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The Bicycle Years in Portland Part 1
Losing my driver’s license was a blessing in disguise.
The big city life awaited me in Portland Oregon after I lost my driver’s license and decided living in a larger city may help my prospects.
The year was around 2005 in the early spring and I was in my late 20s.
Getting to the City
At first, I wanted to bring my gas-powered scooter on the Greyhound bus, but they didn’t allow it in the luggage compartment. Visions of flying around Portland with a gas scooter that was louder than a lawnmower were probably a bit naive anyway, especially since I would be homeless.
Having only around $250 to my name, rock-bottom credit, no driver’s license, no bank account, and not knowing anyone in Portland, I set my sights on the strange “big city” to get out of Eugene and make a new start.
Maybe it was the Cannabis clouding my judgment, as it was likely the culprit for me being in the tight spot I found myself in anyways, but it was my lot, my mind, and my life to navigate regardless.
After getting a refund for my Greyhound bus pass, I brainstormed selling my precious scooter and instead taking my Huffy mountain bike. I asked a friend to give me a ride after I sold the scooter and soon enough I found myself dropped off in Portland.