Sylvie B's Adventures

A blog about my summer living and working in Oregon.

[sylvieb-adventures]

As a closing blog entry, I felt it would be the right time to share this song. This song perfectly encapsulates my feelings for Oregon <3

Oregon, I will come back for you, one day. Hopefully I’ll see you next summer, in 2018.

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Friends

Another thing that I really enjoyed in Oregon is the friendships I made. There seemed to be a great sense of community in Oregon. The interns were all very tight-knit. There was also a lot to do both in and outside of Portland. From movie nights to line dancing in Washington Park to river cruises to relaxing in the rose garden, there was never a dull moment. 

I feel in AZ people are more disconnected and every plan revolves around food.

[sylvieb-adventures]

Moving

I miss the greenery in Oregon :'( 

It sucks being in a boring desert. It was nice to be away while it lasted.  

People keep asking me if I want to move to Oregon or which state I prefer. I honestly like Oregon more than AZ but I can't move because my loved ones won’t let me D:

[sylvieb-adventures]

Keeping Options Open

Note: These aspirations were written in August 2016.

My head is full of dreams, just as Coldplay's latest album title states. I am constantly dreaming big. In the past, I used to plan very far ahead, months or even years down the road. Now I have big aspirations but don't plan them out in too much detail. 

Next summer I would really like to go to Europe, maybe visit a few new countries. Or visit friends from all over the US. I'm taking advantage of possibly my last summer break. 

 I'm also considering being a full-time lecturer and teaching three courses at ASU. The job is good in terms of flexibility and vacation-time, but it is also a one year position that can get renewed every year. 

I could even do temporary jobs in the summer and experience living in different cities in the US (kinda like my internship) to boost my software development skills and experience. It would be nice to do another internship again, especially since my last internship experience went so well. It is harder to get an internship as a recent graduate, but I'm still applying and crossing my fingers. I don't care what season it is, I just want to learn and live in another city for a little while and see other lifestyles. 

I'm applying for internships, lecturer, and software developer roles. Here's hoping for an amazing opportunity next year :)

[sylvieb-adventures]

Adventures in Portland

Some of my most notable adventures in Portland were:

Seeing Portland for the first time and walking around Waterfront Park with Maribel and Richa. I was blown away by the beauty and diversity of the city. It was fun walking around and seeing

Fruit beer festival and Hot Lips Pizza with Maribel and her brother. The fruit beer was okay. I am not a big fan of beer in general. Most of it tastes the same to me (except for the beer I had in Prague).

I loved going to Powell’s Books, one of the largest bookstores in the world. I always found some interesting books to read there (and still read the books I made note of, to this day).

The International Rose Test Garden in Portland is so lovely. I have gone there many times to hang out with friends and admire the vast diversity of roses there. The Japanese Garden is great too, very green and the largest one I have been to. The Chinese garden is small but still charming, with a cute little teahouse and calligraphy.

I checked out Ground Kontrol arcade with Adam. There were a lot of pinball games. Adam enjoyed it a lot. It was kinda in a bad part of town though.

The aerial tram in Portland is astounding. It gives you a great aerial view of Portland. The first time I went was when I truly started falling in love with Portland.

Mt. Tabor is a nice park where you can see a beautiful view of the city.

Forest Park was a nice place to hike, close to the city. I went on the Macleay Trail, which had a nice fortress at the end called Witches Castle.

Interested in the Hungarian community in Oregon, I look for events in the area. I found a Hungarian folk festival, so I took two MAX trains and went there to check it out. It was at a Polish hall. It was okay. There was dancing and singing, and lots of sausage. The turnout was not as big as I thought it would be.

Additionally, I went to Warped Tour with Amanda and Richa. I have always wanted to go to Warped Tour. Warped Tour is a tour held every summer where different rock and punk bands go on tour across the nation. They stop in Phoenix but it is always in late June when it is too hot to go out during the day. Although it was warm (in the 80s), it was still nice out. We saw Young Guns, We The Kings, Yellowcard, Less Than Jake and many other bands.

