Sup Sup from Willamette

Hi guys! Thanks to those have written lately. I really enjoyed reading the past few posts.
I am entering my fourth week here at Willamette. Alot has happened during these past few weeks so I will try to edit it down into something interesting and educational to read. So, here goes-

I arrived in Salem after a lazy drive across the West. I spent some time in New Mexico where I played with my young cousins and learned life lessons and ate bomb food thanks to my grandma. I also got to see my dad and his wife in Colorado where we climbed Quandry Peak as a family. It was my first 14,000 ft. mountain and I feel as if I am now ready for Everest. Anyone up for the challenge?

I got here late on Friday and was greeted by my new housemates John, Dan, Shawn, and Andyroo. It was so nice to see their smiling faces and tour my new house! Unfortunately, I was the last to arrive so I got stuck with the smallest room! However, I am pretty much done decorating now and it is very cozy with a beautiful view of our large yard. The boys also gave me the upstairs bathroom for my own personal use, which is quite heavenly. I am so happy to have a place of my own after two years of being robbed from my freedom in the dorms. I can't wait for everyone to come over when you all return! Anyways, I digress,... after the boys helped me lug my bags upstairs, people began streaming in to say their hellos for the rest of the evening. Obviously I can't remember everyone I saw that first night, but the highlights were when Dana, Elliot, Taylor, and Pat arrived on their bicycles. With beers in hand, hugs were distributed all around. It was a great moment. The next week went on alot like this...night after night of seeing everyone in their new places, normally accompanied by meals made by the hosts. Tom Salina, Sam Brown, and Luke Johnson live down the block, so many nights would be split between his and ours with music always coming from their garage or kids in the hot tub and a mess of voices coming from ours. Friends going abroad came and went-Hayley, Ian, Dana, Harry, Wes, Sam Kuhn. I wish that everyone had come for the first two weeks of celebration but I was overjoyed with the presence of those that did come.

Things have settled down now and we are all students at the grind again. I am taking Chemistry, Geographic Information Systems, Middle Eastern Archeaology, and Woodcuts. My classes are great so far but obviously are alot of work. The last two weekends, like always, have been godsends for relaxation. Last weekend was the first rugby game. It was an afternoon game between Willamette students and the "Old Boys" or Willamette Alumni. Mia and I worked diligently to clean the house the night before so that we could have the drink up at my place. Luckily it was a great day so we had a BBQ and played botchi ball in the yard to celebrate the new season after the game was over. The drink up turned into an all night party with different groups coming and going all night, including at one point, the entire greek system. I would walk around the house and then realize I knew no one besides my house mates. That same weekend, we made a trip to Three Pools to bask in the sun and cliff dive. After five trips to the pools, I finally worked up the courage to dive from the highest point. It was such a rush and the highlight of the weekend.

This last weekend Morgan took me to the Oregon Coast. We stayed in a family friends place at Rockaway Beach. We watched the sun set and made a bonfire on which we roasted marshmallows. The next morning we did some 'shrooms and had a grand adventure which consisted of hiking in the forest and then on the beach. We made sandcastles, watched the birds and people, and wrote chinese symbols in the sand until the sun went down on the second day. I bought a kite the last day from the ice cream man and played with it for hours. I never wanted to leave but Morgan wouldn't be convinced to stay. I am already thinking I might want to live and do some ecological work on the Coast this summer (Megan, I am thinking about the Washington Coast but would you come hang out with me?). I thought alot about our journeys to the Coast over the last two years. I am so glad that you shared your home with us so many times Megan! I told Morgan about the incidences with almost losing Hayley to the ocean and all the way losing Claire's shoes to the sand. I thought about the night before Meg's birthday when Kailey, Dana, Marleta, and I came to pre-party. We smoked in the flower drying cabin and talked all night. I told him about taking bathes with Kailey and Dana in the hugest bathtub ever and eating the hugest salmon ever caught by miss megan fish whisperer herself. These are all little things but they will always be with me!

Willamette isn't the same without all of you in it. I hope you are all having a great time but think of us some moments during your downtime. I hope this shed some light on life at Willamette from my point of view!