Ready, Break!

Peter E.

March 19, 2010 - 2:53 PM

Sitting in my Renaissance Thought final exam this morning, my hand aching from furiously scribbling four mediocre essays, it finally hit me: this is the last final I will ever have to take. Winter term has been really exhausting with work obligations, class assignments, thesis work, and Teach For America responsibilities. For this reason, this Finals Week was relentless for me playing catchup by writing an entire chapter of my thesis and preparing for a final exam. However, I emerged from the Chiles Center, my head spinning from focusing on notebook paper and Renaissance thinkers for the last two hours, to be greeted by a warm, sunny afternoon; spring break has begun!

I recollect my previous spring breaks in Eugene have always started with gray, cold weather, but this year has started right with the last couple days being sunny and sixty degrees. Needless to say, I enjoyed it by sitting in my dark basement watching the NCAA tournament. Not really, I've enjoyed Eugene's unusual early spring by sitting outside on my deck, barbecuing, and and running along the river. However, I have split time between those activities and watching plenty of NCAA basketball.

So, beyond that, my spring break plans: relaxing in Corvallis, backpacking in the Redwoods, and bumming around Portland. My girlfriend, Melissa, and I are headed to Corvallis for the weekend to relax with her parents. It's always great to enjoy the comforts of home (that a college house doesn't quite have), go mountain biking with her dad, and explore Corvallis (which, unfortunately, doesn't compare to Eugene). Following Corvallis, we'll zip down I-5 to the Redwoods to do a three day camping and backpacking trip. It should be beautiful, relaxing, and exactly what I need before I head to Tulsa where I'm not sure if they have trees (pictures to come later). Finally, my friend Jake is coming to Portland from Montana for his spring break, so it will be a blast to bum around Portland while enjoying the nightlife as a 21-year old for the first time.

It should be a great break with a lot of variation, and I'll keep y'all updated as the week progresses. There should be some memorable stories coming soon...