1) How long have you lived in Portland? I have been in Portland for 5.5 years. I moved here out of a little mountain town in Colorado to pursue a richer design culture, as I was studying graphic arts in college. Also, like many Christians in their 20's seem to have done upon the publishing of Blue Like Jazz, I was inspired by and followed Donald Miller's footsteps out here to the "bohemian city" to drink gallons of delicious coffee and to get to know people who had no faith, or a faith different than mine. Ultimately, moving to Portland was my test of my identity, my spirituality, and my passions...to see how they would hold up without the comforts of the place I had called home for the last 20 years. 
2) What fills up your days (or nights) in Portland?Because I am a pedestrian/cyclist/mass transit commuter, I would say a largo amount of my time is spent in the rain, appreciating the trees that shield me from the downpour, and ducking into coffee shops to avoid the rain / to work (edit photos + design) / to read. 28.57% of my week's evenings are taken up by Door of Hope church services. Other night times are often consumed by cheap shows, happy hours, or staying in, goofing around with my roommates.
3) Where are some of your favorite place to go and things to do in Portland?
Sellwood is my favorite Portland neighborhood to escape to. It's like a secret, close-by vacation spot where manageable amounts of serendipity happen to me. It's also such a good place for food, antique shopping, park lounging, jogging, and people/dog observing! Favorite coffee shop to work in: Ford Food + Drink. Favorite coffee shop to chat in: Tea Chai Té. Its actually a tea shop, in Sellwood. Did I say I love Sellwood? Because I love Sellwood.
For three years I worked with a team delivering socks and other necessities to the homeless downtown. I also had a good friend who worked as a valet at the Nines and so we had our stories about the regular crazies we'd see around. Most of them got nicknames, for example, The Emperor, who walked around the city with a blanket tied around his neck and dragging behind him. Rain or shine. Then there's the man who walks around town with his Bengal Cat on his shoulder. Has for years. My most recent favorite character has been the "F*ck Geico" guy. He drives around with the innards of his driver-side door exposed and if anyone comments, he peels out while ranting about how Geico screwed him over. I took a photo of him a while back, and lately have been noticing more of him floating around the net. (that's Sarah's photo of him, below!)
5) Do you plan on staying in Portland for a while? I have no idea how long Portland will be home to me, maybe one more year, maybe forever! I love living here but my heart will always be divided by Colorado. We will see where the wind (and the job market) will take me! For now, Portland is home where I work as a freelance photographer and designer.
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