what i'm learning

after living in california for the past 3 years, there a few things i will have to get used to while living in portland this summer...
1. i can't pump my own gas. trust me i've tried and received scornful looks from the gas station attendants (i'm not sure if they have official names or anything) then i saw him sneak a peak at my license plate and i'm pretty sure he judged me as a silly californian even though i am far from it. i contemplated sharing with him my story about how i'm really from colorado and proud of it but my parents moved to california after i was away at college and i had to get california plates, but i figured the damage had already been done. no room for excuses, everyone should know that you don't pump your own gas in oregon. but i learned my lesson..i will never try that again.
2. there is a lack of toilet seat covers. perhaps because it is seen as a waste of paper?
3. people at stores completely support helping you reduce, reuse and recycle. whether this means cramming 18 items into one trader joes bag or giving you the option of no receipt. i could get used to this.
4. when giving directions, people always draw you a map. in costa mesa it's take a left or hang a right or go toward the ocean and most of the time i'm not even sure where i am, i just know which way to go..but in portland everything is made simple by drawing it out. i also appreciate this.
5. there are great 24 hour places to study late, go out for coffee at midnight or enjoy some crazy donuts. voodoo donuts has a wide variety of things you would never assume to be on a donut. for example: bacon, froot loops, captain crunch, oreos and caramel, just to name a few. also, the 24 hour starbucks is a great alternative to our 11pm closing time and provides a great space for late night studiers.
6. the vanilla lattes here are killer. you thought starbucks was good? try one from a local coffee shop. i could drink them all day.
7. people don't freak out when it rains. it is a regular occurance and instead of people suddenly forgetting how to drive when it starts sprinkling, everyone just throws their hood on and continues business as usual.
8. the people are so friendly. and it's more than just the surfer/beach town feel, it's like people really wanna just talk to you.
there's bound to be a long list of these lessons to be learned but it's only my 2nd day in this wonderful city and i'm loving every bit of it.