![\"Melissa](\"http:\/\/pdxpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Melissa-Magallanez-on-the-move.jpg\")
<\/a>Generally, when writing these pieces, I look for something that defines a person. During the interview, I ask a specific set of questions designed to get to the core of a person I may or may not have ever even met before.<\/p>\n
As I proceeded through my interview with Melissa Magallanez, the one thing I noticed the most is that she\u2019s moved around\u2026 a lot. Although she now calls Vancouver, Washington home (hey, that still counts as a PDX Person<\/a>), she was born in El Paso, Texas, then moved to Arizona when she was twelve and finally Portland when she was 19.<\/p>\n Wait, I suppose \u201cfinally\u201d isn\u2019t the right word to use there, because after six months in Portland she wound up going back to El Paso, then to Phoenix and a town called Rio Rico (also in Arizona), back to Portland, back to Rio Rico, then back to El Paso.<\/p>\n Still with us?<\/p>\n After that stint in El Paso, she moved to Wichita Falls, Texas, then to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, then \u2013 of all places \u2013 Lakenheath, England. Could you guess where she went from there? No, you couldn\u2019t. Probably not in a million guesses. Minot, North Dakota. Then \u2013 and this is where I can finally say finally \u2013 she wound up back in the Pacific Northwest, where she has remained ever since.<\/p>\n As you can probably guess, the military had something to do with all her moving.<\/p>\n \u201cI got pregnant just after I turned twenty,\u201d she says. \u201cSo pretty much my entire adulthood has been as a mother. After having Amy, we quickly got married and he joined the Air Force. So really, most of my adulthood was spent being a military spouse and mom.\u201d<\/p>\n Except she\u2019s not a military spouse anymore, a blessing in being able to stay in one place. In fact, when asked what makes her tick, her answer explains it all.<\/p>\n \u201cMy ex,\u201d she bluntly replies. \u201cHe makes me tick. Like a time bomb. Like, one day I will eventually explode.\u201d<\/p>\n The last thing we want to do is cause Melissa to reach critical mass, so we move on to a more inspiring topic, one that seems to have graced these pages quite a bit of late.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2009, at twenty-eight years old,\u201d she says, \u201cI decided to go back to school, and in 2014 I got my Bachelor\u2019s in Accounting.\u201d<\/p>\n An accomplishment in-and-of itself considering her status as a single mom, Melissa still finds time to enjoy the finer, grander and yet deeper aspects of life.<\/p>\n \u201cI like to get out into nature and go for a hike. Get off the grid and enjoy nature. I love to lay on the grass in the summer at night and look at the stars and think how we as humans are such a tiny spec in this giant universe,\u201d she says before reminding us she is still human after all.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong,\u201d she says with a wry smile, \u201cI still love the occasional Netflix binge.\u201d<\/p>\n With all the moving around, Netflix binge or no, one can only wonder, is Portland finally home for this single mom and serial mover?<\/p>\n Based on her answer, fearing that everyone will \u201csee how amazing and great Portland is,\u201d we think so, and the city is better off for it. Welcome home, Melissa!<\/p>\n Click Here to Read More Articles on – People from Portland<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n William Bessette<\/strong> \u2013 PDX People Contributor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Follow William on: <\/strong> Facebook<\/a>\u00a0, Twitter<\/a>\u00a0 Connect with William on:<\/strong> LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>William Bessette is a journalist and freelance writer who has been covering politics, entertainment, culture and travel for over thirteen years. When he\u2019s not profiling Portland-area restaurants and residents, you can find him reporting on national and international travel and eco-tourism through his travel brand, <\/em><\/strong>Floppy Hat Adventures<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n