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Turning 24: A retrospective
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When there's no appropriate picture, use cute animals.
I just turned 24, and I also just realized that I’ve been blogging for about six months now. Having become older and wiser pretty much overnight, and finding myself at the age I will be the most awesome in my life (according to this extremely well-researched article), I decided it was a good time for a brief retrospective: what have I learned in the last six months of being your devoted Portland twenty-something? What new insights do I have, now that I am solidly in my mid-twenties and at the peak of my coolness? Let us review what has happened, how we have grown, and where we are going.
Brunch: Yep, still love it. Since I last gave an account of brunch in Stumptown, I’ve had a delicious oyster hash at Bijou Cafe, stumbled upon a quaint and awesome spot in Sellwood called Bertie Lou’s, and discovered the unquestionable greatness of Petite Provence (ask Dolores about the poppy seed brioche). What have we learned? That we love brunch.
The CRC: Remember that big, 12-lane bridge idea? Here’s the latest: Portland Mayor Sam Adams has rescinded his support of the 12 lanes, expressing concern about Vancouver’s anti-toll position. So... we still don’t know what’s going to happen. What have we learned? Protesting can work... sort of. And projects like this take ages to actually get figured out.
Housing: Trying to figure out housing is kind of like repeatedly banging your head into a wall, in that it really sucks. Dolores and I are at a potential turning point: do we stay in our comfortable, nice, SE place, or do we change it up and try living with more people in a big house in a new neighborhood? It’s tempting to take the easy route and stay put, because moving is a pain and, after all, we’re pretty content. But it’s also tempting to get out of the routine, to try living with other, fun people, to get to know a different part of town, and to pay less rent. It’s hard to know how a big change like that will turn out. It could be fantastic. It could also be weird. All I know is I want it all to be over and done with, without having to think about it or make decisions or actually pack things. Is that too much to ask? (...We evidently haven’t learned that much.)
Dating: I still suck at it.* Will my 25th year grant me the sexy coyness I’ve never had? I sure as heck hope so.
Beer: It’s still good. Check out what’s going on this weekend at Lompoc!
The service industry: It still pays the bills, and it’s still less than ideal. But sometimes you can meet celebrities!
The quarterlife crisis: This one’s a doozy. Dolores and I have been having some meaningful conversations lately that seem focused on our directionless existence. Does this mean we’re close to a crisis point? That is unclear. Let’s just say we are occasionally troubled at the fact that we don’t know where we’re heading or what we want, but if we take several years, say, at an internship in an attempt to figure it out, we might be missing out on other opportunities that young twenty-somethings should take advantage of, like international traveling/living. If we don’t go off and have crazy adventures now, then we might not be able to later. But if we do go off and have crazy adventures, will we be even more lost upon our return? What have we learned? That your twenties are fun and exciting. And confusing, stressful, and angst-ridden.
Chance of Rain Cafe: R.I.P. It closed. We mourn it. What have we learned? Take advantage of cooperatively run local coffee shops while they last.
Homelessness: You may remember that there was a bit of a controversy over the Sit-Lie law, which banned people (most of them homeless) from sitting or lying on downtown sidewalks. Well, after a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge ruled in June that the law was unconstitutional, the city stopped enforcing it. There was talk of amending the law somehow, but City Commissioner Nick Fish and Mayor Sam Adams finally declared in September that there would be no new version, and it is now officially dead. What have we learned? Sometimes good things get done.
Health insurance: Oh my god oh my god oh my god! I recently realized that my short-term health insurance has run out, and I am now frantically scrambling to get another plan. Unfortunately, if you live in Oregon, you can’t have two back-to-back six-month plans, so I have to shop around for something with a different company, as I’m no closer to getting a job with benefits any time soon, and full-time insurance costs a bundle. What have we learned? Forget bipartisanship, Obama needs to buck up and get this thing fixed. AND WITH A PUBLIC OPTION.
Whiffies Fried Pies: Bootsie is still the reigning pie champ. His record is pretty much unbreakable. Since his victory, he has shotgunned a can of chicken noodle soup and probably done some other things. What have we learned? Bootsie + food = entertainment.
Birthdays: Birthdays are a lot of fun. But if you have a birthday potluck, you may end up with only bread, brussels sprouts, and dessert.** What have we learned? That it is important to make sure at least someone is bringing a dish. And that birthdays are fun even without copious amounts of food, provided there is an impromptu dance party.
As you can see, we’ve come a long way in the last half year. We’ve laughed together, cried together, and -
This is getting too emotional for me. I’ll let you think about the last six months, and the next six months, on your own. Just know that as a 24-year-old, I will be bringing you better and badder articles than ever before. So stayed tuned, young lovers.
Ex post facto,
Your Portland Twenty-something
*The other day Dolores had to give me a lesson in something called “flirting,” which is apparently a tactic whereby you make yourself subtly alluring. You must play hard to get; this is intriguing to the other person and makes them more interested in you. It’s kind of like a game and is supposedly fun for both people involved. I don’t know, I think Dolores is yanking my chain. Sounds like nonsense to me.
**Serious thanks are extended to the people who brought bread, brussels sprouts, and dessert. Had you not done so, there would have been no food whatsoever. And it was delicious.
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