I MOVED TO PORTLAND six months ago, and I didn’t come because my job moved me or because I was following a partner. I love everything about this city, and I wanted nothing more than to be a part of the beer-soaked, forest-flushed explosion of culture that makes this town so great. I thought I was doing everything right: spending tons of money at local bars and restaurants, biking all over the place, and even not being from California. Despite these efforts, someone still called me “a transplant piece of shit” at a bar last night. To all the Portland locals who are unhappy about the housing market, the traffic, and all the times you’ve heard someone say, “This is just like Portlandia!,” please remember that part of what makes this place so cool is that people brought trends and culture here from other places. Please understand that I can’t control the fact that I wasn’t born here, but I can try my best to promote a positive influence. We’ve already got enough assholes trying to put walls up all over the place.—Anonymous