Greetings from Portland, Maine! I know it has been a while since I updated this thing, but there’s no time like the present, am I right? And the present I’m living in right now is 12-degree weather a slipping on ice patches in the morning. Needless to say, I don’t have as active of a life during winter when you compare it to my California February full of rollerblading and reading outside, so I thought it would be the perfect time to start blogging again!

I left San Diego in October and basically bopped around until January. In that time, which I will hopefully get to share on here, I hit up the East coast, traveled for different business trips, and even went back to San Diego to start a month-long road trip to Maine. I have a million beautiful pictures and posts about this trip that I will save for another time. 

Fast forward through the road trip, holidays, and never-ending month of January to me cozied up on the couch in Portland. The sunshine and blue skies are deceiving, trying to lure me outside, but in the short three weeks, I’ve been here I know better than to fall for these tricks. This illusion of warmth and happiness is a mere falsehood of the frigid weather that awaits me. Aka, I’m not leaving the comforts of my apartment. 

My experience in Portland so far has been interesting. I’d only been to Maine once before after a miserable eight-hour bus ride to our track championships during my freshman year of college, so everything here is brand new to me. January probably wasn’t the best time to move to Maine, especially after basking in the sun of San Diego for two years, but to be fair, it’s never a good time to leave San Diego, so here we are. 

While I’m still exploring and seeing/learning new things every day about my current home, I’ll share with you a few fun facts I’ve picked up. Things I’ve learned since moving to Portland/Maine.

1. People who live in Maine refer to themselves as “Mainers.” I thought it was a funny nickname, but it’s apparently a serious title. So serious in fact that you’re not truly considered a “Mainer” until you come from three generations who have all lived in Maine. Fascinating stuff, I’ll tell ya. This fun fact leads me to my next bullet; people in Maine are old. 
2. Quite old. In fact, Maine’s workforce is aging out, so the state is trying to lure young people to the area with promises of hip restaurants and loan forgiveness. Okay, maybe that’s not accurate, but both of those things exist. The state does want newer, younger generations to move here and start families, which is why my next bullet is so interesting!
3. Portland is a huge hub for refugees. I know, I had no clue either. Coming from California/New York—places that supported sanctuary cities and are known for diversity—it was no surprise that my surrounding areas had this population, but MAINE??? I’m not even sure how I ended up here, so that was a big surprise. To quote the New York Times, “It is a bit of a mystery in Maine, one of the oldest and whitest states in the country, how Portland has become a focal point for a sudden surge of migrants, mostly from Angola and Congo, who are seeking asylum.”
4. I had no clue until I started subbing about the diverse culture brought to main through refugees. I haven’t been here long enough to gather the city’s reception of this influx, but I think it’s amazing how supportive the local schools are in welcoming these children. Some don’t speak a lick of English while others have never been in a formal school, yet there are incredible teachers working through these cultural barriers to help them succeed. Even walking through the hallways, I see “hello” written in different languages. Speaking of which, the top languages in this district that speaks OVER 60 are Somali, Arabic, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Kirundi, Vietnamese, Khmer, Kinyarwanda, and Acholi. The more you know! 

5. Okay, I think I ranted quite enough on that bullet, but I’m pumped that Portland is not lacking in diversity. Let’s bring it to my next fun fact: Portland is popping in the food department. Though I haven’t been able to sample every restaurant in my short time here—which honestly might be an impossible feat even if I’d been here a year—I have seen a good mix of different cuisines. Of course, you have some delicious Maine lobster and accompanying seafood, but I’ve also had authentic Vietnamese food that made me cry—their spice level is no joke—delicious sashimi, and bomb BBQ. I’ll save these delectable outings for another post. 

6. On the topic of food, there are also a bunch of breweries, distilleries, and even a kombuchery, taking this city to a whole new level of hipster. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed my update. I’m making it a goal to write every day this week in hopes that it will become a habit and that some of that writing will make it onto this neglected blog. But right now, I have a hunk of goat cheese that’s calling my name because guess what!? Portland also has a cheese shop that’s only a block away from me. Pray for my cholesterol.