Largely overlooked except for a few major storylines and events, Oregon and its inhabitants are left to their own devices, to live out their lives nearly uninhibited and unaffected by "the Rat Race" that seems to have consumed a large percentage of its closest neighbors.

In this absence of outside influence, Oregonians have developed and evolved into a unique and independent people, best evidenced by these ten traits.

“Pride-in-Ownership”

Your Average Oregonian routinely swells with pride for the great state they call home. When traveling, Oregonians often leave a place better off than it was beforehand, and they secretly love it when someone asks, “How much of Portlandia is real-life?” (Just about all of it, in case you were curious).

Dedicated

Whether it is their winter vegetable garden, their endurance through the rainy and unpredictable weather, or their long-sustained (and fruitless) optimism about the TrailBlazers, Your Average Oregonian stays true to who they are, no matter how ridiculous the circumstances.

Restless

Unless they just arrived in Portland from California, Your Average Oregonian has an insatiable need to explore nature, scout out new adventures, and blaze new trails. When asked what their favorite hobby or pastime is, Your Average Oregonian will most likely reply with some variation of “I love to get outside and discover Oregon’s natural landscapes firsthand.”

Innovative

Your Average Oregonian is too busy innovating to be bothered to pump their own gas. Besides New Jersey, Oregon is the only state in the nation where self-service stations are banned.

Be it wearing Birkenstocks, drinking out of Mason Jars, biking everywhere, frequenting the farmer’s markets, mailing in their ballot during elections, or not paying sales tax with a purchase, Your Average Oregonian is not a “hipster,” they are innovative.

Think Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Adidas, and Intel—all of whom have headquarters in Oregon!

Friendly

Your Average Oregonian goes to get his mail when he sees one of his neighbors going to get their mail. After an hour-long conversation, having completely forgotten to get the mail, Your Average Oregonian—the epitome of a friendly neighbor—is now completely caught up with his neighbor. Until the mail arrives tomorrow, that is.

Not only is this friendly behavior demonstrated when going to get the mail, it’s a part of everyday life. Genuine, happy, interested in your life, and outgoing, Your Average Oregonian can’t help but act in this manner! After all, they do happen to live in Oregon—one of the best states in the country.

Patient

When it comes to traveling anywhere in the United States, Your Average Oregonian has quickly realized that literally everyone has at least one misconception about what Oregon is truly like.

As a result of this, they have had multiple experiences where they’ve had to bite their lip to keep from losing their calm.

But, they cannot contain their excitement and keep their calm when someone actually pronounces Oregon correctly (the correct pronunciation is: Or-uh-gun).

It’s been said that patience is a virtue, and Your Average Oregonian is one incredibly virtuous person!

Refined

Your Average Oregonian didn’t become the person they are today by mere luck or happenstance. Living in the midst of such a rich culture, they have very specific taste when it comes to beer, wine, tea, fresh produce, coffee, music, literature, politics, the contents of their wardrobe, and so much more.

Your Average Oregonian has been described as “snobbish” or “holier-than-thou” on more than one occasion, and, of course they will reply by saying “Thank you very much!”

Selfish

Oregon is one incredibly diverse place--access to the Pacific Ocean, rain-forest type wilderness, the Willamette Valley, the High Desert of Central and Eastern Oregon, and everything in between. Your Average Oregonian is much the same way and is bound to have a hodge-podge mix of hobbies, interests, and cultural tastes. With “yarn bombing”, The World Naked Bike Ride, Voodoo Doughnuts, the Hood-to-Coast Relay, Tracktown USA (Eugene, OR), crabbing trips, Geoduck (Pronounced Gooey-duck) clam hunts, the John Day Fossil Beds, deep-sky observing opportunities, and many other unique aspects of Oregon, Your Average Oregonian is both incredibly busy and well-cultured!

Inspired By Nature

Oregon is one incredibly diverse place. There is access to the Pacific Ocean, rain-forest type wilderness, the Willamette Valley, the High Desert of Central and Eastern Oregon, and everything in between.

Your Average Oregonian is much the same way and is bound to have a hodge-podge mix of hobbies, interests, and cultural tastes. With “yarn bombing”, The World Naked Bike Ride, Voodoo Doughnuts, the Hood-to-Coast Relay, Tracktown USA (Eugene, OR), crabbing trips, Geoduck (Pronounced Gooey-duck) clam hunts, the John Day Fossil Beds, deep-sky observing opportunities, and many other unique aspects of Oregon, Your Average Oregonian is both incredibly busy and well-cultured!

Die-Hard Fan

Despite the lack of national media attention on Oregon and the Northwest, in general, Your Average Oregonian has a plethora of choices regarding which major sports teams they root for and support.

With major professional sports teams like the Trailblazers, Timbers, Thorns, Thunder, and Winterhawks, and non-professional sports teams like the University of Oregon Ducks, Oregon State Beavers, Portland State Vikings, and University of Portland Pilots, Your Average Oregonian lives and breathes for competitions involving “their team.”

“I Love My Ducks”, RIP City, Timbers Army, Tracktown USA, the Oregon Project, and the Oregon Track Club. Need I say more?

Oregonians are by no means perfect, and not every Oregonian fits these descriptors. Oregonians won’t hesitate to tell you that the positives come hand in hand with the negatives.

Regardless, whenever Your Average Oregonian is elsewhere in the world, they brag, reminisce, and get seriously homesick about their true home—the great State of Oregon. To quote singer, songwriter, and Oregon-native Mat Kearney:

“I'm coming home to the place that I remember
Back to the land of my first love
Would you spread wide your arms for this wayward son?
I left my heart in Oregon.”

—Coming Home (Oregon), Mat Kearney