Stump'd

Who are you?

I’m Ruth: a writer and journalist, originally from Melbourne, Australia, but soon-to-be living in Portland, Oregon. You can read more about me here.

Wot’s all this then?

In 2010, my partner was offered an amazing job in Portland and we jumped at the chance to have an adventure in the strange and foreign land known as the United States of America.

We’re arriving in May with little more than our laptops and backpacks (yes, the laptops come first; this should tell you everything you need to know about us).

Stump’d is the journal of my new life in this weird and wonderful town, and in one of the most fantastic and fucked-up countries on Earth. I intend to jump head first into everything this place has to offer: eat a Twinkie, attend a Tea Party rally, and travel everywhere from Tallahassee to Twin Falls (with side trips to Tijuana).

Why “Stump’d“?

“Stumptown” is the local nickname for Portland. Apparently they cut down a bunch of trees there around the mid-19th century, leaving tree stumps everywhere. Clearly, it’s a fascinating story.

Anyway, the name is fairly ubiquitous around the city, from the excellent Stumptown Coffee to Greg Rucka’s Stumptown comic series.

For about the first few months after we arrive, I probably won’t have a working Visa. While my partner toils away to keep us fed, clothed and dry, I need to find things to do, a permanent place to live, a new gym, and a create a whole new life for us.

No job, no money, no house, no friends: I’m stumped.

The missing “e” is just a web 2.0 thing. I’m a slave to fashion.