Daniel Jones remains undeterred
Portland brings ‘em in from everywhere. Few parts of the country are spared from the pull of our precious Portlandia, and the same is true for the south, just ask Daniel Jones.
A transplant from Austin, Texas (the other keep it weird city), Daniel got his MBA and bounced around for a few years before moving to Portland from the Lonestar State in 2013.
“I came up on a vacation to visit my uncle and saw what a cool city Portland was,” he explains. “So, when I came back I decided to start sending out resumes and I got some really good responses.”
It wasn’t long before Daniel did what most do when they take the plunge into Portland.
“Three months later I made a leap of faith and relocated to Portland unemployed,” he says, though he adds that he quickly found a job within three weeks of moving to the City of Roses.
Once he arrived, Daniel was taken aback by Portland’s abundance.
“There are fun things to do all over the city,” he says. “There’s not just one or two or three exclusive areas where people want to go out to eat or hang out or do things, it’s all over town.”
Finding all the fun things to do around town are important for Daniel. Although he loves his job as a financial analyst at a major financial group subsidiary, he admits that he sometimes wonders if he is doing what he truly loves.
“I’ve worked as a financial analyst on reports and analyzing investment performance,” he begins. “I’ve worked for two major banks, yet I don’t see myself going very far. I’m not advancing as much as I thought I would.”
So, what would Daniel like to do if he weren’t doing what he is now?
“I wish I knew the answer to that question,” he says after a long pause.
“I like a lot of different things and that’s the problem,” he continues. “Lately, I’ve been grappling with where I go from here.”
The problem is compounded by Daniel’s recent run-in with the Portland housing crisis.
“My landlord changed things abruptly and didn’t let me know she wasn’t going to sign a new lease with me,” he says.
Apparently, she had intentions to kick Daniel and his roommate out of the house and jack up the rent by orders of magnitude.
“So, out of nowhere, I suddenly had only thirty days to leave this place and no prior warning that it was going to happen,” he says in exasperation.
Fortunately, Daniel has made new arrangements, though in the move he will find himself pushed from NE 15th to SE 62nd, an all-too-common story.
Still, despite setbacks and questions about his future, Daniel remains undeterred.
“I’ve been through a lot,” he says. “I’ve also overcome a lot. My family keeps me going and I’ve gained a lot of really great friendships here, which I value so much,” he finishes with a smile.
He speaks of great friendships with other PDX people who likely value his friendship just as much. In a city bursting with opportunity, we all live our lives asking similar questions and going through similar things. If there was ever more a sign of how we are all the same, just people, it may be that. We’re glad Daniel is here to share in our similarities together.
William Bessette – PDX People Contributor
William Bessette is a journalist and freelance writer who has been covering politics, entertainment, culture and travel for over thirteen years. When he’s not profiling Portland-area restaurants and residents, you can find him reporting on national and international travel and eco-tourism through his travel brand, Floppy Hat Adventures.
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