Transitioning at work and in all of my life

[Arab Nights (imported)]

I live in Portland, OR, and I love it.

I am amused by this comment. My life has been spent in small, rural, resource-based communities and I can remember a few conversations where the people of Portland got insulted as whacko liberals, etc. Guess it just proves there is someplace for all of us. You get Portland and I get Arco, Yuma, Pahrump and Battle Mountain (sigh).

[kizahakan (imported)]

Dear,

This posts really turned out to be a daily series which Im sure everyone likes and gets curious about the next post from you.

BTW, english is not my mother tongue so sorry form the begining of any misspellings or misunderstandings...

It is really nice to watch/read some part of your daily routine from thousands of miles away and I had give you a big applause for being such an open hearted lady and how stubborn you are in the fight with obstacles...

I hope, you can have the job you want in a short period of time and inform us as usual

Though never been to US, I was thinking of you moving to Seattle rather than Chicago..Dont ask me why, only because Seattle (here) regarded as the cleaniest US city...

Looking forward to read the next episodes on "How to be Danya"

Cheers from Istanbul

----------------------------------------------------

Dorian Gray of Istanbul the addict of eternal youthness and beauty

[Danya (imported)]

I live in Portland, OR, and I love it. The only place I ever lived that I liked better at the time - and I've lived in quite a few - was San Diego, CA, but I moved from there in 1974, and it's no place I would want to live now. Even when I was there in 1982, it was too big. Of course, being in college at the time, at UCSD, added to my impression of San Diego.

[?QUOTE]

Hi Slammr,

I'm really glad you responded. I thought I would get NO responses to my post about a possible move.

All together, I've spent about a week in Portland and several days traveling through the Cascades. This was all in late February, I think. I found the city to be very pleasant and I really liked the very mild climate for such a northern city. Remember, I'm originally from the east coast.

There were huge camellias in bloom, reminding me of my days in the Deep South. But without the really bad humidity. Spring was arriving, too, as evidenced by the flowering bulbs and trees.

I've been to San Diego several times and while I find its climate very fine, I don't think I'd want to live there.

Portland has a great climate. Although it has a reputation for rain, that's mostly in the winter; the summers are great. It's rarely too cold or too hot. Even when it rains, it doesn't usually rain very hard. We had no snow last winter. Seattle, where I've lived also, is much wetter.

I've been to Washington state, but never as far north as Seattle. I appreciate your comparison of the Portland and Seattle climates.

Although I truly hope things work out for me here in Chicago - I'm still crazy about it and it has many advantages for someone in my situation - I have to be prepared to move for the right opportunity. The economic situation is still dire for many people. So, I am fortunate to be able to consider yet another move.

There's a lot of great scenery around Portland. Here is a folder containing folders of some pictures I've taken. pictures (http://thedarkspot.com/images/pictures/) . Click on each folder to see what's in it. Someday, maybe I'll set them up, so they're easier to view.

I forgot to look at your photos before responding. I will do that yet tonight.

I'm not native to Oregon, but I've lived here about 25 years, and I can't think of any place I'd rather live. Even downtown Portland is great. It's small town compared to Chicago, but it's big enough.

I have no doubt I would enjoy living in Portland and Oregon.

Thanks for taking the time to supply such great information!

Hugs,

Danya

[Danya (imported)]

There's a lot of great scenery around Portland. Here is a folder containing folders of some pictures I've taken. pictures (http://thedarkspot.com/images/pictures/) . Click on each folder to see what's in it. Someday, maybe I'll set them up, so they're easier to view.

Hello again, Slammr,

I just looked at your photos and they reminded me of my trip to Portland. Particularly the shots of downtown, Mt. Hood, and the waterfalls. Are some or all of those waterfall pictures from the road along the south side of the Columbia River, east of Portland? They remind me of falls I saw there.

The one taken from behind Horsetail Falls is among my favorites.

I also like the magnolia blossoms with the water droplets. Then there are the rhododendron photos. Those remind me of the east. It is too cold here for most rhododendrons.

Thanks for sharing some of your photos. I am considering putting up a link to some of mine.

