I was born and raised in Oregon, but it’s been awhile since I lived there–I headed to Washington for college in early 2009, and last fall, I moved to California. While I love California (especially right now–sunshine and ocean ftw), I sometimes find my Oregonian instincts seeping into everyday life. Not that that’s a bad thing; Oregon is pretty awesome. In honor of Oregon’s 154th birthday today, I offer my Top 23 Ways to Know You’re a Californian From Oregon:
You Know You’re a Californian From Oregon When…
1) You walk into a doughnut shop and wonder why none of the doughnuts have Cocoa Puffs, bacon, or Nyquil.
2) You can’t understand why people complain about the cold winter when it’s 55 degrees outside (also known as a heat wave in Oregon).
3) It’s raining and you’re the only person without an umbrella.
4) You refuse to step in the ocean because all oceans must be ice cold.
5) You are perplexed by that bright thing in the sky in January.
6) You wonder why all trains don’t say “The Doors Are Closing.”
7) Most of your online shopping is done at powells.com.
8) You get confused when you hear “Westside,” “West Hills,” and “Nob Hill” because you think of the places in Portland.
9) You hit L.A. traffic and want to start a conversation about the merits of an urban growth boundary.
10) It’s the Fourth of July and you wonder why it’s not raining.
11) Somebody talks about the new season and you immediately start thinking of organic food.
12) You accidentally call UO “UC Oregon.”
13) People ask you if Portlandia is just like real Portland, and you say “Yup. But more like the East Side.”
14) Your share of the rent for a six person apartment is more than the mortgage payments for some of your friends’ houses.
15) You wish that California would legalize food carts for everywhere.
16) You explain to your friends the difference between a food cart, food cart pod, and food truck.
17) It’s raining, so you go out for a run to celebrate.
18) You get into a debate about Burgerville vs. In-N-Out.
19) You go to a Galaxy/Chivas/Earthquakes game just to join the Timbers Army.
20) After a trip to another state, you realize how glad you are that Californians never say Or-e-gone.
21) You believe that all hills should have a tram up to the top, not just ski resorts.
22) You have family members ship you stuff to avoid sales tax.
23) On a rainy day, you see a cyclist with an umbrella and think “this would so happen in Portland if Portlanders used umbrellas, which will be never.”
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