Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

Sundays

Caitlin H.

March 7, 2010 - 8:39 PM

Today is Sunday. For many college students (including myself) Sunday is often a day of completing all the assignments for Monday that didn't get done on Saturday. Sundays are okay; often not fantastic, but they're still the weekend so they're still pretty darn exciting.

This particular Sunday I seemed to feel slightly blue. I wasn't sad, but I wasn't energetic - lost in the grey area in between would be a good way to describe it. The natural medicine to prescribe was a bike ride. From my apartment I rode to the Autzen footbridge, and since the weather was nice I decided to sit on a bench to pass the time. I found myself watching some ducks in the river as they dove their head down looking for food. I'll admit, the child in me still delights seeing a duck butt up in the air while the little feet are churning a mile a minute just below the surface. Before long a Great Blue Heron flew in and majestically moved along some rocks in the river looking for food.

"Humans are funny," I thought. How good would life be if I were a bird? I wouldn't do homework or complete assignments. Instead maybe I'd spend my days at the river. I would be at one with nature and collect my food from the source, rather than a store. I would be knowledgeable, but in a different kind of way. In the moment those ducks sure seemed to be living the good life.

As I sat on the bench imagining my life as different species in the riverfront ecosystem, along came a graduate student from one of my classes crossing the bridge. Five minutes later a professor from the geography department crossed with his dog. And when I looked again a Planning, Public Policy and Management professor passed with her dog. I'll admit, there is certainly something to say about community here. The interaction pulled me out of my stupor and got me thinking all the ways our human community here is wonderful, even if it is structured so differently from any other species around.

Eventually a friend joined me and together had a bit of a late morning/early-afternoon adventure. We rode along the river to the ‘duck ponds,' taking time to investigate the opening magnolia tree blossoms. Stops were made to take photos with the "Track Town USA" mural visible to drivers as they cross the river towards downtown Eugene. I laughed at a biker towing his rather large dog in a child's cart behind him. We passed more friends and even a few friendly strangers who were willing to share a "hello" and give a wave. The Owen Rose Garden is hardly in bloom yet, but a few trees and flowers were making an appearance, which was worth stopping by to have a quick look. And before we knew it we crossed the river again and were at the Valley River Center mall. It always amazes me that I can travel all the way to a major shopping center from my home and only cross two streets. I love being along the river.

From there our ‘short' adventure became more of an all day activity. I went into the mall to get a drink of water, and then decided to buy a new rain jacket. By then it was lunchtime, then dessert time...you get the idea. One thing led to another and nearly my whole day was spent with my bike. I just couldn't bring myself to go home, go inside, and do work. Instead I went home, grabbed my laptop and a few books, and went back out to the river, found a bench and worked there.

Sunday is a lovely day. I had a wonderful time today. And so many times I found myself thinking, "I love this city."

[ 0 Comments ]

Stuck in Limbo

Caitlin H.

March 4, 2010 - 9:58 AM

I finally made it to March. This is the month I hear decisions on the rest of my graduate school applications. I'm excited, I'm anxious, I'm...

I feel stuck.

Everyone I know is applying for interesting summer internships that sound like the kind of thing that will fast-track a career. Opportunity after opportunity is passing me by; I think I can actually feel the deadlines flying past. I want to make a plan. I want to know where I'm going to be this summer and fall. But I feel directionless.

Without knowing what grad school I want to go to, or even what state I'll be living in next fall, I feel as though I can't decide on what to do this summer. If I don't know what to do this summer, I'm not sure what kind of opportunities I should look for this spring. It all comes back to deciding on which grad program is right for me. But I have only heard from 1 out of the 3 programs I applied to. Stuck. All I can do is wait.

The good news is, this can't go on much longer and then I'll fall into a whirlwind of making choices and planning. In the meantime I'm left wondering if it is my last game inside Mac Court, or just the last one this season (pre-season next year will still be inside Mac). I'm left wondering if these are my last winter moments in Eugene, or just the last with my fellow graduating seniors who plan to leave in the spring. It is hard not knowing if this is ‘goodbye' or just ‘see you next year.'