I also went to Bite of Oregon with Selene, Brian, and Brian’s friends. There was great food and games. It was the best food and wine fest I’ve ever been to!

[sylvieb-adventures]

Intern Events

One of my favorite intern events was the river cruise on the Willamette River. While we were waiting to board the ship, people were playing Pokemon Go at the waterfront. xD There were over 300 interns on the cruise. We had a three course meal. We enjoyed the breathtaking views of the Gorge. The sights were prettier than Seattle cruise. There was old school hip hop music playing. We were dancing to oldies all night.

I also had fun at the ICF picnic. This was picnic organized by Intel. We drove there in one of the interns’ convertibles (soo cool). There was an abundance of food and games. One of the games we played was a geography game where we had to step on different states as they were being called out. There were lots of prize giveaways, including a GoPro and flat screen TV. Unfortunately, none of us won.

Towards the end of August, we watched the Lion King musical in Portland. It was a neat show. It was interesting seeing humans dressed as lions. It was a good show (I skipped dinner (oops)). The last max came really late, an hour later than anticipated. I arrived home at 12:30 am, bracing for the remainder of the work week.

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Seattle with Adam

When Adam and I went to Seattle, we decided to take the BoltBus so that we didn’t have to worry so much about directions and traffic. This was our first time taking a large bus across cities. The bus was pretty relaxing. There was a decent amount of leg room, wifi, and outlets to charge your devices.

We spent nearly 2 days in Seattle. As we walked around the city, there were many areas that were pretty sketchy. If you walked outside of the touristy areas, there were a lot of homeless people. The first day we arrived, we walked around the waterfront and checked out the EMP (Museum of Pop Culture). It was a museum dedicated to video games, science fiction, and rock music. There was a Nirvana exhibit, as well as exhibits for video games and wearable art. There were even sound rooms where you could test out different instruments. We had some seafood burritos for dinner, then decided to go to the Space Noodle. The Space Needle line was too long so we decided against it. We stayed at a pricey hotel but it was close to the city. We had some yummy breakfast, including Nutella and Jimmy Dean.

The next day, we were trying to figure out where to go. Adam wanted to check out Pike Place Market. I was trying to figure out where I wanted to go that I haven’t been yet. (I had been to Seattle twice before this trip). I looked through the different tourist attractions and decided on Kubota Garden, a Japanese garden a bit outside of the city. We went there, and it was kinda underwhelming. It was small and not as pretty as in the pictures. After that, we checked out Pike Place Market where there were swarms of fresh meat, produce, fish, and other goods. We had dinner at Pike Place restaurant, which by far had the best salmon burger ever.

[sylvieb-adventures]

4th of July trip

My 4th of July trip with my family was fun, but super exhausting. We spent two days in Seattle. It was unusually sunny in Seattle. We went on the Space Needle, checked out the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum, and went on a cruise on Puget Sound. The Chihuly Garden exhibits were incredible to see. They have some of the Chihuly artwork in Phoenix on display in the spring, but seeing much more of the glasswork was an experience to remember. The cruise was peaceful. We ventured out into the water, seeing nothing but small islands, tall buildings, and Puget Sound.

The next day, we went to the Living Computer Museum. It was a museum dedicated to the pioneers and rockstars of computer science and technology, including Bill Gates and Paul Allen. A lot of old computers and video game consoles were on display that you could play around with.

Next, we drove to Vancouver. The hotel we stayed at was quaint but conveniently located in the heart of the city. In Vancouver, because it was so hard to park we ended up going on a bus tour. The bus tour took us to many of Vancouver’s most notable attractions, including the Gaslamp Quarter and Stanley Park. Strolling through Stanley Park was by far my favorite part of the trip. That park was so tranquil and was a great mixture of forest and beach. The next day, we stopped by Queen Elizabeth Park, which was also quite lovely. It reminded me of the parks in Europe. Actually, Vancouver in general reminded me a bit of Europe with its small shops and street food vendors.

