So I think I’ll start off by saying that I am writing my final yet very late blog post from Kawasaki, Japan. It’s currently 6:41 in the morning and my jet lag has still not adjusted itself. I got here three days ago and it’s been quite the culture shock. After leaving Oregon, I drove and stayed in Santa Cruz for two days, then I drove back home to Redlands where I stayed for a week, until going to San Diego for a night before leaving for Japan. This rapid change in scenery and cultures that’s occurred in the last week and half has me a bit discombobulated, making my time in Oregon feel like it was a year ago rather than a week. Being here in Japan especially, where the only things I can say to anyone is “Konichiwa” and “Arigato,” really make me appreciate the fact that I was living in a place where I could actually communicate with its members of society. So this final blog post is dedicated to those members of Oregon’s South Coast that I befriended during my 10 weeks and the knowledge I gained from them about something my knowledge is a bit rusty on: relationships.

I think it’s fairly obvious that older people are full of experience and knowledge about many subjects, sometimes with wisdom, sometimes without. It’s been a while since I was in a real relationship myself so whenever I get the chance to connect with the older generation I make it a point to observe them and ask about their love life if they’re comfortable discussing it. I spent my free time with more “old” people than people my age this summer so I will tell you some of the advice they imparted upon me and what I learned through observing them with their significant other. I would prefer to give a more detailed account about the event where each person gave me advice because I think it gives the advice context and depth but in order to preserve anonymity I will just list the things that I learned from all these good ole geezers.

• Find someone with similar interests with you. Whether it’s something like bird photography or yoga or any other niche little thing, I think having someone you can share these unique experiences and interests with is important.
• A person who you can laugh with is truly sweet or as one person put it, “someone you can talk sh*t to.” The two people who told me about this one would just clown on each other constantly and both would just laugh about it afterwards. The world seemed lighter being around them and their banter.
• Now this one was a bit more explicit but someone who you can link up with in bed in a cooperative and positive manner is apparently very important.
• Be real. Don’t try to be the cool guy. Know what you’re feeling and say how you feel.
• Find someone where you genuinely love the person that they are. 
• “Realize that all the sh*t you think is big in your twenties is little minor sh*t when you look back on it in your thirties.” Ex: “He wants to hang out with his friends tonight. Back then I would freak out and be all upset but now I’m like pushing him out the door to do it.”
• Get your heart broken as much as possible. As tough as it is in the moment, looking back on it you’ll realize it’s the times you grew most as a person and learned the most about yourself.
• Don’t forget your friends in a relationship. You should never have to ask for someone’s permission to hang out with your friends, especially not your significant other.
• “The second marriage is usually the right one.” (ain’t that encouraging?)
• Cherish the times you have away from that person. That’s the time you have to do something for yourself, like watching TV where you’re the one in control of the remote.
• Find someone who you want to take care of. People don’t stay healthy forever and being with someone whom you genuinely want to care for is special
• “Acknowledge and accept that every relationship is f***ed up.” Relationships are hard and they require work from both parties in order to succeed. 

I’ve used these blog posts as a medium to talk a lot about what I did this summer, people I met, things I learned, etc., and it’s all important. But one thing that is really, really important to me that I never went into is MUSIC! I discovered and rediscovered a ton of sweet tunes this summer so I’m dedicating this post to my 12 favorite songs from this summer. Why 12? I don’t know but it was too tough to cut the list down to 10. Each of these 12 were at some point either stuck in my head for elongated periods of time, on repeat throughout the summer, perfectly complemented a moment, or all of the above. I think each of them are worth checking out at some point. Enjoy.

