fairly well in a short period of time. 

Food Truck, NE Alberta Street

 Yesterday, for instance, I spent the morning & much of the afternoon exploring north & northeast Portland, looking at subsidized housing units.  I like northeast Portland for several reasons, not least of which is that it’s flat!  Not a small consideration when you have a chronic lung condition!  In case you folks don’t know, Portland is essentially divided into quadrants, with a number of distinct neighborhoods in each.  The north & northeast quadrants are areas that are very much in the process of urban renewal/artification/hipsterification/gentrification—at least some parts.  Other neighborhoods over there are a bit sketchy.

A Night On the Town in Ortland? NE Killingsworth

But fortunately, there are several cool options.  I found it definitely paid to scout them out by bus & on foot—you can get a better sense of the neighborhood’s vibe that way, & since those will be my transportation options when I’m in my own place.  If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know I love cars & road trips (witness the cross country drive in March of 2010!), but no cars for me in any foreseeable future.  As a side note to that, I am very happy to be someplace that’s on the Amtrak grid!  I’m hoping to make a California train trip at some point.

Anyway, it’s fun (tho it was a hot day, at least by Portland standards) to check out these new sights & figure out how I’d do things like buy groceries if I were living in a certain place.  Again, as you know if you’re a long-time reader, I’m not unfamiliar with urban life—I did live for almost 10 years in San Francisco.  But that was also over 13 years ago, so there’s certainly some adjustment.

The light bulb store - North Mississippi

Moving is not an easy thing.  I left behind a lot in Idaho, both literally in terms of stuff & emotionally in terms of important connections & a sense of continuity.  Sometimes it does feel daunting—I think about my age, the fact that I’m on my own, the fact that I have a chronic condition; all these things can be discouraging if I dwell on them.  But overall, I’ve felt most a sense of determination to make a new life here, & I’ve tried to focus on a few doable tasks everyday to build toward that.

& of course, it’s not like anything’s ever finished!  At some point, I’ll be in a place of my own, & there will still be new challenges.  Here’s hoping they keep me energized!

Oh by the way: any guesses on the source for today's post title?