Tag: USA

Moving to Hawaii – The 3 month checkmark

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Living the island life 

Aloha everyone!

Today (time of writing: February 26th 2023) marks the first 3 months in Hawaii. As cliché as it may sound, time really flew by. In this blog I’d like to tell you about our lives in Hawaii and our experiences with the island life so far. What things have been easier since moving away from Portland, what are some of the things we’re missing, and how do we feel about being haole?

The First Month In Hawaii

The first goal we set for our Hawaiian life was to pick up martial arts. We had been introduced to self-defense based jiujitsu in the months leading up to the move and decided it was worth pursuing. Considering Hawaii’s background and Asian influences, martial arts have deep roots on the island and are quite popular as well. We signed up at a gym, invested in a gi (jiujitsu uniform) and some boxing gloves, and started going 5 times a week. Jiujitsu and Muay Thai aren’t easy to get into. They’re hard on your body when you first start and if you don’t have any background in martial arts it can be pretty intimidating to walk into that gym. I’m glad we decided to stick with it though! Not only are we learning a valuable skill and training our bodies to be stronger, but we also met some awesome people at the gym and felt welcomed into the environment. I recently received my first stripe on my white belt!

 

The second goal was to enjoy activities that we exclusively could enjoy on a tropical island; spending time in the sun, enjoying the palm trees, and spending lots of time on beaches and in the ocean! It is very odd to wake up with the same weather almost every day. You don’t have to put much thought into your clothing. You don’t have to change plans much because of sudden rain. The best thing is that we wake up earlier than we used to in Portland, because we have natural sun coming into our apartment and the birds (and wild roosters…) are performing a concert every morning.
    My Dutch roots are strong, so I had to figure out a way to bike through the city and go from A to B. So I signed up for Biki Bikes, which has bike hubs all around the city of Honolulu (from Diamond Head in the East to the neighborhood we live in next to Downtown). You can easily unlock bikes with your phone at any time and return them at any hub. I now bike to the Ala Moana Regional Park at least twice a week to swim there. 
    Swimming in the ocean has been everything I dreamed of. It feels amazing to add that routine to my daily life and I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. The water is so clear and blue, and there are so many fish and sea turtles swimming around me as I go for my 2km training. When I’m done swimming, I take a quick shower at the beach (the water is surprisingly salty haha), grab a snack and just sit underneath a palm tree while drying in the sun. To be able to say that this is ‘’a regular Wednesday’’ for me is still not making any sense to me!

 

The third goal was to slow down in life. That sounds a bit vague, but it was actually one of the reasons we moved to the island. Our lives in Portland were rather hectic. We had our jobs that frequently took up over 40 hours a week, we had a busy social life, I was making road trips through Oregon almost every weekend with Abby, and in hindsight I don’t think we got proper rest in the area we lived in. There was always something going on. I’ll tell you about that part in a separate blog – ‘’the truth about why we left Portland’’ – but for now I just want to say that everything that was happening around us really took a toll on our mental health. It was never peaceful or quiet. The last month of us living in Portland was so bad that I couldn’t even walk Abby by myself anymore in broad daylight, as I constantly got bothered by people on the streets. When you’re in the middle of it you don’t realize how bad it is. In comparison, Hawaii is extremely peaceful and quiet (and we don’t even live in a ‘’quiet’’ neighborhood). I also wanted to slow down in life because honestly the last 6 years of my life have been a whirlwind. I have hardly spent any long periods of time with my family in The Netherlands since 2017, been traveling between Japan, the USA and The Netherlands with no place that I could truly call my home, going through an extensive immigration procedure, the pandemic, navigating a marriage. I lived life fast, and I didn’t know how to slow down.

I’m hoping that living in Hawaii is going to help me to finally take some rest. To enjoy life to the fullest. I noticed that you get forced to slow down in Hawaii little by little. First, there’s the weather. With light warm days and sun year-round, you just feel more energized. It invites you to spend your days outside, instead of working a 9 to 5 inside. Then, island time really is a thing. You can’t rush anything in Hawaii, it simply will not work. People are just slower here, for a good reason.

 

 

 

 

Being the outsider

It may sound a little rough to put it into those words, but we do feel like the outsiders in Hawaii. That’s not to say that we don’t feel like we fit in, or that we feel uncomfortable with the melting pot of cultures. To the contrary, I like how culturally diverse the group of people on the island is. It took some getting used to when we first moved here, seeing so many different people and hearing different languages every day. But respectfully, we are outsiders. We did not grow up on the island, and island culture is not a thing that you can acquire later. From talking to the locals, it seems like growing up on an island changes you. It changes the way you treat the people around you and it changes how you go about your day. There is something unique about growing up on a little piece of land surrounded by the big powerful ocean. As one of the people we met here recently said ‘’You do not want to make anyone angry, because chances are, you going to see them again sometime’’. Sure, the city of Honolulu still has 345 thousand people living here. However, the island is just not that big. What locals share is not something you can easily understand or experience for yourself. There is a reason most people from the mainland only end up spending a couple of years here before moving back. Hawaiians have a powerful connection to their land, and I want to be as respectful as possible. Honolulu has extremely rich areas and very poor areas. Unfortunately, these rich areas seem to mainly be occupied by white people who have a lot of money. When you can buy a condo in Ala Moana/Waikiki, you will live a very good life here. There are luxuries all around, rooftop swimming pools, yoga rooms, infinity pools, giant gyms, hotel service concierge. For whoever can afford it. The reality is, a lot of people can’t afford living in Hawaii, not even in the cheaper areas. The cost of living is one of the highest in the entire US and having multiple jobs is kind of the norm here. It wasn’t like this when there were just native Hawaiians living on the island. A lot of natives are being priced out and that is a very sad thing. I can understand why not everyone on the island is happy to see all these rich people come to their island and enjoy a luxury lifestyle, while they can’t even afford their groceries. And still, I feel welcomed here. I may stand out because of my light skin and blond hair, but I truly feel more comfortable in this melting pot than I ever did in Portland. The people are kind here. They take the time and are interested in your story. They are very family-oriented, and this extends to friendships, work and even gyms. It is a stark contrast compared to the mainland’s extreme individualism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homesick?