1. My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me – Geto Boys
   • I really discovered this song this past spring but it’s so damn good that this classic 90s banger was played continuously throughout my summer. While I can’t relate to the Boys and their situations, as a person who frequently gets lost in his thoughts I definitely resonate with the song’s title and dominant hook: my mind is playing tricks on me. The song weaves through four different narratives each told by one of the Geto Boys. Some are comedic, some are real, all are dominated by an insanely strong and personalized flow and a consistently upbeat tempo. Just when you think the song is done Bushwick Bill comes in and keeps you going with his rugged voice for just one more verse. Definitely a classic.
2. Eat Your Heart Out – Hungry Kids of Hungary
   • I heard this song on my first day in Oregon. Catie and I were riding in Julia’s car on the way back from Newport and my iPod was on shuffle when this song came on. I can’t really explain what makes this song so distinctive and special to me. If it was played at another time on another day I might not have truly appreciated it. But that first guitar riff and its melancholic message perfectly complemented this chill drive with strangers who would very soon become friends.
3. Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head & Last Living Souls – Gorillaz
   • I put two songs for this one because they both were played in succession during a drive to Siskiyou National Forest. This was my first weekend in the South Coast and my roommate Brendan and I had only known each other for a total of two days but we decided to escape the wind and go camping for a night. While Brendan was driving, playing his chill tunes, “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head” came on. I can’t remember anymore if I had selected it, if he had, or if it just came on at random, but within seconds I was reminded just how incredible this story of a song was. In a desperate attempt to keep the vibe going, I randomly chose another song off Demon Days that I had never heard before. “Last Living Souls” was slow at first but thirty five seconds in I knew I had made the right choice.
4. Dope on a Rope – The Growlers
   • Now the Growlers are probably one of my favorite indie rock artists. Frontman Brooks Nielsen’s grainy, unconventional voice gives new meaning to every one of their songs. It’s no different with “Dope on a Rope.” The Growler’s album City Club was one of my favorites for the first half of the summer but this has to be the song that I would play constantly. I played it during Fourth of July when some of the South Coasters came over for burgers and it was the perfect ambience for such a day. Really pay attention to the bass line, like most Growlers songs it doesn’t follow a consistent rhythm. It’ll knock your socks off, trust.
5. Suburban Beverage – Real Estate
   • I relistened to Real Estate’s self-titled album while roaming around Battle Rock and the beach in Port Orford. I’m a huge lover of Real Estate but their first album never captured me the way their later ones have, so when I was looking for some chill music to accompany this relaxed yet adventurous-feeling jaunt I figured this might be the perfect time to get into it. Real Estate’s emphasis has never been on their lyrics or vocals and this trend is most obvious in their self-titled. This particular song’s only lyric is “Budweiser Sprite, do you feel alright?” and for 3 minutes the band just repeats this ambiguously nonsensical phrase until crescendoing into a 3 minute jam sesh of emotion-driven, lyric-devoid instrumentation that will just make you FEEL.
6. Sketch – Stereo MC’s
   • This groovy British hip-hop gem played on my way home from work on a Monday. I give attention to the day because Mondays are always those days where the routine seems so set in stone. In an attempt to escape this comfortable prison I put my iPod’s 15,911 songs on shuffle. I was blessed with Sketch, a 6 minute long groove cruise of British-accented flow, and I DUG it.
7. Secrets – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
   • I love 80s music. I like to think that I’m pretty versed in this unique musical era but OMD is a group that I did not even know existed until this summer. Based on the suggestion of a friend who was seeing them in concert I decided to give them a listen and god damn god damn, “Secrets” is so beautifully 80s electro-pop it makes me want to throw up. With a catchy synth riff, a theme that could have been taken directly out of a teenage girl’s diary, and a continuous, longing outcry from a female singer who most likely is wearing something studded with too many rhinestones, “Secrets” is an anthem and my favorite 80s song of the summer.
8. California – The Lagoons
   • Now of these 12 songs, this might have been the one that most suited the moment in which it was played. This moment occurred during the Mid-Summer Check-In. I had just gotten my full dose of the North Coaster’s lifestyle with a bonfire on the beach that was part of a goodbye party for a chill dude by the name of Brady. It was a beautifully memorable night shared with beautiful strangers that was concluded with a tight, illegal squeeze in Brady’s truck bed with people who were no longer just strangers. Combine the company, the night lights from the bay bridge, the Oregon beach breeze, and this sexy sax-filled song and you’ve got a liberatingly content moment out of a Stephen Chbosky novel. Shoutout to Sarah for being such a great DJ.
9.  ALL OF EVERYTHING NOW – Arcade Fire
   • Ok first off f*** the haters, this album is incredible. It’s not the Arcade Fire you’ve grown up with, it’s not the Arcade Fire you love, but it’s the Arcade Fire of today and I am fanboying HARD. I listened to this album three times within 12 hours. The first time I heard it I was at the Punchbowl trying to play putt putt as I danced along to the album. With every song that came on I thought “Wow, that was fantastic, it can’t possibly get better” but I am so happy to say that it did get better, and it got better and it got better and it got better and…(do I need to keep going?). The second time I heard Everything Now was the next morning at 7am when Catie and I drove up to Depoe Bay to go whale watching. I was so filled with joy to discover that my love of the album was still just as strong after a night of sleep. It made me even more happy to see that Catie was digging it just as much as much as I was. The third time I listened to it was that evening while cleaning my room. Nothing special, but still just as dope as the first two times.
10. Pyramids – Frank Ocean
    • Apparently it’s a sin if you didn’t fall in love with Channel Orange in high school. The first time I ever heard it was my junior year of college and I only really liked three songs off it so I’m basically the devil. But a week ago I needed to organize my negatives and I knew it was going to be a long and lonely process. So, I cracked open a cold one and threw on Frank’s Blonde. A few beers later and I had finished Blonde and started Channel Orange. The combination of repetitious work, booze, and Frank’s stories created a vibe that would get you ready to call up your ex. Pyramids nine minute ballad and its disgustingly encapturing transition really made me understand Frank’s music.
11.  Uncle John’s Band – The Grateful Dead
    • One of my goals this summer was to get into the Grateful Dead. My roommate Brendan is a Dead Head and he would make it a point to show me their music here and there. It took eight weeks but my eyes were finally opened on his last night in Coos Bae. As I sat in my room, a live version of this song played in the kitchen. I can’t describe exactly what set Uncle John’s Band apart from all the other Dead songs I’d heard before but it felt like I was listening to the Dead for the first time. Since then I’ve listened to their Blues for Allah and the song Shakedown Street (which I am in love with). If things keep up I may be a late bloomer to the Dead Head scene.
12. Young Folks – City of the Sun
    • I was so fortunate to have Catie as a co-worker. We carpooled for more than half the summer and with every drive we would listen to music. Let me tell you, her music taste is on point. This was the last song she suggested I listen to and it’s been playing at least three times a day for the past three days. Peter Bjorn & John are great and this is a truly creative and commemorative tribute to a classic.

