Culture ShockSep 17, 2008
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| We’ve been on the road since April and we’ve spent most of our time in small towns. We’ve gotten use to the wide-open roads of Montana, Wyoming and eastern Oregon where things move a lot slower and traffic is light. Just last week, we were in Cove, Oregon which has a population of about 700. Then we drove a mere 280 miles west to our workcamping job in Tualatin, Oregon, a suburb of Portland. The drive on I-84 along the Columbia River was easy and some parts of the drive were extremely scenic. However, when we hit I-205 we were absolutely overwhelmed by the traffic and number of people! What a culture shock! People in a hurry, tight parking spaces, planes, freeway noise, rush hour traffic. Phew! This will take some time to get adjusted. Luckily, our RV Park is located near a residential area and is very quiet. Even though it is located only a half-mile from the interstate, it feels a world away and is like a cocoon for us. Next to the park is a path that runs along the Tualatin River. We can walk down the street into a residential area. We haven’t seen much of the area yet but Tualatin feels and looks like an upscale city. When we were staying in small towns, our choices for almost anything, especially food, were very limited. Often we only had one grocery store within a reasonable driving distance. Getting fresh vegetables was a challenge at some of these groceries stores. We both laugh at the time we attempted to purchase string beans. When I picked one up, they were like rubber and very limp. Or when all we could get was wilted lettuce. Now, being in the Portland-metropolitan area, our choices are unlimited. There is even a Trader Joes nearby. Yipee for two-buck Chuck!! Oh, it’s three buck Chuck here! We’ll be here until the end of October and we’re looking forward to exploring the area. Stay tuned as we write about our workcamping experience and our trips along this part of the northwest. |
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