Life has a way of working itself out. In due course I'll find a spring job if I need to, or figure out what to do this summer when the time comes. Perhaps this is my life lesson on patience. In the meantime I've found my way into a soccer club, which was one of my goals for the spring. I have a ‘coach clinic' over the weekend so that I can be involved with Eugene AYSO. With any luck I'll be coaching my own youth soccer team soon. I've done a little gardening; I've laid out some options so I'll be ready when the time comes. All I have left is: wait and see what happens. Cross your fingers! Admissions season might just be the most exciting time of the year.

[ 0 Comments ]

Culinary Reformation

Caitlin H.

February 24, 2010 - 8:23 AM

I love to discuss the local food industry - how many miles a meal traveled before it stopped on my plate, how the food was grown, how the product was manufactured, how the product was packaged, where it was sold and at what price, etc.

Recently I came to the conclusion that there were too many proteins and sugars in my life, not enough of everything else. In response to this revelation, I have made some recent changes.

I have become part ‘vegetarian'...if you can call it that. I decided to reserve meat-eating for one day a week, and see how my life is impacted if I am vegetarian the other six days during the week. I hardly think being a fulltime vegetarian or vegan is somewhere in my future, but I am attempting to find a more appropriate balance. One could say Eugene is ‘famous' for its emphasis on earth-friendly/sustainable lifestyles and practices. I often joke with visitors Eugene is the only place on earth where it will be easier to find a recycle bin than a trash can. In other words, a change of diet like this hasn't been difficult to accomplish in a city like Eugene where being vegetarian or vegan is relatively popular.

While what I eat is certainly important, I also am very interested in where my food comes from. Yes, I too have consumed processed junk created by multi-billion dollar corporations. But I don't want that to be the only kind of food I eat. And I have spent enough time studying these topics to understand that ‘good, local' food is often expensive and inaccessible for much of the population. The great news is, I sometimes feel like Eugene is an exception to this common problem. I mean I am a college kid on a budget, but I still manage to eat all right. That tells me that there is hope.

The Eugene farmer's marke t is wonderful. Some of the best meals I have shared have been tied to the farmer's market in some way. It is available all year long but it is most visited by me in the spring/summertime. For weeks now I have been dreaming of a sunny Saturday morning where I ride my bike to the market and collect some locally grown produce. Several grocery stores around town also carry locally made breads, cheeses and more. The farmer's market will always hold a special place in my heart though. Perhaps there is something slightly romanticized about having a conversation with the farmer who grew the crop I am purchasing and later consuming. I like knowing where my food comes from!

Here's to healthy and happy dining!

[ 0 Comments ]

Endurance

Caitlin H.

February 22, 2010 - 10:26 AM

Life is rarely a sprint. It is an endurance race. I'm recognizing this especially as I roll into week 8 of 10 (11 if you count finals week) and near the end of winter term. But today, I have running on my mind. As you may know I'm running the Eugene Marathon this spring (or crawling across the finish line as the case may be). Recently I made something of a pact to continue my training with a friend.

Maija is running the Eugene half marathon. Now I elected to run this race for entirely selfish reasons. I have a goal to run a marathon at some point in my life, and so I decided it was time to make that goal a reality. I signed up. Maija is running for a much bigger cause; she signed up to run through Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. She has a fundraising page in an attempt to raise money for people living with or affected by blood cancers. You could say I have been a little inspired by her efforts.

Maija, who inspired me to make a difference, and I at a UO baseball game together.

Talking with Maija about her fight for a cause sent me thinking about what other students at the UO are doing to fight back against cancer. And then I remembered the Relay for Life event at the UO coming up May 15-16. I think I would like to join a team or start a team, and so my mission here is two-fold. If you're reading and thinking you would like to be a part of a team, please let me know. Or if you're reading and thinking you would like to donate and join UO students in our fight to find a cure, you can go to the Relay for Life website for the UO event and make a donation.