Hugs,

Danya

[Danya (imported)]

For whatever it is worth, one thing my wife and I both agree on in life is that everybody has a path and one should not take jobs or do things that take you back to an earlier stage or step. Move forward, do new things, live in new places, chin up and tits into the wind as they say in Texas.

Greetings Arab Nights,

I totally agree with you and your wife. Even with vacations, I rarely return to places I have seen before. I make a few exceptions, and certain places in California I have and will return to. Some other places in the West, too.

I lived in Texas for over six years and never heard '[quote="Arab Nights (imported)" time

=1272385920]
chin up and tits into the wind!

' Of course, that was Houston and it probably doesn't count.

I am amused by this comment. My life has been spent in small, rural, resource-based communities and I can remember a few conversations where the people of Portland got insulted as whacko liberals, etc. Guess it ju
[/quote]
st proves there is someplace for all of us. You get Portland and I get Arco, Yuma, Pahrump and Battle Mountain (sigh).

My life has been spent in proximity to large urban centers. It's what I am used to and part of the reason I am so comfortable in the Chicago area.

I have been to Arizona, but the Phoenix region only. The closest I've come to Yuma was the Imperial Valley in California. I was tempted to drive on to Yuma just to say I had been there.

Thanks for writing.

Hugs,

Danya

[Danya (imported)]

Dear,

This posts really turned out to be a daily series which Im sure everyone likes and gets curious about the next post from you.

BTW, english is not my mother tongue so sorry form the begining of any misspellings or misunderstandings...

Hi Kizahakan,

What a sweetheart you are for writing and I thank you for your very kind words. I wish I could write in another language half as well as you use English. Then again, there's one job I am applying for where I would need to relearn my German.

I'm not at all sure I can keep up writing this frequently. Right now, it helps me sort through my situation and decide on how to proceed with my life. It is also a creative outlet, for whatever small amount of creativity I can claim in this regard.

It is really nice to watch/read some part of your daily routine from thousands of miles away and I had give you a big applause for being such an open hearted lady and how stubborn you are in the fight with obstacles...

I was delighted to see your response. Once of the very nice things about the Archive is that people from all over the world can connect.

Others have called my stubborn, but not usually in the very positive sense that you mean.

It means a lot to me that you

notice that I am "stubborn in my fight with obstacles." Mo

stly, I feel I am simply writing about my experiences.

I hope, you can have the job you want

in a short period of time and inform us as usual

Thank you. I will definitely

let folks on the Archive know when I have a new job.

Though never been to US, I was thinking of you moving to Seattle rather than Chicago..Dont ask me why, only because

Seattle (here) regarded as the cleaniest US city...

Although I have been to many cities on the west coast of the United States, Seattle is the one big one I have never seen. I have heard many good things about it.

Generally, I am impressed with how clean downtown Chicago is.

Certainly Seattle has a more pleasant, milder climate.

Looking forward to read the next

episodes on "How to be Danya"

Cheers from Istanbul

In a sense, I'm still figuring out 'How to be Danya.' I feel very secure in who I am, but life is about growing and changing

. It's important that I continue to

grow.

By the way, The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favorite novels.

Hugs,

Danya

[Danya (imported)]

I applied for several jobs this morning. One requires 100% travel. I'd need to live near O'Hare for this one! I still love flying after seemingly countless trips. But I know a heavy work travel schedule can be wearing. If I should be offered such a position, I would need to be very careful to allow enough time for fun.

Another job sounded very promising and I am a good fit for it. They would consider it a plus to know German. I know some German and used to know a lot more. I picked some up from my German grandparents and my father, who was born in Germany. I also took German in college. I can fairly easily muddle my way through scientific German papers.

There are some decades old letters sent to my grandparents from relatives still in Germany. Now that my grandparents are gone, I have these. I was surprised when I was able to read most of them.

Then there's another job that would require travel to the UK, Chile and Mexico. This job description sounds very interesting.

I needed time to think today. As part of my contingency plan - a possible move for a job offer - I want to decide where I would be willing to move. I also needed some alone time to think about my next steps. Both with job hunting and my life. I also needed to sort through my feelings. After all, I moved here less than two months ago.