“Cheers to the end of a great summer and a larger music library!” is what I would say if I didn’t have one last blog post to do. I’m an awful Scholar I know. Stay tuned.

Well this past week has been pretty eventful. On Friday, the event that had been looming over us since we began the program had finally come: the Final Symposium. And now that it’s done and all the stress and anxiety has been washed away, it was pretty sweet! As much stress and work goes into these kinds of things, it’s always very rewarding to share what you’ve been working on with your peers and colleagues and have them share their own work-babies with you. As much as I’m terrified of public speaking it was a good feeling to stand in front of the crowd and show them some of the images that we received for the Wild Rivers Coast Project. And it’s always fun to dress professional for a day! (only for a day though, that’s more than enough)

Happy Professional Dustin in his non-natural habitat

When I had first told friends from SoCal that I was going to be in Oregon for the summer many of them were quick to exclaim “I’m going to come visit you!” Well nine weeks later and not one friend has made it up here until now. On Wednesday night, one of my oldest friends came to visit me. I have known Jordan literally since I’ve been born. Our dads went to college together and their group of homies made it a point to raise all their kids together once they had them. Fast forward many, many years and you have nine intelligent, adventurous, and deliciously mixed brown adults. Jordan definitely embodies these adjectives. He graduated college Summa Cum Laude, is dedicating his life to public service, and has traveled much of the world, even living in Bolivia for a year teaching English to kids. He actually has been working a 9-5 for the past year but due to a lack of fulfillment decided to quit his job two weeks ago and is now starting a trip through the main 48 states. I was fortunate enough to be his first stop. And though we are very different in a lot of ways I love the guy to death and I’m so happy I got to spend some quality time with him for a few days. I wish I had had more time to show him the South Coast, but I’m very glad he got to accompany me on my adventures up north and that we could experience the eclipse together.

We played putt putt at Bandon Dunes and I got two holes in one and my highest score so far. Holla at cha boiii.