Relay For Life started at the University of Oregon campus in 2007. I have seen/heard it going on in the past but, I'm sorry to say, I never got involved. Well not this year. I am now the captain of Team It Takes Two participating in Relay for Life at the University of Oregon this May. Feel free to visit my profile for more information or to make a donation, or better yet to join my team!

My goal was to create a team and hope to inspire others to join my cause. As a part of Relay for Life teams of people come out to the event and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length. As a part of "It Takes Two" my vision was for participants to take part in the event with a friend dressed as a twin, a famous duo, as opposites, as a pair that was clear the two people were connected. Cancer is a battle that shouldn't be fought alone. And that is why we are in this together.

The only requirement to participate in Relay For Life is the $10 registration/commitment fee (per person) that is due upon registration. After that, anything you can raise through individual, team, or online fundraising is graciously accepted. It is recommended that each participant to set a personal goal to raise $100. If you raise more, that's even better. Even if you do not raise $100, you are still welcome to participate.

Please check back to my profile and team pages for updates often. When I started writing this blog this was all just a distant vision, and by the time I finished this blog I had become the captain of a team and started trying to spread the word to others about Relay for Life. This is only the beginning!

[ 0 Comments ]

Inspiration and Opportunity

Caitlin H.

February 21, 2010 - 1:48 PM

No shortage of inspiration. Infinite shortages of opportunity. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in a day.

What a week this has been! I feel like so much is bursting to get out of me I can't find enough time to let it all out. I think it all started when the sun came out on Thursday. Eugene has been blessed with a few gorgeous days this week and the nice weather is by itself capable of making a college student feel satiated with life. Hiking trips, camping trips, beach walks, river excursions have all been desperately trying to distract me from my studies. There are so many things to go out and do from Eugene and I have found myself excessively trying to prioritize and plan so that I might be able to capitalize on a few unclaimed hours in the sun.

Then I went to hydrology class and I felt like I found my life's calling (in part) during lecture. We started talking about water laws and regulations and analyzed the success and shortcomings of different forms of water regulation. After only an hour and twenty minutes of discussion I practically ran out of the room looking for people to tell about my newfound insights; I needed to share my passion for developing water legislation in the west that better reflects present day use and protects future development. All I wanted to do was learn more about water law in Washington and Oregon.

That is, until a friend pointed out a website they had discovered with photos of artworks in subway stations around the world. Scrolling through the website I was so taken with one particular piece I started researching the artist, Panya Clark Espinal. Her work in a subway station in Toronto, Canada was so striking to me. When viewed from the proper angle, her paintings on the walls and floors seem to jump off the earth and become three-dimensional. It is absolutely fascinating. And so, since that moment, I have been helplessly lost in a world where all I want to do is paint.

Clearly I have been inspired in a number of different ways by a number of different topics. Somehow, the amazing happened - I found a way to combine all three in a single afternoon.

Caitlin standing on the Oregon Beach Around noon on Saturday I decided with my friend Keith that we needed to go to the Oregon Coast. It never fails to amaze me that it can be late afternoon and at a moment's notice with a whim of desire, a person can jump in the car and from Eugene arrive on the coast in about an hour. We had several hours to play in the sand, eat fresh Dungeness crab sent to Florence from Newport the same morning, watch the sunset, and be back in Eugene by 8pm. Incredible. Now I said I had combined some of my other ‘inspirations' with this afternoon. I found myself chatting happily with Keith about local geology, groundwater, salt-water intrusions, and more along the way as we cruised the coastline. And instead of painting, I used photography to satisfy my artistic urges. I think some day soon I will attempt to paint my inner thoughts surrounding the wonderful Oregon shores, but not this weekend.