As someone who has lived in quite a lot of different places/countries in her life, I do not have a clear definition on what ‘’home’’ is anymore. When I get homesick, I might describe that as a longing for something familiar. A strong desire to be with my loved ones. A need to be surrounded by people who share the same values and ideals because they grew up with them. In that sense, The Netherlands is still my home. But I don’t entirely fit in there anymore. I have some American in me now! Do I miss Portland at all? I have been back once – in January for work, and I did not like being back at all. The only thing I liked was smelling the rain and the mossy trees while taking a walk and seeing some of my friends. I don’t miss the culture. I don’t miss the food. I don’t miss the city, and I don’t miss the views. So far, we do not have any regrets about leaving Portland. But only time will tell .. 

Immigration During Covid-19

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The long road to permanent residency

Before I even met my American husband, I already knew that the US was known as ”one of the hardest countries to immigrate to”, which didn’t make sense to me considering it’s a truly immigrant country.

I’ve heard the stories of many undocumented immigrants, hard-working people who have been living here for ages, but still didn’t have documentation to prove they were legal. I’ve heard about kids being separated at the borders, families being torn apart, and people getting deported. 

To be honest, I have never thought about moving to The States. It wasn’t until I met my now-husband, spent a fair amount of time in the US and got engaged to him, when I actually started considering migrating. The idea of being an ”immigrant” was intimidating, but none of my friends here ever made me feel like I wasn’t one of them. While I love them for it, many of them don’t know how hard it’s been for Sam and me to get settled here. For people who aren’t directly involved in it, the whole immigration process seems very abstract and complicated. Still, I’d like to point out that I am only one of the approximately 690 thousand people each year, who will obtain a green card through a family connection in the US. About 45 percent of all green card holders have obtained one through marriage. 

In this blog I’d like to shine some light on the complex immigration system by sharing my own immigration timeline. We all know 2020 was a challenging year to get anything done because of the pandemic. Especially here in the US, as it marked the end of the Trump administration which had a major impact on the immigration process. Immigration during Covid-19: How did things (not) work out for me? Find out below!

K-1 Fiancé visa

Step 1: Filing the Petition (I-129F) – 91 Days
We started this process April 16th 2019, about two months after we got engaged. Sam, the petitioner, ‘requests’ to start the fiancé visa processing by filing a petition. It’s a couple of pages long, containing mostly basis questions about our personal information, past addresses, past employers, information on our parents, that sort of thing. About a week later we received our first NOA (Notice of Action), stating that USCIS had received the petition. July 22nd our petition was approved! 

Step 2: Interview at American Consulate – 211 Days
After the petition approval, the case was forwarded to the NVC (National Visa Center), and then forwarded to the American Consulate in Amsterdam. This took about two months, and I received a letter on October 7th with instructions on the required medical exam and scheduling the interview. I needed to prepare some documents that took time, such as a Certificate of Conduct from Japan (Because I lived in Japan for over 6 months) and my birth certificate. I had my medical in the second week of November, which I did consider to be a bit invasive and very overpriced. The results weren’t in by the time I had my interview, which was November 19th, so that led to an temporal denial. The interview itself was not as hard as I expected it to be. There were a lot of very personal questions about my life and relationship, but if you have a legitimate relationship I don’t think you have anything to worry about. When the interviewer asked me ”when have you last seen your fiancé”, I answered with a smile ”Well, he is right outside”.  Even though I didn’t have anything to worry about, it is still nerve-wrecking: Some outsider is evaluating your relationship and determining whether you have a future with him or not. That feels so strange! I finally got my visa December 13th, well on time for our set wedding date. 

Adjustment of Status

Step 3: Get married and file for Adjustment of Status 
The fiancé visa lets you enter the US for the sole purpose of marrying your American spouse within a 90-day timeframe. Our wedding date was February 26th 2020, and we ended up filing the Adjustment of Status in early April. I do not recommend waiting this long to file: get it done sooner rather than later, and DO consult with a lawyer if you can. I prepared the package all by myself, and even though I was very meticulous I still missed some essential forms and rules. This ended up delaying the process till June 5th, which is our official processing date. By then, I had already been living in The States for half a year, but wasn’t any closer to having rights. Yes – you have no rights once married to your spouse. That 211 day process I described above to obtain the K-1 visa? That was ONLY to be able to legally get married to a US citizen and then apply for permanent residency based on your status as a spouse. While waiting for your Adjustment of Status, you are not able to work, not able to get a drivers license and drive, not able to open a bank account, not able to make any money, not able to travel outside of the country etc. The Adjustment of Status includes many different forms, such as an Affidavit of Support (financial sponsor), an I-131 Travel Document to be able to leave the US and be allowed back in, and the I-765 Employment Authorization Document. All I could do was wait and it felt like forever. USCIS was dealing was an insane backlog that built up during Trump’s presidency, and on top of that many USCIS employers were furloughed due to the pandemic. The waiting times kept increasing, and it took another 6 months to finally hear something.

Step 4: Biometrics Appointment at local office 
In December I received a letter stating that my biometrics appointment was scheduled for January 5th 2021. They had resumed these appointments with Covid regulations in place, but it did feel uncomfortable to have someone take my picture in close proximity, as well as touch my hand and fingers to get the fingerprints done. I was definitely feeling anxious about it. 

