Oregon

The first time I ever set foot on Oregon soil was when one of my childhood best friends and I decided to go check out Crater Lake as a weekend activity. We were both in our early twenties and living in Marin County.

I want to say it was a Friday evening that we hopped in his car and started driving up north. At some point further up north in California, it started smelling incredible, like someone was holding pine needles directly in front of our noses.

It was also a long drive, and so my first Oregonian footsteps were at a gas station in Klamath Falls. Even though night was starting to show signs of making way for morning, it was still dark and no one was there, so perhaps the legal requirement of not filling up your own gas was overlooked. We pumped our own gas and continued on our way to Crater Lake, determined to catch the sunrise.

The Joy of Feeling Wanted

It only took one year working as a software engineer in San Francisco before it was clear that good software gets made by business decisions, and that engineering teams are at the mercy of whatever gets decided further up the organization chart.

So, as someone that takes building good software seriously, I thought it made sense to enroll in a business school. I took a GMAT cram course, got a great score to compensate for my anemic undergraduate GPA and applied to three schools that were close by but still far away enough to have space to think: UCLA, the University of Washington and the University of Oregon.

UCLA said hell no. Washington said hell no. Oregon said yes, and they also said they’ll lower my tuition significantly to go there, to the point that the remainder was something I could pay in cash.

As in: no debt. In the United States. You have say yes to this.

So I wrapped up my last few months of writing Ruby on Rails for a paycheck, packed my stuff and headed up north.

The Only Place I’ve Ever Lived Where I Didn’t Feel Weird

Eugene was a wonderful city, and one I’d love to return to if the opportunity ever presents itself. For a town with just a quarter million people, I had all the creature comforts I could ask for: world-class beer, excellent food scene, a community of serious computer geeks, fresh local produce, and even a proper Asian-style karaoke joint, all nestled in a green valley surrounded by beautiful nature.

The Surprisingly Tight-Knit Community Abroad

My Oregon network has helped me tremendously as I’ve navigated life abroad. My good friend, who also attended the same program as me but in a different year, lives just down the road from me here in Berlin-Zehlendorf. In Tokyo, I also felt a lot more centered after spending time with the Oregon Alumni Association chapter set up by the talented Takuya Kuronuma.

I feel endlessly loyal to the University of Oregon for seeing potential in me and for giving me a community literally everywhere I set foot. I’m afraid to admit I have yet to prove that bet right.

Posted July 27, 2026, Last Updated July 29, 2026