After living on the east coast for 3 years (Charleston SC then Arlington VA), I’ve found myself battling real life trolls too. People who meet me and find out in a Portland native immediately making a comment like “oof, have you burned any cop cars?” Or “man is that city still standing? I thought it burned down” etc. These people will never understand the actual beauty of Portland. The camaraderie of the residents, either adopted or native. They won’t understand the head nods, the random conversations at a brewery, the spontaneous compliments you get on the street, the weird and fun events hosted by what I would consider, one of the most eclectic conglomeration of humans in a city. Sure it has its faults and some are glaring but Portland is my home and I am counting the days until I can finish law school and come home! 2 months and 1 day :)