I moved back to PDX with my wife on June 30^th and it really is great to be home. While I miss NYC and consider it to be the best city in the world, it is one of the most difficult places to live. Thankfully my wife is from the borough of Queens, so I have the luxury of going back there on a regular basis to visit friends and family.

A few of the reasons why it is so great to be back on the west coast (best coast) is because the summers in the PNW kick butt. Thinking back on my life in NYC, I would fear those sleepless nights dreaming about forced air while I was curled up in front our AC unit hoping that mosquitoes would not attack me. Speaking of unwanted visitors, I’ll never forget about the mouse that was living in our apartment. The little one would come up through our stove burners day or night and run across our kitchen counters without a fear in the world. The day that we moved out we caught him which is good for the new tenants.

Life is so much better here partly because my wife and I are living on the Oregon Coast. My parents have a condo in Cannon Beach, and they kindly allowed us to use it temporarily while we transition to an apartment in the Rose city. We consider ourselves to be extremely lucky especially given what life was like stuck in a 600 sq ft apartment in Brooklyn Heights for 4 months during the pandemic. Now we have just under 1,000 sq ft., people that speak with us in our condo complex, a small garden to maintain, and the beach within walking distance, it is hard to complain. Additionally, we have access to incredibly fresh food at half the cost and many of the restaurants are understanding of my gluten allergy.

Below are a few pictures of our favorite beaches including Tolovana Beach (left) and Chapman Beach (right)