By: Emma Eberhart

I grew up in the Southwestern portion of the United States – Arizona to be exact. As with most places, there are some quick facts and general knowledge that natives, such as myself, have come to know, and they all happen to start with the letter “c.” The 48^th state is all about mining copper, producing cotton, farming cattle, growing citrus, and enjoying its hot climate. Over the past year living in Oregon, I have come up with Portland’s own 5 C’s – my own sort of way of bringing home with me but still letting Portland shine.

1. Cycling – This is a city built for bicyclists. There are bridges, roads, and programs created for and with bicyclists in mind.
2. Cannabis – As of this month recreational weed has been legal in Oregon for 15 months, and shops have popped up all over the city as well as advertisements for said shops.
3. Cigarettes –In September 2015 Portland State became a smoke-free campus, but take a quick detour to the surrounding downtown areas and you’ll find a majority of people taking smoke breaks.
4. Carts of food – This one doesn’t flow as nicely, but it has been said that you can eat at a different food cart every day for an entire year and still have options left over.
5. Coffee – Prior to moving here I was under the impression that it rained coffee as opposed to water in Portland, and I was not all that wrong. Coffee seems to be everywhere, all the time. There are 24-hour coffee shops, artisan shops, coffee carts, and any type of combination thereof.