Name: Carrie L.
Neighborhood: North Portland
Profession: Owner & Operator of Combustible Media
1. How long have you lived in Portland and where are you from originally? I moved to Portland on July 1, 2005 from Salida, Colorado. I rolled into town mid-day driving a U-Haul and towing my car. I grew up in rural, isolated Northern Maine in a town of 400 people called Oakfield, near the Eastern Canadian border.
2. What do you like most about Portland? I like that people get outside rain or shine. In any degree of rain, people still go walking, hiking, running and biking. When I first moved here, it was a good lesson for me.
3. How do you think Portland could improve/ be a better place to live? I read an article in The Oregonian that our state ranks 41 in the country when it comes to education. Portland Public Schools’ graduation rate is one of the worst in Oregon for low-income students. Even though we have a city of vibrant interesting people, our city’s schools are mediocre. It is such a disappointment and an embarrassment.
4. What is your life motto or what words do you live by? It is fine to fall down, but make sure to get up. Don’t stay down, don’t give up on yourself. Life is tricky and you will get your share of bumps and bruises. It is what makes you resilient and to me it is what makes us interesting.
*Interview originally posted on womenpdx tumblr.
Voracious DPC 