My misconception about Oregon

Florence, OR. I think when most people think of the Pacific NW they think of green, wet forests, foggy beaches, and progressive, liberal people. But I think as I am learning the reality of that is very different from the idea of a place. We are currently at a national forest campground just north of the coastal town of Florence, OR. And to put it plainly, the people here suck. A lot. Just think, people on ATVs doing donuts through the campground at midnight, store owners calling the cops on a kid in a rainbow hoodie sleeping outside their store because they "think he might be dead," an old couple in a giant RV taking up a tent spot at the campground and blocking the road for other cars and then fighting with the camp host when they still haven't paid their $13 four hours after arrival, people with their dogs off least at a beach that is closed to dogs to protect nesting birds. Yeah, just all around bad vibes from everyone staying at this campground or living in town. It has me thinking about what I thought about Oregon versus what the reality is. And I am thinking that the reality is that rural or smaller town Oregon is not my people. More conservative, more self-centered, more judgemental. That's the general vibe I have gotten so far.

(Editor's note: Okay, so I am editting this and I just wanted to add that a few days ago we were at the laundrymat and two (presumed) men got in a fight over if one of them was trying to steal the other one's laundry from a dryer. And one of them started call the other a faggot over and over, as if to insult his manhood or something. I have mostly lived in progressive cities in my life so I have never seen anything like that, it was scary as a visibly queer person.)

A bright light in this experience has been the camp host at this campground. We have had some really bad experiences with camp hosts, a trauma to recount another day when I have more energy. Most camp hosts that we meet are just okay, usually we get the vibe that they are worried about us staying at their campground because we definitely look like we live out of our van. And we just look different in general. I have a shaved head, am fat, don't wear a bra, etc. But this camp host clocked us right away and came over to introduce themselves, letting us know that the people in the area "aren't very progressive so just be careful." They immediately had a very motherly, caring energy that gave me the feeling that they were going to look out for us while we were here, that we were safe because they would protect us from the fucked up people of the world. After months of running and hiding I just felt more relaxed, like I didn't have to be so on edge, someone else just gets it without me have to explain anything and they got this, they will take care of it.

After talking with them more over the corse of the week, I learned their name is Holly and they have traveled in their bus, then RV, and soon to be van. They are getting ready to travel to Colorado to work as a seasonal shuttle driver to make money so they can travel more freely next summer. They have the same anger that I have from having seen so much injustice in the world, so they just get it, which is such a nice feeling. They kept telling us that things get better, that there are good people in the world, like they could see that we had been through some shit, that I have lost my belief that the world is a good place. I just feel seen by them in a way I haven't felt seen by any one in a long time. Meeting them restored a little bit of hope (something that has been sparse for me for many months) that I will one day find my community, my people, people who just get it. Anyways, they are pretty fed up with the people here in this coastal Oregon town and are leaving soon and who knows who the next camp host will be. But for today, this has been the most queer friendly camping experience I have had to date.

It is really pushing me to try and get my blog up and running so I can find my people. I have just been struggling so much with a name, ideas aren't really flowing for blog names. I feel so frustrated. As of now the blog remains unpublished until I can think of a name that will work and buy the domain. I know a name shouldn't keep me from sharing my story but it is the first thing the world will see about this blog and my ideas so I feel so much pressure to find a name to attract the kind of people I want to be in community with. So hopefully you are reading this and you have already seen the name I chose and it made you think, "Wow, that's a blog I want to fucking read."