Summer Happenings

Summer is dwindling! Only a little over 3 weeks until I am back on The Farm.

Here's what I've been doing this summer:

1) Continuing my regular shoe stacking summer job at The Footzone, sad that this will probably be my last summer. I will miss all of my fellow footzoner's humor and hard work. Probably the most awesome job/ work environment I will ever have.

2) Teaching summer science camps at the Bend Science Station. This has been a really fun part of my summer. I started doing in-lab camps with 4/5th graders, and ended up co-leading a week long traveling camp to Hood River where I got to windsurf, rock climb, white water raft, and bunjee jump. One of the in-lab camp I taught was Harry Potter themed, and I dressed up as professor Sprout and taught Herbology. The kids caught on fast that I didn't actually possess any magical powers.

3) Road biking. I purchased my first road bike this summer (fancy, huh?). I have been riding it all over the place and have fallen quite in love with long bike rides. I've been all over Bend, including up to Mt. Bachelor and the top of McKenzie Pass, and have been able to do some riding at the Oregon Coast as well. However, I do feel a little out of place on the road being passed my middle-aged men with calves the size of cantaloupes.... and I thought I had big calves. The picture is me and Pat at the top of McKenzie Pass.

4) Vacationing! Misleading, I really haven't vacationed much this summer. We did go on the annual Pacific City surf trip with the Maddens, Smiths, Lopezes and Rhymers. My mom and I are also considering heading up to Hood River for a weekend in September to take kite boarding lessons and possibly a shopping trip to Portland. I should probably also visit my darling sister Teenie in Eugene before heading back to school.

5)Visiting old friends. I've had a lot of fun catching up with my friends who have been on gap years and off at school. With Naomi having been in Africa and Eirann trekking the entire globe, it's nice to have them home. It's been fun helping them prepare for their first year at college after having been just gone through my freshman year. Rachel has of course been tearing it up at the Naval Academy, and the four of us enjoyed the time we had together while she was home for a short few weeks.

6) Montana. I'm currently writing from Pat's desk in his (ridiculously nice) house in Bozeman. I am unendingly jealous that I will be living in dorms for the next 3 years :( We've been in Bozeman since Wednesday, I leave Tuesday, and I've been enjoying the hot weather and fun biking and hiking in the area. (Don't be misguided by the picture, Pat is happy to be here too!) The picture is from our hike to the M. I have to say I'm also jealous of Bozeman's beautiful scenery, what I wouldn't do to get some majestic snow capped mountains down in Palo Alto.