Then, we went to Mt. Rainier National Park. The sweeping views, evergreen trees and cool mountain air were surreal. We walked on several trails in the area and stopped by various viewpoints.

Finally, we stopped by the Oregon coast on the way back to Hillsboro. We had some delicious seafood at Seaside and walked along the pier, then stopped by Ecola State Park to see amazing views of Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock, one of Cannon Beach’s famous landmarks.

[sylvieb-adventures]

Oregon trips

Here are some of my most memorable trips that I took in Oregon:

On Memorial Day weekend, one of my Intel friends Shradha and her friend Gokul and I took the train to the Rose Quarter station. From there, we took the Columbia River Gorge Express to Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls is majestic and beautiful beyond words. We hiked up to see the waterfall up close. The hike was a bit steeper than we expected, but we took breaks along the way. On the way back we saw Rooster Rock State Park, which had a spectacular view of the Columbia River.

In mid-June I went to Silver Falls State Park. This was a park filled with over 10 waterfalls, all very unique in their own way. The lush green forest and serenity made this place truly breathtaking. This was the first time I saw Selene in 6 years! We saw 8 waterfalls. She and her bf showed me some incredible sights over the summer and for that I am super grateful.

Everytime I rode the MAX, I made note of what was at each stop on the way to Portland. One time I tried to look for Tualatin Hills Nature Park. This was a nature hike near one of the Beaverton MAX stops. I got off at that stop but couldn’t find a sign that showed where the park was. All I saw was an unfamiliar nature trail and a city park. I ended up hiking the new trail that I found instead. It was cool finding this hidden treasure near the city.

When my family visited, we went to Seaside and Cannon Beach. The beach at Seaside was okay. It was interesting how it was covered with pine trees. The clam chowder we had at the restaurant was amazing. Cannon Beach was spectacular. It was a hard drive up to Ecola State Park but we made it. It reminded me of Monterrey Bay a bit.

I also went Columbia River Gorge with Dad. We saw Bridge of the Gods from the movie Wild.

When Adam visited, we went to Lost Lake. This was the first lake I hiked around near Mt. Hood. We rented a car for a day and drove up to the lake and hiked around the forested trail.

The weekend after, I went to Trillium Lake and Mirror Lake with McKenzie and Richa. These lakes were even prettier than Lost Lake.

[sylvieb-adventures]

Friends are Forever

Right before I started my internship, I got in touch with one of my good high school friends Selene. She moved to Oregon towards the end of our junior year of high school. 6 years later, we were reunited. I remember when she and her bf stopped by my place so we could go to Silver Falls. Crazy how we still look the same and nothing’s changed. She is still the same kind, dependable friend I knew in high school.

We had many adventures together this summer. We tried a bunch of food trucks, explored Pittock Mansion, checked out the art museum, tried some Vietnamese food, and went to the Bite of Oregon festival, which was the best food festival I have ever been to. Free samples galore.  

[sylvieb-adventures]

MAX

This past summer I was able to embrace the car-free lifestyle. The MAX (train) is so convenient and relaxing. People complain about the ride to Portland being a bit long (about 40 minutes) but I don't mind. As someone who grew up in a suburban, car-dependent town where there isn't really a lot to see walking distance, I revel in trains, and public transportation in general. It takes more time than driving, but there is no need to worry about traffic. You can just sit back, relax, enjoy the breathtaking sights and greenery on the 25, or read a book. It is actually faster than driving during rush hour.

There are lots of stops by apartments in Beaverton. The stops in Beaverton don't have much, but the lush greenery is never dull. There are lots of little shops here and there. There is a multitude of stops in Portland. There are different lines for the train (red, blue, yellow, etc). The blue line was mainly for traveling between Portland and Hillsboro. The red line went all the way to Portland International Airport. The yellow line traveled even further. (I actually took the yellow line to Warped Tour, which I'll discuss in a later post). It was nice to see not too many sketchy people on the train.

