I spend a lot of time on the west coast for work. I often joke and say that Portland is my home away from home. I have an apartment close to the water and my business pays the rent. Last year after 6 months of traveling from the east coast to Portland, I told the corporate office that I was sick of living out of a hotel. I demanded a lease on an apartment, so I had a place to call home. The previous year, I spent 270 days in Portland. That was far more than the days that I spent at my home residence. I was happy when the company board executives agreed to my demands. I’m the only person that has a key to the place and I leave several items there so the apartment feels like home. And there is a picture of my girlfriend and my dog. There are suits and ties and a whole set of socks, underwear, and undershirts in the closet. One of my favorite things about Portland is the legal recreational marijuana laws. Legal recreational marijuana is one of the only reasons why I continue to travel back and forth from Portland. While I am in Portland, I can enjoy all of the perks of living in a state with legal recreational marijuana. During the time I am at home, I do without and it is very difficult. If I could figure out a way to talk my girlfriend into moving across the country, Portland is the place where I would love to live.