Way back in November 2021, I was sitting in the waiting room before a doctor appointment scrolling through Twitter when I saw a job listing posted by BikePortland. I remember immediately becoming very nervous that someone would apply for the job before I would be able to do it, so I started drafting an email to Jonathan on my phone right then and there. A few weeks later, elated, I began my journey writing for this site. Now, as I prepare to move onto a new opportunity, I want to reflect on my time at BikePortland and thank everyone who has so graciously read and engaged with my work.
I had lofty goals for what I would include in this “goodbye post.” I wanted it to be robust and meaningful and serve as some kind of representation of my experience at BikePortland over the last year and a half. But this is proving to be much more difficult than I thought it would be. BikePortland is a living blog — no story is ever the definitive post on any given subject, and there’s always room for a follow-up. The idea of writing some kind of capstone piece that can stand on its own is too daunting, and not really in the nature of this site anyway.
Here’s what I will say: I have changed so much on a personal and professional level since the fateful day in fall 2021. I looked back in my sent folder at that first email I sent Jonathan, where I wrote that “I’m always happy to stretch out of my comfort zone and try new things.” I don’t think I anticipated all the new things I’d try!
I’ve met amazing, brilliant people and fallen deeply in love with Portland by spending so much time biking its streets. I’ve been able to travel near (Multnomah Falls) and far (Europe), documenting these journeys for the site. And I am so impressed by the passion and dedication from BikePortland readers and commenters. We don’t always agree, but I have never experienced a more knowledgable group of people. And I am very grateful for the warm embrace I received when I first started out, even though thinking back now I’m embarrassed about how little I knew at the beginning.
I’m not leaving Portland or the journalism industry — starting next week, you’ll be able to read my work at the Portland Mercury. I’m very excited for this new opportunity, which wouldn’t have been possible without all the freedom I had here at BikePortland to cover such a range of topics and get to know this city so well.
So thank you again, all of you wonderful readers. Please continue to support BikePortland — it’s abundantly clear that this website is an invaluable archive of information that may be lost to the wind if Jonathan wasn’t so good at tracking everything happening in this city. It has been a true honor to get to be a part of it.
And it’s not quite over. My final assignment is to cover today’s big bike rally. Hope to see you out there!