Portland...

This past weekend I visited one of my favorite cities… Portland. While there, I realized there are a lot of things I miss about this great city. I miss living in the city and walking everywhere I need to go. I miss all my favorite coffee shops; especially at those I had become a regular. I miss the green yards, crisp air and cloudy skies. I miss the “Portland mist” and sipping coffee on rainy days while looking out the window at Vivace at various passersby on NW 23^rd. I value my time spent there this past year and believe the personal growth I have experienced has changed me into a person I am proud to be.

But it wasn’t until after I got on the plane to go back to Denver that I realize I truly miss elements of my life in Portland. In the past, I have found myself always missing places in which I was not currently living. While in New York, I missed Portland and then once I moved back to Portland, I missed New York. Now that I am in Denver, I find I miss both Portland and New York. However, I do not think it is a matter of “always wanting to be somewhere I am not”, but rather missing key elements of my life from specific places. I would argue that as we spend our lives living in different places, we adapt to specific habits/routines and learn to expect certain things. When we relocate from these places, we miss the comfort these elements of our lives used to provide.

Therefore, my question is… is there an optimal amount of comfort one place can offer? And, by traveling, does one find significant characteristics of places/people in hopes of incorporating them into their “final destination”. For me, I have found that the quality of people and authenticity of those closest to me (proximity) rank highest among the characteristics of where I want to live. Additionally, at this stage in my life, being close to a city center that offers personal autonomy, allows for an independent expression of my soul. Though these are all things found in many cities, but are they possible in all cities?

Jyndia