Keep being weird, Portlanders.

• Portlanders show up in force for the things we care about and for our neighbors---regardless of who they are or where they came from.
• You never know when you're going to turn the corner and stumble upon a random parade, demonstration of free speech, or a person on rollerskates juggling.
• Portlanders make it safe to be genuinely yourself. At the end of the day, we're all a bunch of weird people, many of whom are here because they can't be themselves in another corner of the world.
• Portlanders are compassionate problem solvers. I always say that there's more good than bad in the world, and we've proven it over the past 18+ months to the rest of the world time and time again.

These are a few of my favorite places, but let's be real. There are so many more.

• Hoda's Lebanese Cuisine
• Dee Dee Vegan Thai
• Gyro Kingdom
• Taco Time
• Burgerville
• Pretty much any local ice cream place (Salt & Straw, 50 Licks, Dairy Hill...)
• Portal Tea
• Fleur de Lys nail salon
• Sugar Sugar esthetics
• Powell's (any location, but the one on SE Hawthorne is an absolute gem in District 3)
• Electric Castle's Wunderland
• Hopscotch
• Oregon Zoo
• Portland Japanese Garden
• Lan Su Chinese Gardens
• The Grotto
• ...I think you get it.

• We consistently have some of the best air quality in the country, because of our dedication to the climate.
• The abundance of flowers, plants, trees, and greenery year round is nothing to scoff at.
• I love the easy access to rivers, waterfalls, temperate rainforests, mountains, the coast...
• Obviously the crows and the roses.
• Our year-round hummingbird population.
• A few of my favorite parks and natural places in or near the city include Laurelhurst Park, Forest Park, Washington Park, Overlook Park, the Columbia River Gorge, and Larch Mountain.
• My favorite drives to take are along the Historic Columbia River Highway and Marine Drive. The beauty of the gorge and the river can't be beat by much.