Welcome to Portland!

So here I am, in Portland, Oregon! After a really rough summer, full of goodbyes, boredom, two major Irish Festivals, moving twice, loneliness, and a cross-country adventure, I've finally made it. New girl in the big, exciting, crazy city of Portland! And to tell the truth, I feel soooo much better now that I'm here and the summer is over with. I have my future as a successful, full time college student (a person I've wanted to be for over ten years) ahead of me and I see myself with shades on because it's so fucking bright! I'm also a civilian which makes this experience that much more sweeter. I did my duty, I served my country, but now it's time for my country to serve me.
I arrived on Friday after starting off the second round of The Great Move with a blown tire before I'd even made it out of the city limits of Topeka. I'd made it seven miles! Over the weekend, I moved in and tried to make myself comfortable in my new abode with my new roommates. I live with three guys all around my age. There's:
Peter who is a journalist but currently writing a book about the mountain K2, who is friends with the mayor of the city (who I met after being here only three days), and has two really friendly cats, Little Miss and Big Z. He's loud and funny and if I ask him for a favor (like pick me up some cheese while he's a Trader Joe's), he gets it for the cats and not me. I have to fight the cats for it.
Ryan who graduated from PSU with a degree in Communications, is now attending cosmetology skool, and grew up in the area so he's quick to tell me about the things I need to see and the places I need to go.
And Tony who grew up in the area too, spent about five years in NYC, moved back earlier this year, and works as a bartender. He's funny and likes to laugh at the cats.
The house I live in is in a really great neighborhood and is in the part of town that everyone wants to live in. It has a really great little porch, great shower, and is just cute as can be. The walls need painted and are as thin as paper, but other than that, simply cute. The three guys have the upstairs rooms and I have the downstairs one. It's between the living room and the (one) bathroom so earplugs are about to become essential as I am not a night owl. There's a couple who lives in the basement named Arnie and Truddah. Arnie is a substitute teacher and apparently plays a mean banjo and Truddah is a second year law student. Then, out back in the garage-like thing, lives a girl who's name I don't remember. I think I've only seen her like once or twice.
Yesterday was orientation at Portland State University. The campus is in the middle of downtown so it's kinda like TCC (for you Norfolk people) but with more buildings and a lot more trees. I've even made it to the college radio station, KPSU, to get my orientation packet from them so that I can become a DJ; something I tried to do when I was at the Unifersity of Kansas!
Everyone here recycles (the recycle and compost -yes, compost- bins are larger than the trash bins), lots of homeless people, the bus system is fantastic, I can see Mount Hood and Mout Saint Helens (scary!)... I can't even begin to articulate all of my observations!
I've forgotten what it's like moving to a new city. I give myself about three months to be able to navigate around the city, but it's not only the getting lost part; it's the getting to learn where to go to see the best music, which bands are the ones to see, what each pub is like, what each bar is like, what establishments I shouldn't go into, finding the biscuit place and Burger City, making friends and having to do so as "Larry". That last task is really hard because my sister and her boyfriend - even though I've reminded them a couple of times - continue to introduce me as the name my parents gave me before they even met me (in which they obviously made the wrong choice). It's hard to establish Larry here. But I will persist!
I've also given up my beloved TV. It's hard because I'm used to having one around to provide background noise and because it's something to do when I'm bored. I also miss my shows like the stuff on A&E and Adult Swim. Butttt... I'm a student now and need to focus my attention on my studies, there's Hulu if I am in a desperate state to watch something, and I've spent over half my life plopped down on the couch, staring a lighted dots dance all over the screen, being an overweight sloth. Now I can read books, go for a run, work on my knitting, blog, explore the city, talk to my roommates, get sloshed at the pub, and, er, study! I still have my tv - don't get me wrong - it's just at my sister's house where it shall stay.
So I welcome this adventure with open arms and absolutely, 100% glad I am here. I miss my VA friends and the DDG, but my spirit needed this and now it's starting to fruit! Ahhhhh....