STILL ALIVE!

[Dis]

Good news indeed. And you can't go wrong with Oregon. I'd probably live there if I was born there (my family is here, and I'm stayin').

[Dinner]

Wow, big D is in the house. Long time no see.

[Pekka]

chang, Cleared! Inbox should say you have reached the limit so clear it!

Yeah... starting to slowly recover. My feet are OK now. THey just look ugly. Also, some of the bloating is now gone. Still a bit bloated but not too bad. Turns out I messed up my metabolism good for the month.

I got some more stuff to do though... I want to do Pacific Crest Trail within a year or two... and also Santiago De Compostela. The latter one is a bit easier than what I did this time. Also I packed way too heavy for this trip, thinking I'd be spending many nights in my tent in rain. Also my first really long-distance hike with not enough experience on gear. I would not bring half the stuff for the next trip. And will not.

A local paper (big one) had a whole page on the walk today with a huge picture, too. I want to go again. On foot. I also want to do one with a bicycle. It would afford me to go for a longer distance. Like through a country. I only have 1 to 2 months a year for such things so maybe I could double down and go for 1000 miles next time. I think I would make it in 2 months, provided I would not carry a tent. I didn't actually really train for this hike, kind of went for it.

But I don't get what the big deal is... I mean yeah, just go for it? If you think it's cool, why sit back and not do it? That was my message for every single interview; sick or healthy, go for your dreams no matter how crazy they are. And that's basically it. And then it's like no one has ever said it before? Just because you grow ugly facial hair, smell bad and refuse to give up does not mean you have something deep to say, great wisdom has been gained since the beginning of time. Pretty much everyone agrees with the most simple answer to that question, I actutally said this to a real reporter who listened and nodded as if she was hearing something new: "Yes, you should do things that you like. Reduce the things you don't like. Include people in your life that you like and those that you don't like, well... reduce the amount of them. Mainly, just do things that you like". I figured they'd be offended by an answer like that but I guess it jsut needs to be reminded - life is simple.

[Dinner]

Oregon is not diverse. The white people are from a number of different European background but often have been in the US for 5-2 generations but that said... There are few nonwhite people. That isn't bad but it is not diverse either. It is white, white, white.

On the upside crime is low and the *****es are hot. You won't have the high paying jobs you have in places like NY, VI, or CA buy the housed are a lot cheaper too.

[pchang]

Actually, someone like Pekka could get a job with similar pay levels to me (80% - 90%) in Portland.

[Dinner]

Actually, someone like Pekka could get a job with similar pay levels to me (80% - 90%) in Portland.

Well, then Pekka would get a pay day for sure. His income would be very good. Several times Finland with a fraction of the taxes. We are talking about 1% income here.l with lower housing costs than even Finland.

[Dinner]

Back on the diversity issue. I believe Portland is the least diverse large city in the country including places like Iowa and North Dakota. It is still a very nice place geographically and climate wise but it truly is white, white, white. Their idea of exotic food is something from Poland or perhaps the US state of Georgia. Forget about late night dim sum or Ethiopian or Vietnamese food. What you can find will be inferior to places like California or Seattle but if you enjoy the conformity (and travel a bit) it could be a very nice place.

[Dinner]

Portland housing cheap??? Not last time I checked. You must be comparing it to California.

I haven't been to Portland in about 8 years, but I really loved it when I visited. Beautiful surroundings, great food scene, plenty to do, and lots of old hippies.

I laugh at what you consider expensive housing. No really, I will buy two and still be laughing.

[Pekka]

I already hit the 1 % in here ATM (for the poeple of my age), meaning people who work for a living and not get that heritage money. Age won't give me more, nor woudl diversity in skills. I'd need to run things. Which I am not interested in. Or get another job and not pay taxes from it. Or become criminal. Those are my options in here if I wanted a better salary. Salary, however, is not my motivator anymore. It might be if I had a poor salary. Now I have 1st world problems like how good is the food at the cafeteria and what kind of benefits we can get in there.

But I am not interested in Portland because of its better salaries and lower taxes. I am just looking for a change. And I REALLY like the place. I have spent months there before, so this was not my first trip. It is not perfect, no place is perfect, but it has a lot more to offer than where I am at offers. I am not even looking to move completely there, except at the end (when I have paid my mortgage in here and we het some sort of agreement how to handle the situation with the kids). Portland has so much natural beauty as does Oregon. I did not think about cancer once when I was there. I was super happy. As I was before when I was there. It just has something I can't quite understand or spell out. I am just drawn to it. And it does not hurt my mom has tons of friends there. Hiking, trekking... none of it exists in here. I walked that 700km+ on flat. Talk about boring.

And Portland is the most exotic places for a Finn. We have like 4 black people in here. The one Asian already left because people kept staring. I've been to NYC and many places in the US to know Portladn is very white compared to those places. Atlanta is not that white anymore. To sum it up, I don't care what the colour of the skin is. But I kind of think it owuld be nice to have a non-white gf for some reason. Someone who is very unFinnish. I am bored of the blue eyed blondes. Especially with no tats.

[rah]

Tits or tats?

[Pekka]

Tits or tats?

tats... unfortunately women in here are starting to use plastic surgery as well so boob jobs are not that uncommon

[Proteus_MST]

Tits sound great ... in fact those are a pair of especially nice ones

Spoiler:

[N35t0r]

Give it to the English to name two different pecies of birds 'Tits' and 'Boobs'

[Pekka]

Well, met a woman (via Tinder no less!) with tats. And a piercing. I have not yet seen it, I jsut know she has one on her nipple because she told me.

Now, I feel so alive because this is a good one. I instantly liked her because we share interests; travelling, as in backbacking, and she isn't just talking, she showed tons of her travel photos form SEA to the US. She's the real deal. She's fun and funny, a bit of a hippy which I only like, has a great job (she's actually a manager, a real manager with quite a lot of employees) but I still have a better salary so "I win" which is of course important. Smart, sexy, strong. She has a long natural red hair and she's one of them strong ones by genetics. She does lots of climbing. So athletic, outdoorsy, lieks all that stuff.

Just hitting it off. She was so nice and hot that the first time, I actually was very nervous. I felt like an idiot, mumbling out just stupid things. Has not happened to me in a long time. She got me though. And she is empathetic and obviously a normal person.

And I have been honest from the get go, that I had this cancer thing and I still have to be monitored for it, she's cool with that. and that I have 2 kids and a crazy ex-wife.

I told her that I'm looking into buying a house at Portland because I realyl like it there and she just got excited. She sees opportunities and is positive. Evern her eyes smile.

I can't believe it, can such a person woman exist? And be interested in me? Seems so. She has awesome stories as well, being adventurous, some of them are funny. She is also gorgeous. Just uh, I mean she is so great in every way I have not even tried to go to bed with her. No way. Of course I want to, but I want ot take it slowly. She is a very respectful lady and if all goes well, I think she is the best thing that has ever happened to me beside children and escaping death twice.

[N35t0r]

Pekka

Amazing, you deserve someone who honestly likes you