East Coast- West Coast

Before joining OLCV as an intern for the summer from Duke University, I had never made it out to the western part of the country past the Mississippi river. Never one to do things halfway, when the opportunity came to venture to the west coast, I signed myself up to live in Portland for the entirety of my summer. 

Even as I approached the city from the plane, I could see miles of greenery from my high vantage point; this of course fit in with my expectations of what Oregon would hold. Upon arriving in Portland, I was tickled to be able to take the TriMet from the airport to my apartment- the joys of public transportation! 

I was equally impressed by the number of people walking and biking through the streets, as opposed to driving cars. Never before have I lived in a city where I could walk to work, the grocery store, the movies, or anywhere else I might wish to go. Speaking as someone who had a 25 minute commute by car to high school in my hometown, I am now enjoying the luxury of walking to work!

These experiences only seemed to support the things I had heard about Portland when I was preparing for my trip. The reputation for the city, and for the entire state of Oregon, seems to involve its heightened environmental awareness. This aspect of Oregon in particular was the attraction for me and the other members of my program, which is focused on learning about environmental management.

Now I have been in Oregon for a full month. I have had some time to visit some beautiful spots around the state, including the Oregon Coast (thanks to Christina for the beautiful photos!), as well as explore the city of Portland from the perspective of someone living and working downtown. Looking back at my initial impressions of the area, I would have to say that I still believe it holds true. From my day to day observations at OLCV (like calling members about upcoming legislation), I might guess that the citizens of Oregon are more informed and involved in environmental issues than my friends and neighbors in my hometown.

However, working at OLCV has also opened my eyes to the constant battle to promote and maintain legislation that supports environmental welfare. I am finding it incredibly interesting to learn about how such legislation is encouraged through organizations such as OLCV.