Step 5: Approval of Employment Authorization Document – 287 days 
March 19th, after several calls to lawyers and letters to Senators, because I honestly thought they had forgotten about my case, I woke up to an email saying my work permit was approved. The wait was over!! The relieve I felt this day was surreal. I was finally, FINALLY able to work, earn money, get a social security number, open a bank account, get an Oregon ID, get my driver’s license, look for jobs: the opportunities seemed endless!

How crazy right, things that anyone takes for granted but that were taken away from me for so long. It felt like everything was finally falling into place.  To be honest, it was quite overwhelming once I had my work permit in hand. In the week after, I received my social security number, opened a bank account, signed my work contract, applied for some other jobs, went to the DMV to get an Oregon ID, and scheduled my Covid vaccine (more on that later). 

Step 6: Green Card Interview – 318 days 
We received our Interview Notice March 11th, and the date is set for April 19th. During this interview, USCIS might go over any and all documents already submitted, question you about them, but most importantly; they ask you for proof of a bona fide marriage. This interview requires both of us to come in with a folder filled with documents, and it’s really up to us to present them with whatever they need and ”pass the test”. Even though I’ve read many stories of green card interviews, I am still nervous, just like I was for the fiancé visa interview. The idea that someone who has no knowledge of your relationship is supposed to make a decision that will determine the rest of your future together is intimidating, to say the least. 
The downside of the interview is that you have to go over all of the already submitted documents again, and bring copies just in case, which takes a lot of time. It also requires another medical exam, which you have to pay a fair amount of money for. 

Within 24 hours of the green card interview you should hear about their decision: approval, denial, or under review. The green card itself doesn’t really grant me more rights compared to having just my work permit, except I will now be eligible for any stimulus checks (in case Biden signs another Covid Relief Bill), and I will have obtained legal resident status in the US. This whole process doesn’t end with the green card, because spouses of US citizens will receive a 2-year conditional green card. After those 2 years, you can file to get your conditions removed, to then receive a 10-year green card. Within that same timeframe, you’ll be able to choose the path of citizenship and naturalize. All of these processes costs more money and time. It is a real commitment I’m making, but it is very important for our future together. 

UPDATE:
I officially became a permanent resident April 19th, we got approved on the spot! I got a temporary I-551 green card stamp in my passport to use until my card comes in the mail. It feels absolutely surreal to finally be a permanent resident, and it hasn’t fully sunken in yet. Here’s a picture to show the relief and excitement when we came out of the USCIS office knowing I was approved.

The entire process from beginning to end (April 16th 2019 till April 19th 2021) will have taken us 2 years and 3 days, or 734 days. 

In the end I can only say that it was worth it, but for everyone who is still in the middle of it: Stay strong and the best of luck. It is a stressful and stringent process that certainly takes an emotional toll on the immigrant and their spouse. Hopefully this blog while help everyone understand a little better what the process entails and what the most challenging things are for people who are going through this. 

 

 

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Election Tension

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Stressed out by the 2020 election

Dear readers, this blog is a little bit different from the other ones. As much as I tried to stay away from politics, that has proven to be impossible, considering I moved to the US in 2020: the election year. When talking to some friends at home, I was told that ”the States doesn’t look much different now compared to the States from 6 years ago” and I completely understand that comment. However, it is very different from 6 years ago, but you can maybe only see these differences when you’re literally in the middle of it. So with this blog I offer you some insight into the current state of the USA. 

 

the divided states of america

It has been mentioned many times before, and really hits the nail on its head: whatever your opinion on America is right now, there is absolutely no way we can still talk about the United States of America. The country has never been this divided before. (well, maybe during the civil war in 1861, but that’s over 150 years ago…) It’s either blue or red, democrat or republican, liberal or conservative. There is no in-between. If it wasn’t for me living here, I would think America only had two political parties, and effectively that’s what it is, a two-party system. Sure, there’s the Independent party and the Green party and so on. No ones votes for them though, so these parties don’t stand in chance in the elections. The two parties are complete polar opposites from one another, on most (if not all) the important topics, regarding the justice system, immigration, health care, guns etc, so it is not hard to imagine why people only agree with one party. Where are the shared values?

It certainly hasn’t always been like this, but it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment in time where this started to happen. Many want to point the finger at Trump, who in my personal opinion is the main reason for this division. He has made it clear many times to only want to be the president of Republican states, and he has shifted the blame of several things, including the current pandemic, on the choices made by Democratic mayors. To talk about something close to home: after the escalation of protests that led to a fatal shooting in downtown Portland, president Trump was quick to say it was because of the ”radical do-nothing democrat mayor”. 

“Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It is you who have created the hate and the division.”

 

  • Ted Wheeler, mayor of Portland (august 2020)

It must be hard to live in a country where you know the very leader of the country doesn’t care about you. If you want to understand how hopeless people here are feeling, please listen to the song ”Commander in Chief”, quoted here on the right. 

People here are struggling really hard. Social security is not a given in the US. Unemployment and high health-care bills due to the pandemic for many people mean going into poverty. Americans mostly live from paycheck to paycheck, and the government has only made a one-time payment of $1200 in this entire 7 months of Covid. I am lucky to live in Oregon, where my husband was able to apply for unemployment benefits based on his loss of income – these funds are all state dependent, which is why it’s so important to have a fund on a federal level to ensure there’s payments for ALL Americans. Even then, the Oregon Unemployment Bureau was so overwhelmed by all the applications, that it took them about 5 months to start paying people, and for many it was already too late. 

“I’m not the only one,
That’s been affected and resented every story you’ve spun,
And I’m a lucky one,
‘Cause there are people worse off that have suffered enough,
Haven’t they suffered enough?
But you can’t get enough of shuttin’ down systеms for personal gain,
Fightin’ fires with flyers and prayin’ for rain
Do you gеt off on pain?
We’re not pawns in your game.”

