Profile: Melanie Hudson

Freshman Melanie Hudson is enjoying the sun in Mill Pond Park. She moved to Portland, Oregon from Chandler, Arizona in 2014.

By Sarah Happel

New house, different school, unfamiliar students. Trying to fit in isn’t easy, especially when everyone has already formed their “friend” groups.

Moving from the blazing hot deserts of Chandler, Arizona to the constant downpour of Portland, Oregon was difficult, but necessary. Despite this, Melanie Hudson has learned to love Portland for its quirkiness and charm.

Hudson’s new life started in the summer of 2014 when she climbed into the car for the long drive from Arizona to Oregon. She had mixed feelings about the whole situation.

“I was excited to experience something new,” Hudson said. “[But] I felt sad when I saw the house I had lived in my whole life empty… I was really nervous because I didn’t know if I would make any friends and if people would like me.”

Even though packing up her belongings left Hudson feeling defeated, she decided to shift her focus to making new friends.

“I was shy, really shy. I still am, but much less than before,” Hudson admitted. This made the simple task of meeting new people a seemingly impossible challenge. Fortunately, a few students introduced themselves to her when they noticed she was sitting alone. “It made me so happy,” she said with a smile.

After overcoming the various challenges of moving, Hudson said that she prefers Portland over Chandler.

“There are actual seasons here,” she said. “The fall actually feels like fall, spring really feels like spring, winter really feels like winter, and summer really feels like summer. It was just really hot in Arizona… in winter it was in the seventies, eighties.” Hudson viewed Portland as a refreshing break from the scorching sun.

As a resident of Forest Heights, she has learned to appreciate the countless trees and web of trails that compliment her neighborhood. However, Hudson admitted that there was one factor that drew her in even more than the abundance of wildlife: the rain. She found it refreshing and calming, unlike what she’d experienced before. Hudson hadn’t realized how much she’d missed out on while battling Arizona’s heat. 

Now that she’s in Portland, Hudson has taken up a new hobby that wasn’t possible in Arizona: running. Portland supports her passion with its shady trails to block the sun, wind, and rain. The city is also home to Nike, a company dedicated to exercise equipment for people of all ages, including teenagers. Hudson’s goal is to build her endurance, and she practices running the trails near her house as much as she can.

Even though moving wasn’t Hudson’s first choice, she decided to make the most of it.

“I feel like moving changed me as a person,” she said. “I wish everyone could know that they don’t have to be afraid to talk to new people and worry about people judging them.”