Portland has a streetcar too. It is mainly used to go around the city. It is by far the best way to get to the Portland aerial tram, a tram that you can take to see an amazing view of Portland.

The bus is by far the slowest mode of transportation. It doesn't always show up on time. There are a lot of places though that don't offer any other choice (besides driving). It was great for short distances like the mall or FedEx.

It is astounding how you can go to a lot of places in the city by bus or train.

[sylvieb-adventures]

Furniture and Costs

One of my coworkers was from Canada. She didn't have a cell phone and she chose to rent her furniture in her apartment in downtown Portland because she didn't have a car. She also didn't have roommates. I am so glad I have Facebook and was able to find a roomie and live in Hillsboro (close to work) instead of Portland. I also feel fortunate that my dad helped my roommate and I find furniture at IKEA. It's really a cost vs time dilemma. Yeah, there are people living in Beaverton with cheaper rent but their commute to work is a bit longer and there are no shuttles available there. In the end, I was happy with the way things turned out and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

[sylvieb-adventures]

Adulting

Adulthood is exhausting but necessary for growth.

I feel that living in a new city on my own was vital for me to flourish as a person. I was stuck in the same environment and surroundings far too long. I needed to see what living in conditions that were unfamiliar was like.

I will admit it is pretty tiring cleaning, shopping, and preparing food after a long work day. But I had to remind myself to make most out of each and every day, and that even weekdays can be enjoyable if you don't overwork yourself. Find balance and use your energy and time wisely.

I cherished the weekends immensely. I could have sat at home every weekend. But no, I decided to venture out into the city or hike an uncharted path to cure my insatiable thirst for curiosity and nature. Every weekend, the beautiful Portland clouds called my name and the train waited for me to board as I embarked on my weekend adventures.

[sylvieb-adventures]

Orenco Station

Orenco Station is the area in Hillsboro that I lived in. It is a neighborhood with a lot of nice restaurants, a park, and housing. After my first week of work, I made some new friends at a pizza parlor called Schmizza Public House. It's a really great restaurant if you are meeting up with a large group of people and you want to split a giant pizza. They had a good selection of food (pizza, pasta, etc). Ava is a really good coffee shop. Adam and I went there once. It's a very hipster spot with excellent mocha. The two restaurants I especially liked were the French restaurant (La Provence) and the Japanese restaurant (Yuki's Japanese Cuisine). La Provence had small French delicacies and delicious dessert. I remember the first time my roomie and I went there we thought the portions were pretty small but they ended up being reasonable. This was a popular spot for dinner and dessert with my friends and family. Their breakfast omelette was great too. Yuki's had a wide array of Japanese cuisine and sushi. One time I tried udon noodles here for the first time. They tasted like noodles in soup, very filling. I loved their Mardi Gras sushi and having late night chats with my girlies. Another fantastic place to eat was Alotto Gelato. Their chocolate gelato was always a treat. This was one of the first spots I met with interns. I also met up with one of my ASU friends here after work. Another great dessert spot in the area! There was also an Indian food spot. My friends and I met up there Memorial Day to try their lunch buffet. To be honest, I only really liked the naan bread and the lentils. The rest was meh. I was fortunate enough to have a grocery store that was only a 15 min walk. WinCo has a great selection of groceries and ready made dinners. Another good place near me was Mr. Bento, which had Asian style burgers (even some with rice). Their salmon burger was delicious. My roommate and I celebrated the end of our first week here, and ironically, my boss took my teammates and I here to bid farewell at the end of my internship. My work was only a 10 min bus ride, or a 15 min walk. There were days when I would miss the shuttle and walk to work, or opt to walk home. The walk was nice though. I strolled through the streets of lovely houses with beautiful flowers in their front yard. If a place I wanted to go to wasn't accessible by bus, train, or walking, I would take an Uber or Lyft. But I seldom did that. I relished the car-free lifestyle. I enjoyed living in a nice suburban area (not boring like you would expect), adorned with trees, a tight-knit community, and accessibility. It was great having a MAX train stop be only a couple of blocks away in case I needed to take the bus or train somewhere. Living in the city is costly and boisterous. This was a good alternative. It was close to work and frequented shops and businesses, and only a 40 minute train ride to Portland. As I walked back to my apartment, I smiled with gratitude at all the amenities this town had to offer.