 

  • Demi Lovato: Commander in Chief (2020)

 

  

Eviction notices in 2020

The picture on the right shows hundreds of orange flags: These are eviction notices given to Portland residents, forcing people to leave their homes. From my apartment, I’m looking out onto the courtyard, into other people’s apartments. Most of what I see now is empty. Some people left the area because of the protests, riots, and poor management of the property. But many of them left because they couldn’t afford to live here anymore. 
I know these unfortunate events are not just happening in the US, and the pandemic has left a path of destruction everywhere, but the thing you have to understand about the situation here is the hopelessness. There is no leader that’s working hard to contain the virus, that is pushing through stimulus bills to help people pay their rent, that has acknowledged any of these problems AT ALL. 

 

the most important election ever

This is why it’s the most important election ever: there is a lot at stake! We are talking immigrant rights, affordable health care, gun laws, pandemic relief funds and even basic human rights. As an immigrant, and a woman, I can tell you that when Trump gets re-elected, I will no longer feel safe here. At the same time, when he doesn’t get re-elected, I fear for intense protests and riots, people taking guns into the streets, and taking ”justice into their own hands”. This country is bruised and is in desperate need of healing. How do you bring together two halves of America that seem to have nothing in common anymore? Where do you start the healing process when there’s too many problems? Will a new president fix everything? No, unfortunately not. The damage that has been done the last 4 years is something that might need another 4 years to come undone. However, the most important thing is the mental aspect. Because people here are angry. They are hurt. They are fed up with the lies. They are absolutely exhausted waking up to bad news every day. They are mourning their country and the dividedness that is America, where families can’t eat at the same table anymore because their beliefs are so fundamentally different from one another.
So yes – Election tension is very real here! After all these emotions have built up over the years, how can you not be anxious? The little bit of hope people still have left is based on the outcome of the election. People fear that when their hope is taken away, they will be left with nothing. So here’s to another 5 days of hoping – and potentially more if it’s going to be a close call. 

For everyone who is currently not in the US and didn’t know about this, I hope this blog gave you some clarity. I have written about my own experience, that is formed by talking to many different people here; friends, in-laws, acquaintances and neighbors. 

And that concludes this somewhat depressing blog about the upcoming 2020 Election. 

Let me know what you think in the comments below! Stay safe & healthy everyone.

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What The Heck Is Going On In Portland?

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living in portland: the good, the bad and the ugly

Beautiful nature all around, a nice long summer, swimming in clean rivers, eating amazing food from local food trucks; You’ve heard me say it all in the previous blogs. Living in Portland can be a real treat! But usually on social media, you only see the good stuff. So today, I want to tell you about the things that have been hard. We all have the pandemic in common, so this blog will be more about the other factors that have made living here very difficult these past couple of months. Federal agents ‘guarding’ the streets of Portland, the longest ongoing protests in all of the U.S., and the wildfires that at this moment are still raging around. 

 

Living in Portland in recent months has felt almost apocalyptic. We’re six months in the pandemic, three and a half months into the protests, and now you can add wildfires and natural disaster on top of that. People are getting to the point of getting worn out.” 

 

  • Lee Shaker, professor at PSU

 

 

so what the heck is going on in portland? 

A lot of unrest and chaos was created when president Trump decided to send federal agents to Portland, because the situation was apparently ”out of control”. Portland had already seen months of consecutive protests; they didn’t skip a single night. As someone who has joined some of the marches early on, I could tell that there was growing frustration and anger amongst the people who were on the streets for justice. No defunding of the police and no reforms that people were pleading for definitely caused some of the protests to turn somewhat violent. But with such a large group of people, it is impossible for everyone to think and act the same way. Just because there were some riots and  looting (mostly in the first couple of weeks) doesn’t absolve the purpose of the protests, which is rooted in years and years of oppression, fear and injustice.  

When the federal agents took over the streets of Portland, the whole thing escalated. Before their arrival, a group of less than hundred people were protesting in front of the Justice Center (which became a symbolic place of protesting). After their arrival, this number grew to over a thousand again. It started an entirely new movement, with people traveling to Portland from other states to stand in solidarity. We saw ”the wall of moms” and ”the wall of grandparents” rise, as people started protesting the ‘occupation’ of Portland. Chants and banners changed into ”Feds Go Home” and the situation became more and more tense every day. It honestly felt like the city was under attack. Stories came out of unmarked vans and agents in cameo picking people up from the streets, and DHS was roaming around everywhere – not just in downtown or around federal buildings. With many different agencies working together, including ICE (immigration), I was afraid to go out alone or at night. The delay of the work permit due to Covid and immigration reforms has caused the immigration process to be almost shut down, and so I do not have any proper paperwork stating my rights as a foreign resident yet. While this is a story for another time, all I want to tell you guys is that it felt very unsafe for more than a month, which is a very strange feeling if you grew up in a relatively safe country.

what about the wildfires?

As many of you have heard in the news by now, California, Oregon and Washington (the Pacific Northwest) is suffering from huge wildfires – bigger and more than ever before. The biggest reason – climate change – is something I’m not getting into in this blog. Another reason is the lack of controlled or ritual burning. I listened to a podcast recently that explained the concept of ‘ritual burning’ and because I hadn’t heard of it before, I want to explain this to you guys. Ritual burning was done by Native Americans for many years before their land was taken from them. They were utilizing fire, controlled burning of pieces of land, to create a natural stop for the forest fires that would occur every year. In order for a fire to continue, it needs fuel. If you take away this fuel by burning pieces of land, the wildfires would have nowhere to go. Currently, a lot of these ritual burnings are prohibited and the land is now publicly owned, so the Natives do not have a say in the matter anymore. However, some states are communicating that they want these ritual burnings to come back, to help prevent large wildfires.