So, this afternoon I went to the Chicago Botanical Garden. It was fabulous. Not far from Lake Michigan, it was quite a bit cooler than my suburban location. It was beautifully landscaped and filled with all kinds of spring flowers, some of which have faded where I live.

Then, I went to a gender therapist I have seen once before in this area. I want to get a 'safe passage' letter from her. This would be unnecessary if I completed GRS. She agreed this was a very good idea, not only for help in getting an 'F' designation on my license. But also for traveling overseas. Of course, I would love to travel overseas. It may never happen, though.

After seeing the therapist, I was still pondering how to proceed with - well, everything. So I drove downtown. Driving while I listen to music helps me sort through ideas. Being downtown makes me feel even more alive.

I spent quite a bit of time in Millennium Park. My electrologist told me the Chicago mayor would like downtown to be more like Manhattan. Meaning, more crowded in the evenings with people enjoying the city. The area around Millennium Park, on Michigan Avenue, wasn't exactly hopping but there were quite a few people.

This gave me a chance to get some night photos of the city. Between the botanical gardens and Millennium Park, I took 180 photos. I just finished downloading them.

It is important for me to get out for another reason. Although my roommate is a very kind woman, she drinks heavily starting in the late afternoon. She always treats me well but I find it distressing to be around when she is drunk. Once or twice, when she has gotten out of bed to use the bath room, I have been concerned she would fall down the steps. She was stumbling around so much.

At any rate, most days I stay at home and work on my job search from about 7:30 AM until at least 9:30 PM. My trip expenses are all within my budget.

I'll take a few minutes to look at the photos I took today, then get to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day. I have got to get up extra early to apply for jobs. I need to leave late in the morning to be sure I get downtown in time for my electrolysis appointment. I am taking my camera!

[Slammr (imported)]

Hello again, Slammr,

I just looked at your photos and they reminded me of my trip to Portland. Particularly the shots of downtown, Mt. Hood, and the waterfalls. Are some or all of those waterfall pictures from the road along the south side of the Columbia River, east of Portland? They remind me of falls I saw there.

The one taken from behind Horsetail Falls among my favorites.

I also like the magnolia blossoms with the water droplets. Then there are the rhododendron photos. Those remind me of the east. It is too cold here for most rhododendrons.

Thanks for sharing some of your photos. I am considering putting up a link to some of mine.

Hugs,

Danya

Danya:

The falls are on

the south side of the Columbia

east of Portland.

[Slammr (imported)]

I am amused by this comment. My life has been spent in small, rural, resource-based communities and I can remember a few conversations where the people of Portland got insulted as whacko liberals, etc. Guess it just proves there is someplace for all of us. You get Portland and I get

Arco, Yuma, Pahrump and Battle Mountain (sigh).

I lived a couple of years in Winnemucca. I've lived in Las Vegas and spent time in Carson City. I've pretty well been all over Nevada. For several years, I spent my winters in Laughlin. Actually, I really like Nevada.

[Slammr (imported)]

Dear,

This posts really turned out to be a daily series which Im sure everyone likes and gets curious about the next post from you.

BTW, english is not my mother tongue so sorry form the begining of any misspellings or misunderstandings...

It is really nice to watch/read some part of your daily routine from thousands of miles away and I had give you a big applause for being such an open hearted lady and how stubborn you are in the fight with obstacles...

I hope, you can have the job you want in a

short period of time and inform us as usual

Though never been to US, I was thinking of you moving to Seattle rat

her than Chicago..Dont ask me why, only because Seatt

le (here) regarded as the cleanie

st US city...

Looking forward to read the next episo

des on "How to be Danya"

Cheers from Istanbul

----------------------------------------------------

Dorian Gray of Istanbul the addict of eternal youthness and beauty

I've seen few cities as pretty as Seattle, and I really like it - in the summer. The winters, though, get pretty dreary. The first year I was there, the sun disappeared in November and didn't peek through the clouds again until January. I lived in Seattle from 1966 until 1969 and attended the University of Washington. I moved from there to San Diego. Here's some Seattle

pictures (http://thedarkspot.com/images/pictures/

seattle/)

I would love to go to Istanbul - so much history. I'm an ancient history buff.