[sylvieb-adventures]

Arizona vs. Oregon

Wow, Arizona is so driven by consumerism and media. Seriously. Take a look at all the events happening in AZ in the summer. (This of course excludes towns like Flagstaff)

In Phoenix, people go out to eat or drink in their spare time. There are conventions and concerts held regularly. It is too hot to do anything else.

That's not to say that Portland doesn't have festivals or vendors. It has an insane amount of those. Food trucks and festivals galore. It's just that in Portland there are so many attractions and nature hikes that activities seem endless. There is never a dull moment in the city of roses.

[sylvieb-adventures]

A Day in the Life

Here’s a quick synopsis of a typical day in the life of me living and working in Hillsboro:

Early morning wake up at 7:30.

I take the shuttle to work at 8:30 or 8:45, depending on which one I make. I meet up with some friends on the shuttle and we talk about work and weekend plans and such.

Daily standup at 9:30. It is stressful in the sense that you had to make sure you got a significant amount of work done so you don’t end up saying the same thing the next day.

Then, I start working, listening to my large music collection on Spotify to help me get through the day. Before I knew it, the morning flies by and it is lunchtime. I usually have lunch with the other interns on my team and sometimes the other interns who sat near our cubes. We would eat outside in the patio when the weather was nice. We usually took off 30 or 45 minutes of lunch, depending on our workload.

Then I go back to work. I tend to get more work done in the afternoon than in the morning. I’m definitely not a morning person, but 9-5 jobs are forcing me to be.

Then I usually walk home. My apartment is only a 20 minute walk from work, so I don’t mind walking back. In the mornings, I’m pretty groggy so I prefer taking the shuttle, which stops at the train stop near my apartment.

The houses in the neighborhood near my work are so lovely. They have beautiful flowers in the front yard and nice parks nearby. Right next to this neighborhood, there are a bunch of restaurants all within a 10 minute walk to my apartment. It was a pleasure (and liberating) to walk down these streets every afternoon.

I come home usually around 6pm. If I come home around 7, my night feels super short… One time I worked til 7:15pm…that was brutal, but I was still in that programming mindset, bursting with ideas, so I had to stay.

When I come home, I’m usually burnt out after working 8 hours in the office, so I usually just eat dinner, browse social media, watch a quick show, Skype with my loved ones, and then head to bed. If I’m really low on food, I walk to WinCo and buy some groceries. I walked to some restaurants whenever I felt like treating myself.

Walking to places makes me feel like I’m in a small town in Europe. I was fortunate enough to live in an area that was a 15-20 minute walk to stores, fast food joints, and restaurants. While having a car would have expedited running errands, I didn’t mind walking at all. Sure, it was more time-consuming, but this way I could enjoy the fresh air and run errands at the same time. The weather was nice for generally most of the summer (it was actually pretty cold in early June).

[sylvieb-adventures]

New Beginning

I can't believe this is really happening! It is truly a dream come true. I am spending the next 3 months working at Intel near Portland, Oregon. I have lived in Arizona my whole life, and while I enjoy it here, it will certainly be nice to escape the summer heat. Excited to experience living in a different state, roomie life, and web application development. I have been wanting to do this for a really long time. I'm excited to meet some amazing people and explore forests, cities, and beaches in this new beautiful state. I feel so blessed and grateful for this opportunity. Thank you everyone for your support. :)