While the fires themselves were mostly spreading in South and West Oregon, the situation suddenly became very scary when two wildfires became one and reached Clackamas County within 24 hours. We have some friends living there, and Beavercreek is located in Clackamas County as well. This is where grandma lives, and where Sam and I got married. We saw on the news that they had started to evacuate  these areas, so we were really worried about grandma. Luckily, she is okay and her house is safe from the fires now that rain has started to fall and the winds have changed direction.  

This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve never seen anything like this in terms of the amount of uncertainty and chaos happening, and the endless panic people are feeling.”

  • Ryan Haas, news editor at Oregon Public Broadcasting

It was a relief to hear that the fires were under control and many people were evacuated on time. The damage is huge and so many people have lost their houses. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have been struggling for months in this pandemic with the lockdown and unemployment, as well as the health concerns, only to end up losing everything you own in wildfires. Many parts of Oregon are destroyed, entire towns are wiped off the map, and many still fear for the danger and destruction these fires leave behind. Portland was relatively close to the wildfires, which is a very unusual case. I have talked to many people who grew up here, and none of them have ever experienced something like this before. On September 10th, the mayor announced a State Of Emergency in Portland, and added some suburban neighborhoods not too far from the city to zone one: ”get ready for evacuation.” 

The fires themselves are not the only safety hazard wildfires bring; The smoke (and specifically the fine particles PM2.5) is what has been the most problematic this last week. As you can see from the picture above, Portland turned from blue skies and sun into an apocalyptic smoke-filled grey sky and blood-red sun in just a couple of hours. The smoke also doesn’t really have anywhere to go, considering Portland’s geography being a valley. This past week, Portland consistently had the worst air quality in the entire world. 

“Oregon’s air quality is so far beyond ‘hazardous’ that no one knows what it means for health.”

  • Joseph Winters, writer for grist.org 

All of a sudden, everything started to smell like smoke. We couldn’t keep it out of our apartment and got so desperate for fresh air – but there was nowhere to go. We had no choice but to sleep in it, and be in it 24 hours a day. It didn’t take long for us to notice the effects of it on our health; we struggled with headaches, teary eyes, irritated throat and a burning sensation in our lungs every time we took deep breaths. Where can you go when the very air you breathe is poisonous? 
At the time of writing this blog, after 10 days of heavy smoke and an air quality that was higher than the measurement scale itself, I can finally see some blue skies in the distance. I had no idea I would ever feel so grateful for rain, wind and blue skies. To see the daylight again. For ten days Portland and its surrounding cities have been nothing but dark. Now it’s like the colors have returned and it’s pure happiness. 

So let’s end this blog on a good note. Better times are coming. You know how I know that? Because it simple cannot get any worse than this. 2020 – you’ve been the shittiest year ever, but when we get through this we’ll be ready to take on anything!

© All images belong to their rightful owners. 

 

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How I Spent My Summer 2020 In Oregon, USA

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my top Summer Activities in 2020: covid edition
 

 

Hi lovely readers,

It’s already September, where has the time gone? It seems like summer in The Netherlands is officially over, I’m sorry everyone! Here in the Pacific Northwest however, summers almost always last till the end of September.  It makes for a popular travel destination for people all over the States, as we see cars from all over: Massachusetts, North Carolina and even New York and Florida. Corona doesn’t seem to stop anyone from traveling around. Sam and I have decided to stick to Oregon this year, to keep the people around us safe, but also because Oregon has so many amazing things to offer that we don’t feel the need to travel out of state. 

 

 

 

This summer was a little different from other summers though, as I’m sure is the case all over the world. In the first couple of months lockdown was in effect, and public places where all closed. The end of May we saw some restaurants and bars open back up, with strict social distancing guidelines and required mask wearing. I feel like I’ve been in quite a privileged position with all the nature around us, as we can easily keep our distance from others while we hike, swim or bike. This summer involved all those activities, as well as catching the last snow on Mt. Hood, eating from the land (berry picking), eating a lot of ice cream, and of course on some nights; protesting.

 

In this blog I’ll take you through my summer, so follow along!

Hiking around Portland and Mt. Hood

As I wrote about in my post 10 Things I Love About Portland , Portland is pretty much the perfect location for an extraordinarily number of hikes, with many National Parks and Mt. Hood, including its surrounding forest and lakes, being driving distance away.  

Our most adventurous hike was to Ramona Falls, where you have to cross several rivers to get to your destination: A beautiful waterfall deep within the forest. During the first part of our hike we could enjoy views of Mt. Hood, while the second part of our hike took us through a magically serene forest where you can hear nothing but birds, insects and the calming sound of the babbling brook. 

View of Mt. Hood from Pittock Mansion

 Silver Falls State Park – North Falls 

 

 

silver falls state park

Another one of my favorite hikes was  Silver Falls State Park, about a 2-hour drive away from Portland. There are many trails there, including one that takes you to all 10 waterfalls (big and small!), but since we had our dog Mishka with us we followed the Rim Trail to the North Falls. 

We also went up Mt. Hood, though the mountain looks completely different now that there is hardly any snow on the top. You can go up by cable car and hike back down.

Our favorite hike in Portland itself is Hoyt Arboretum. You can find anything from fancy bridges, view points, bamboo forests and the Portland Rose garden in this area.

 

 

 

 

Swimming & kayaking 

Because of Covid, all the swimming pools and waterparks are closed, but you have no excuse not to take a dip with all the perfectly swimmable rivers around! Both the Willamette and the Colombia (the river that runs through Portland city) get tested for bacteria so that people know when it’s safe to swim. It only took us 15 minutes to get to a destination where we could either kayak or swim. The temperature is around 25 degrees, while the outside temperature is often around 30 degrees in this time of the year, so the water feels refreshing but definitely not too cold.  

