Mt Hood and freshmen
I saw Mt. Hood yesterday. My sister had been really upset that I'd been in Portland for two weeks and hadn't seen it yet and I thought, what's the big deal? It's just a mountain. There have been forest fires on it lately so all the smog has obscured the view.
You'll have to forgive me--I'm from Iowa, so I didn't really understand how breath-takingly spectacular this thing is. All we have is hills and they aren't anything that impressive. Mt. Hood dominates the entire skyline when it's visible. It's unreal. And the best part is that the main administrative building on campus, the Manor House (and yes, it used to actually be one) has a perfect, uninhibited view of the mountain. You walk out the back of it and you see beautiful forests on either side, the mountain in the distance and a cascade of terraces, reflecting pools and a rose garden in between. (OK, you don't really see the rose garden because it's down behind the swimming pool, but it's there.)
It's a really good thing I didn't come here during the stage when I wasn't sure if I wanted to be going to TU because superficially it doesn't compare, but TU worked for me. I made some amazing friends, got to travel on the school's money and actually learned some interesting stuff in my classes. I wouldn't trade my time there for anything. Really.
Seeing all the new freshman arrive on campus here obviously takes me back to when I was in the same boat FOUR years ago. Man, time has flown, but with my memory (or lack thereof) that doesn't necessary mean I remember much of my first few days (or even months) at college. But I did have a blast at freshman orientation and made some friends that I'm still in contact with (even if it is rarely now that we're all across the US and elsewhere). Ahh, freshmen are so adorably clueless--and I have to go back to that same status when I arrive at Sciences Po in a week. Not only a freshman but a foreigner--double strike against me. Argh. I really enjoyed being a senior that knew everything and everyone (or felt like she did).
You'll have to forgive me--I'm from Iowa, so I didn't really understand how breath-takingly spectacular this thing is. All we have is hills and they aren't anything that impressive. Mt. Hood dominates the entire skyline when it's visible. It's unreal. And the best part is that the main administrative building on campus, the Manor House (and yes, it used to actually be one) has a perfect, uninhibited view of the mountain. You walk out the back of it and you see beautiful forests on either side, the mountain in the distance and a cascade of terraces, reflecting pools and a rose garden in between. (OK, you don't really see the rose garden because it's down behind the swimming pool, but it's there.)
It's a really good thing I didn't come here during the stage when I wasn't sure if I wanted to be going to TU because superficially it doesn't compare, but TU worked for me. I made some amazing friends, got to travel on the school's money and actually learned some interesting stuff in my classes. I wouldn't trade my time there for anything. Really.
Seeing all the new freshman arrive on campus here obviously takes me back to when I was in the same boat FOUR years ago. Man, time has flown, but with my memory (or lack thereof) that doesn't necessary mean I remember much of my first few days (or even months) at college. But I did have a blast at freshman orientation and made some friends that I'm still in contact with (even if it is rarely now that we're all across the US and elsewhere). Ahh, freshmen are so adorably clueless--and I have to go back to that same status when I arrive at Sciences Po in a week. Not only a freshman but a foreigner--double strike against me. Argh. I really enjoyed being a senior that knew everything and everyone (or felt like she did).