From Cock to Duck

I apologize for not posting weekly in May. I was sick for three weeks and was incredibly busy with school work. May was a tough month all around, but it's over now. I only have finals left and then this journey will be over. I can't believe how fast time has gone. It still feels like March to me because spring just got here in Oregon. It's in the 60s and 70s everyday (March weather in South Carolina). My friends from back home told me the heat is unbearable in Columbia. I'm trying to savor the cool weather here for as long as possible before I go back home. Even though I'm excited to go back home and share all my experiences with friends and family, I'm getting sad thinking about leaving everything here behind. I have met a lot of friendly interesting people that have helped me form a new perspective on my life. I feel a lot more confident being by myself and taking care of myself. I genuinely feel like I don't need anyone and it's an extremely liberatin

Hey everyone, it's May 14th and a month from now I will be done at the University of Oregon. I can't believe how fast time has flown, but I've really enjoyed it. I'm starting to dread coming back home since I've made a lot of relationships here and have to say goodbye to it all. The past week, however, I've felt pretty ill and it was the first time I've been sick the whole time I've been here. I'm getting over it now though, and I'm ready to enjoy these last few weeks. My friends from South Carolina are coming to visit me for a week after I finish finals since my lease doesn't end until June 30th. They want to see the coast, Portland, and crater lake (the main sights in Oregon). They also talked about seeing the last Blockbuster in the world which happens to be in Oregon. It's in Bend, Oregon though which is a couple hours east of Eugene and surrounded by virtually nothing. Nonetheless, I'm just looking forward to them experiencing wh

Hey everyone, I haven't posted in two weeks because I've been incredibly busy with school. Four months in, and I'm still trying to get acclimated to the pace of the quarter system. Outside of school, however, this place feels just like home. It still hasn't gotten in the 70s yet and tomorrow is the first day of May! It's been in the upper 80s all month in South Carolina. It finally stopped raining though, and I've been able to hang up my rain jackets for the time being. I have a lot of work to do this week and honestly for the remainder of the term. My friends back at USC are already done with classes and only have finals left. I'm ready to be done with school, and I'll only have one semester left when I get back to USC in the fall. Last weekend I went to Portland and had an amazing time. My sister visited me and we went to a bunch of great restaurants, shops, and even saw Canon Beach. Oregon's natural beauty is unparalleled to any other region I'

Hey everyone, it's the start of week 2 of the spring quarter. I'm not going to lie, I've been feeling rather apathetic this term considering I've already done a fall semester and winter term. I think I'm a little burn out, but I plan on regrouping by the end of this week. I didn't do much the past week other than get ready for the term, buy my books, and clean up. This place really feels like home now, and I'm used to the things that seemed strange at first. It's rained everyday since I've gotten back but the weather is otherwise perfect. It's 50 degrees all day and it's always consistent. I don't know why I haven't bought an umbrella yet, but it feels like it's too late to start now. I don't feel homesick at all, and I'm used to my life here. I'm going to try to start exploring Oregon once I get my assignments and other chores under control, so I can really experience the natural beauty of the state. If anyone that

Hey everyone it's been a while. I went home for Spring break, but I'm back in Eugene now for the Spring term. Yesterday and today have been my first day of classes of the new term and it feels weird starting new at the beginning of April. I made all A's for Winter term and I'm hoping that carries over into this term. This term I'm taking a philosophy course, an astronomy course, a political science course, and an anthropology course. The weather here feels amazing now even though it's still raining. Thankfully there's no pollen at all here because my allergies were terrible back home in South Carolina over the break. I feel more confident now that I have a few months here under my belt and know people. I'm really going to try and take advantage of the opportunities this term and make this is an unforgettable experience. I'll be posting weekly from now on until June when I finish. Short post, but I should have a lot to talk about next week. Until next

Hello everyone, sorry for posting relatively late. It has been a chaotic week with finals here and all my assignments due. I have a final exam on Wednesday, Thursday, and two essays due Friday. I'll be extremely busy this week, but on Saturday I'm flying back home to Columbia to officially start spring break and won't be back in Oregon until March 31st to start the spring term. I can't believe I'm already halfway done! Time has gone by so fast, but I've really been grateful for the experience so far. I have learned a lot about myself and it feels extremely rewarding. The weather today was the first time since I got here that it reached over 45 degrees and it was sunny. Everyone on campus today was in a great mood and the University really felt alive. I met two guys from Idaho and had lunch with them. It was interesting to hear about their experience growing up in Idaho and their perceptions of the South. It seems like everyone from the West only knows South Caro