Two popular destinations are Broughton Beach and Sellwood Riverfront Park. Both can get very crowded during the day, so we prefer to go late afternoon.

 

 

picnics & ice cream

Portland has so many parks, that having a picnic is a must-do in summer. Buying decent snacks can get a bit expensive though, especially compared to Dutch snacks. You are officially not allowed to consume alcohol outside, but anyone does it anyway. 

I have eaten a LOT of ice cream in my 26 years of existence, but never in my life have I had better ice cream than Salt & Straw. They have 4 locations in Portland (so you are always close to a location, where ever you go), and they change their special flavors each month, so you have to keep going back to try ’em all. 

Marching on the Burnside Bridge

Tilikum Crossing at night

Bike trip to Sellwood Riverfront Park

 

 

 

bike rides & protests 

As many of you have probably seen in the newspapers at some point; Portland is (still) on the forefront of protests against police brutality. I could honestly dedicate an entire blog about this, and I think I will at some point, because there is so much to say about it. Sam and I have joined these safe demonstrations by marching through Portland with hundreds (and in the beginning thousands) of others. This was months ago, and we haven’t joined since because of safety concerns and Covid. However, it is an experience I will never forget, the unity I felt and the stories I’ve heard really had an impact on me.

My dad-in-law gave me a bike a couple of months ago, so I could ”feel a little more Dutch” and explore things on my own. The bike rides are always amazing and a way for me to clear my head and feel independent (as Sam usually drives my everywhere). My favorite bike rides are to the Eastbank Esplanade and crossing the Tilikum bridge, or following the Springwater Corridor to Sellwood/Gresham. 

Building a Study Corner

And last but not least, we have spent some time putting together an Ikea desk an create a study for me. All I can really do here in The States, while waiting for my work permit, is study. I have already finished courses in Content Marketing, Nutrition, Sports Nutrition and Wedding Planning, and I am taking my time going through N5-N3 levels of Japanese to get back into it!

My desk

And that concludes my list of (corona-proof) summer activities here in Oregon!

I hope you enjoyed this blog, let me know what you think in the comments below! Stay safe & healthy and I will see you around in the next blog 🙂 

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10 Things I Love About Portland

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Hi readers!

I realized the 90-day visa I was on has now officially expired – which also means that I am currently in the process of becoming a permanent resident. I spent almost a year in Portland so far, although not consecutive. To celebrate this little milestone, I am bringing you another blog: Here’s 10 things I love about Portland!

Nr. 1: Everything is possible 

Portland has a reputation of being weird. I can tell you that they really do stay true to that reputation. There is no judgment here; you can wear whatever you like, look however you want to look, and say whatever you want to say. There is this unspoken rule that nothing it too weird. What I love about this is that Portland never gets boring. If you think you are just going out for a normal walk, minding your own business, you’ll be in for a surprise. I can guarantee you will see something that will fit the description of ”weird”. Either it’s strange architecture, a unique sign, some really catchy graffiti, or -if you are lucky- the Unipiper (see image above). Portland is a very liberal city, and they hold many events that reflect their sense of freedom. From friendly protests, to naked bike-rides, to typical Portland festivals that makes this city so enjoyable during summer.

Nr. 2: You can go anywhere from portland!

Portland’s location makes it the perfect hub to explore all the beautiful surrounding landscapes Oregon has to offer. From Portland you can get absolutely anywhere, whether it’s a snowy mountain, desert lands, a tropical rain forest or a nice beach: It is all no more than a two hour drive from Portland city. If you, for some reason, do get bored of Portland, you have many places to go. The nice thing is, is that it is all possible to do in a day. You don’t have to spend the extra time and money to stay somewhere for a weekend, unless you want to of course. Feeling like chilling on the beach? In about 2 hours you will get to Seaside, a picturesque small beach town that marks the end of the famous Oregon Trail. Want to sniff some local culture in a place that looks nothing like Portland? You can go to the charming town of Astoria that has many famous landmarks and interesting musea, while enjoying a ride on its unique trolley. Are Portland summers too hot for you and are you craving some snow? Mount Hood -Oregon’s most popular mountain- is 1.5 hours away from Portland and has everlasting snow.

                     
Nr. 3: portland is a green city

If you are a small town girl like me, a big city such as Portland can be quite overwhelming. If you want to get away from it all, breathe in some fresh air and hear nothing but nature around you, you don’t even have to leave the city! One thing Portland did really well is its green infrastructure. Most neighborhoods enjoy big trees that cover the streets with a roof of leaves in summer. Portland also has a lot of parks, from Laurelhurst Park with a beautiful lake in the middle, to Mount Tabor, which is an extinct volcano surrounded by several big water reservoirs. From Multnomah Falls (see image above), to the Waterfront Park that serves as an oasis of green in the middle of the city. There are also plenty of small beaches in and around Portland city, where you can even swim during summer.

nr. 4 summers are filled with endless possibilities 

Add up everything that I mentioned above and you’ll have the perfect recipe for an unforgettable summer in the Pacific Northwest. There are may festivals held at the Waterfront Park, such as the famous Blues Festival (see picture above). With all of its parks, hiking trails and places to swim, Portland is a great place to enjoy sunny weather. But the entire Pacific Northwest is known for its adventurous summers, and Portland makes the perfect hub for exploring! From kayaking on the Willamette river that runs through Portland, to white-water rafting outside of Portland. From floating down a river for a couple of hours with nothing but nature around you, to setting up base right next to some breathtaking waterfalls. From a picnic and a movie in the park, to silent disco’s at night in the heart of Portland. Portland really comes alive in summer, mainly due to its climate; It rains a whole lot down here, but the summers are sunny and comfortably warm.

