Portland....Seattle....

Recently I visited Portland and Seattle to look at some colleges, but to be honest, I was more excited about seeing the cities. Somehow I have never been to Oregon and Washington before, and I was ready to go. The first 10 hour drive was....long. But it was interesting seeing Oregon, even if just through my window. I really liked Portland itself. The rivers that run through the city and the bridges crossing them everywhere are gorgeous. It seemed like there was a lot to do too, not just in the city but in the outer areas; outdoorsy stuff too. U of Portland was really nice, it was outside of the main city, but it had a very laid-back atmosphere. We then began the short 2 hour drive to Seattle. Seattle was stunning. As we walked down the street - heading to the flagship Nordstrom(!) - there were drummers on the street, musicians everywhere. It seemed so exciting and youthful, and I could see myself living there someday. The next day we visited the school, which I liked, and then began the drive home. Somehow I convinced my parents to drive all the way through (I really wanted to sleep in my own bed), and after some rain on Mount Shasta, we ended up in Rocklin just a little past midnight. I ended up really liking Portland and Seattle, and even if I do not go to school there, I think I have found two more cities to add to my "places to live" list.