SBA: Waiting to Board...

This past weekend was my first weekend of fall break. It was also probably the best weekend of my freshman year. Friday night I flew out of Portland to visit beautiful friends in Santa Barbara. I spent Saturday afternoon with Ashley, and Saturday evening with Dani, surprising Stass, and driving to UCLA to visit my best friend since kindergarten. We went out Saturday night and spent Sunday together. Sunday night we drove back to SB and, again, I visited with Ashley and her hysterical housemates.

Leaving Portland on Friday, I was utterly exhausted from schoolwork, keeping up with friends, and keeping track of what I am doing with my life. I’ve realized how ridiculously easy it is to get off track and lose sight of all that you’re working towards. More so nowadays in college, living independently, versus living at home, having parents keeping track of life for you. I am so fortunate and grateful to have been able to reunite with such beautiful friends. This single weekend of seeing my loves, being able to express our love in person, and being able to be a part their new lives, certain that they are good and well is all that I needed to recuperate. I feel grounded again, more alive than my first day of school, more motivated to be true to myself when I venture back to Oregon. Right now, I have everything that I need to live a free life, doing work, succeeding mentally, emotionally, physically, and most of all spiritually.

I have a full week of break ahead of me. Finally, I get to fly home to my warm-hearted puppies, my gracious parents, my perfect full size bed, home cooked meals, television all day, and meetings with various enlightened minds from my sangha! Never in my life have I been this appreciative of everything in its full essence. Thanks to everyone who has taken part or will be taking part in this rejuvenating, week long, first Fall Break of the next momentous four years!!!

Now Playing!

Build one! Build two! Build three!

For the past few days, I've been on the hunt for a fun and interesting Crew t-shirt. Today I was thinking about how none have topped my buddy's shirt, so I might just have to get one of my own. Oh! And I just realized that I must officially be a part of the crew cult if I find this nerdy stuff funny...
Here's what it says:

Top 10 Reasons Why Rowing is Better Than Sex

10. You can row with minors and not get arrested.
9. You do not have to worry where your oar has been before.
8. Two words: "cox box".
7. You can row with up to seven people at the same time.
6. Your oar will never give you a S.T.D. (except crabs).
5. Female rowers give Head races a new name.
4. Let's face it, it's not.
3. When rowing you have a coach to tell you what you did wrong.
2. After a good hard row, everybody is satisfied.

and number 1.
In rowing, the catch is aggressive, the hands quick, the slide smooth, the drive powerful, and the oar is always hard.


:)

That one boy...

Welp! It finally happened. Yes, I did it. I found my quiet spot, my happy place. This little piece of heaven is located right on the Willamette River just a 2 mile bike ride, or run, away, and coincidentally called Cathedral Park. Crossing over the park and the river is the St. Johns Bridge, which from what I’ve read is an official historical landmark. Also, the park is believed to be one of the spots in the Vancouver-Portland area that the Lewis and Clark expedition landed. This all sounds fine and dandy but it’s not why I crave being there, especially since I didn’t know about these facts until after declaring it my happy place.

Cathedral has done two incredibly noteworthy things for me. One is that it’s given me a getaway. The freedom that I feel when laying in the silent, cool grass, the amount of pressure that is released during the bike ride, and the mystery in the forest on the other side of the bridge all add up, giving me beautiful gifts of contentment and tranquility. The second thing is love. Being there for me strikes a love for laughter, delightful foods, great conversation, and love itself.

Not living at my physical home for quite some time has made me truly understand what home is as oppose to where it is. Essentially, home sits wherever my heart sits. With that said, I’ve distinguished many homes, and I’m so thankful to be able to say that Cathedral Park can be added to that list. Lastly, if you’re special enough, I can share it with you.