nr. 5 The Food culture is amazing

Portland has been crowned the city with the best food culture in the US many times now, and it is well deserved. Besides the many amazing local restaurants Portland has to offer, the food-truck culture is really big here as well (there’s over 600 food trucks all over Portland!). You will find many designated food cart areas with anything from sushi burritos, to freshly made Indian curries, and from fat American burgers, to home-brewed ciders and beer. In summer, these food cart areas are insanely popular, but even in winter they accommodate their guests with campfires and heated chairs. Another great thing about these food carts is that they are usually open till late at night, and the ones downtown are open till early morning (in case you crave food at 2 a.m.). Not feeling eating outside? I have yet to discover a food culture that is not represented in Portland. You name it, they have it! The food quality is also comparatively better than many other cities in the US, since they tend to have a higher standard when it comes to preparing and serving their food.

nr. 6 Portland is a bikeable city

Okay, this might not mean much to Dutch people, ’cause it will never be as bike-friendly as in The Netherlands… But: They have done a pretty good job in making this city bikeable! The bright orange bike you see in the picture above is a BikeTown bike, which is part of a bike program launched by Nike. You will see ”hubs” of BikeTown bikes all over Portland, and with an account you will have access to all of these bikes. The only rule is to always bring the bikes back to their hub, or you will have to pay a little extra. They are very easy to use and a great opportunity for tourists that like biking as much as the average Dutchie does. The most bike-friendly route is also the prettiest. It will take you from the Eastbank Esplanade (a path on the water), all the way to downtown when you cross the bike-only bridge ”Tilikum Crossing”. Bike lanes are quite obvious, but downtown they often share a lane with cars, or even with trams. The many one-way streets in Portland make biking a little confusing from time to time, but let me tell you: It is always better than driving. Portland has terrible traffic congestions and rush hour is an absolute nightmare. A 15-minute bike ride can turn into an hour car ride if you’re unlucky.

Nr. 7: Every neighborhood has a unique vibe 

Portland has a lot of different neighborhoods. To name a view: Hollywood, Laurelhurst, Irvington and Alberta. Each neighborhood has its own vibe to it, which means that they are all very different from one another. This is visible in architecture, parks, local stores and even the people who you frequently see in said neighborhoods. In the pictures above you see two typical American movie theaters, both with a very different look. The Hollywood theatre is a historical theatre in the middle of the Hollywood district, built in a chique European way. The Bagdad theatre is located in the vibrant Hawthorne district, and used to be a opera theatre, but now functions as a cinema – all of the interior of the opera remains intact. The Laurelhurst district is characterized by the Laurelhurst Park and Oak Street that -as the name suggests- is home to some of the most beautiful old Oak trees in all of Portland. Irvington district is a calm and homey neighborhood where you can peacefully walk through and find lots of kids and dogs playing outside. The Alberta district has Alberta street, which hosts some of the best restaurants and bars of Portland. It is also considered the art district, and when you walk down Alberta street you’ll find out why (see the picture above). Small local art stores, lots of unique street art, and the ”schoolbus food cart” and ”tiny house hotel” are located here. It is a nice neighborhood to walk around in during the day as well as at night. Downtown is obviously the most vibrant part of Portland, that never really slows down (well, I guess it has in this current pandemic).

Nr. 8: powell’s book store 

You don’t have to be a book lover to enjoy a visit to Powell’s book store. The largest independent bookstore of all of the US is located in the heart of Portland city. It is much more than just a bookstore. It is a place to sniff up some Portland culture, to enjoy the variety of people as much as the variety of books, and a great place to catch up with a friend while enjoying the best cappuccino you’ll ever have (my mom said so, so it must be true). You can wander for hours in this three-story ”city of books”, and I can guarantee that you will feel like a different person when you get out. Besides books, this store also offers anything you can think of for the creative mind. Want to organize your life with one of their amazing journals, get inspired by some of their quotes, or heck, why not start writing your own book! You will feel like you can do anything while inside of this amazing store, so if you have a chance to go to Portland, go to Powell’s!

Nr. 9: portlanders are active people 

With that many great places to bike, run, hike, or peddle, it is no surprise that Portlanders love being active. This is not a stereotypical American city where ”everything is big”. Since people who have lived in Portland for a while know exactly how depressing the weather can get, even rain won’t stop them from enjoying outdoor activities. The hills and the river make for a great active environment and so I feel like being active has become part of the city. I guess it’s what you have to do when you’re constantly being tempted by their amazing food!

Nr. 10: portland in oregon is the ”real portland” 

Okay, this is an inside joke. There are two Portland’s in the US: One on the West Coast in Oregon, and one on the East Coast in Maine. When Sam and I were on vacation in New York, we met some people who asked where we were from. When we said ”Portland”, they asked ”Portland Oregon?” and we replied with a yes. Then the guy said ”Good, f* Portland Maine!” Apparently Portland in Maine is not all that great. But, we have never been, so I can’t tell you whether that’s true or not. However, now that you know there are two Portland’s: Make sure you book your trip to the Portland you actually want to go to! Also, if I have a quick look on Google, Portland Maine does look pretty cool. It’s a small city with a lot of European influences, while Portland Oregon is a big city that is fairly industrialized. They might share the same name, but they look completely different. I know where my next trip is going to be to.. How fun to have ”Portland to Portland” written on your airline ticket!

That’s my list of 10 things I love about Portland!
I hope you enjoyed it, found is useful , or even recognized some of the things I mentioned. I definitely recommend visiting Portland in spring or summer, so you can really enjoy the green and nature that this city has to offer. Winter here get pretty depressing, but I will save that for a future blog about the 10 things I don’t like about Portland. See you next time!

© All images belong to their rightful owners. 

 

 

 

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Newlyweds in Quarantine

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Hi everyone!

First and foremost; I hope that everyone who is reading this blog right now is healthy and safe, as well as their loved ones.

A lot of people who will read this will be in The Netherlands, but I also know a lot of people who are not in their home country right now. All of us are facing the same stress: to be away from your family during a pandemic. This blog is not about politics (well, maybe a little), and not about how I think people should feel. Everyone is entitled to their own feelings. It is simply a way for me to share my thoughts and feelings, hoping that for the people out there who feel the same, it will be somewhat reassuring. And one thing is now more true then ever: We are all going through this together.

“I think it’s safe to say to everyone is feeling a little lost these days. As a millennial, I grew up experiencing how small the world can be – what is a 10-hour flight right? But right now, it feels bigger than ever.”

My situation

I am currently in Portland, Oregon, USA. Here on the West Coast, things are not nearly as bad as they are on the East Coast. You may or may not have seen it in the news, but the US is failing in every possible way trying to control this pandemic. There is no ”lockdown” for the USA, there are only lockdowns for specific States. With flights from outside the US blocked, domestic flights are still going. In a city as big and rushed as New York, it took forever to get people to practice social distancing, or even to quarantine them (as in: tell them not to go outside). Restaurants and bars were still open weeks after the first cases of Covid-19 popped up in New York City. Meanwhile, the President himself does not seem to take this seriously, and keeps sending mixed messages to the American people. With a political system that was already (at least in my opinion) on the verge of collapsing, the people do not know who to trust anymore. Looking at the situation in The Netherlands, where the Prime Minister and Royal Family face this crisis head on, trusting on science, naming the facts, keeping people in the loop, and putting themselves in vulnerable positions in order to create that mutual trust between them and the people .. I have to say that I am somewhat proud to be Dutch. Are we doing everything right? Who knows. I sure don’t, so who am I to judge? What I see is that people who are supposed to take care of the nation do so, and that should earn them respect, because that is not an easy job.

 

 

 

My thoughts and feelings

Enough politics, at least for now. Let’s just say that it makes me rethink my move to the US. Sam and I knew that this would be the easiest (and still really hard) way for us to be together, which is why we choose to live here.

I think it’s safe to say to everyone is feeling a little lost these days. As a millennial, I grew up experiencing how small the world can be – what is a 10-hour flight right? But right now, it feels bigger than ever. I knew I was not allowed to leave the US until I had my probation approved, but I also knew that there were still flights going back and forth, and because of that I still had the option to fly back. Now that countries are on lockdown and it is not possible to fly anymore, that physical distance kind of changed into a mental one.

I see how everyone tries to cope in different ways. Some like to think of this time as a learning experience and really believe they are going to get out of this stronger. Personally, I don’t think we should add unnecessary pressure on people by saying things like ”if you don’t do these things now, not having the time was just an excuse and you lack self-discipline.” Well, so what if you lack self-discipline, who doesn’t every now and then?

Some days I wake up on the right side of the bed. I feel energetic, see the good in this quarantine situation, can name plenty of things I am grateful for, and am off to a great start of the day. I work out, journal, study, do the household, cook delicious meals, all the good stuff!

However, there are also days where I wake up and instantly feel anxious, or even depressed. The first thought that crosses my mind that day is ”reality kind of sucks right now!”. It leaves me feeling demotivated, I’ll have a hard time getting out of bed, and it just puts me in this negative mindset. I hate these setbacks, but they are part of life. You are simply not always feeling positive, not always happy, not always energetic.

This quarantine, however big or small it may feel to each and every one of you, has an influence on how we feel. Our lives have changed – the world has changed. This is a major thing we are going through right now, and I know that even the toughest, most stable people, will eventually notice the effects of this new reality.

Mental health is now more important then ever. There are a lot of people who feel lonely, and trust me, it’s not just the old or single people; It can be parents who are quarantined with their kids, it can be students who still live in a dorm with other students, it can be newlyweds (hey, hello, that’s me!).

For us, this situation is kind of ironic. We went through 2 years of on and off long-distance/living together, had to go through a lot of legal shit and immigration stress and struggled to be together. Now however, we are newlyweds in quarantine!

First of all, we are so so lucky and really count our blessings, that we were able to get married (with family and friends flying over!) and enjoy our honeymoon in Hawaii, before this whole quarantine situation happened. If this timeline had shifted just a month, Sam would not be my husband right now, and I might not even be with him right now.

My heart goes out to the people who can’t go through with their wedding or have to do it without their loved ones by their side, to the couples who are quarantined in different countries and can’t be together for a stressfully long period of time, for the exchange students that had to give up their new lives in another country. I have been through all these things, taking it all for granted, but this quarantine makes you think twice about what kind of privilege you’ve had to be able to do these things.

Now we are here – just married, and stuck with each other 24/7. I remember wishing for this moment to come and even dreaming about it. I consider myself very lucky. However, this is a very unusual situation. Is it healthy for a couple to be together all the time (in a 40m2 studio)? I don’t think so. I love our small studio and I love my hubbie, but it can be challenging! I felt guilty (and still do sometimes) for wanting alone time, and for feeling lonely while being quarantined with him. This pandemic makes us feel all sorts of things and I am learning to embrace it all. It’s okay to feel anxious, to be stressed, to feel lonely, to feel unstable and vulnerable. A couple of my friends reported ”feeling things they’ve never felt before”. We have not been in a situation like this before, like ever. So we should cut ourselves some slack and not put all this pressure on ourselves to function a hundred percent all the time.

If you are reading this, let me tell you I am proud of you for just hanging in there. I am proud of the people who try and make the most of it. But I am just as proud of the people who are just making it through the day – and so should you!

A big shoutout to all the people who are still going to work, or have to work from home with screaming kids around them. A huge thank you to the people who are wrecking their brain around this virus to work on vaccines and treatments. A warm and loving virtual hug to each and every one of you! Please be kind to yourself and to others. Together we will make it through.

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