Eclipse photo feat. Zach’s trademarked eclipse photos

In addition to hanging with Jordan, I was able to have one final, elongated chillness with the North Coasters which was very swell. Jordan and I stayed at Hatfield on Friday and Saturday night (thanks Neil) and in Corvallis on Sunday night. During those days, we went to the beach, checked out the farmer’s market, ate some good food, checked out cute Newport shops, made Eclipse t-shirts, watched Game of Thrones, and juggled soccer balls. On top of that we all saw the eclipse which was INSANE. All in all, it was a great weekend shared with chill ass people, some whom I knew well, others who I didn’t at first but now I feel like I do. I didn’t get to hang out with these people as much as I would have liked this summer so I’m very happy this weekend happened. I will say it, North Coasters are a chill cohort. Now, I am tired and slowly trying not to accept that the program is coming to a close so I’m going to slide into bed. Night.

TOTALITY

Eclipse squad feat. Jordan’s face

Unrelated to everything I talked about but Zach thought this sleeping bag made him look like Jon Snow so I kind of have to show him and the world how false that statement was.

So to contrast my last post about two incredibly sweet, adventure-filled weekends, I am going to write about the lazy, content slug-state that I have been in for these past two weekends. However to make up for this lack of excitement, I will be posting film photos from the weekend with Justin and Erik that I just recently got developed!

Sunset at Samuel Boardman

If you read any of this blog you may have seen that some of the Scholars went to Crater Lake a couple weekends ago. I was hoping to go and join in on the camaraderie but unfortunately my mental health wasn’t too great at the time. I was stressed and anxious and I just did not feel like I had a lot of time to myself, especially given the hustle and bustle of the last two weekends. So, I opted out of the trip and decided to stay in Coos Bay. Now let me tell you, as an individual who is 90% extrovert and has a very severe case of FOMO, this was a difficult decision to make. On top of that, I was bummed out that I would be missing out on chances to experience these beautiful places with these people that I am fortunate enough to be placed in a program with and who(m) I may never see again till who knows when. I’m a big believer in the notion that people make experiences meaningful. Whether a person is chill or not so chill, they have a story and being able to know just a part of it, or even play a small part in that story, is something that I find is the absolute best part about being human. So yes, it was tough to say no. But, I am very happy I did because I had a fantastically simple time here in the Bae.

Harris Beach

On Friday (last, last weekend) I drove down to Port Orford after work so that I could do a kayaking tour that Dave Lacey had invited me to. Well it turns out that when a person invites you to a 7:30 kayaking tour, they mean AM, not PM. So, rather than sulk around feeling stupid about this horrible miscommunication I contacted Rowland Willis (one of the photographers we work with) and his wife Christie. They took me on a lovely little hike at Coos Head and I got to see a Peregrine falcon baby and its momma! I also found a hat on the trail that I am just in love with (still haven’t washed it though)  ((yes, I am dirty and gross)). But yeah, time spent with Rowland and Christie is always nice because they just are two chillsters from a totally different generation coming from a totally different place. They said they would adopt me if I need them too which I think is pretty damn sweet. I really hope to see them again before I leave here.

Fishing in Brookings

On Saturday, I woke up early and went to church. A little background on myself you might not know, I was raised Seventh-day Adventist and pretty much grew up going to church every Saturday till I left for college. If you don’t know the religion, which I’d say 4 out of 5 people generally don’t, you should look it up. Honestly, pretty culty and unusual sounding to an outsider (myself included) but they have a few pretty neat beliefs and they follow a strict diet, so much so that Loma Linda, the Adventist capital of the world, is listed as one of the four Blue Zones in the world (a Blue Zone is where the oldest people in the world live). One of those neat beliefs is the Sabbath. Adventists really take the Fourth Commandment to heart, believing that God created the world in six literal days and that he rested on the seventh. Since I was born I was never allowed to do homework, go shopping, watch Saturday morning cartoons, or anything else that wasn’t seen as “honoring God” on the Sabbath aka Saturday. Even after I gave up on religion I still try not to do work on the Sabbath. No studying, no stress, no nothing. I definitely do not keep it holy like my parents had raised me to do, but I try to refrain from falling into the rhythms of other institutions by just doing me and forgetting about anything that would normally cause me stress during the week. While people might not see it as the most productive of lifestyles, I think it grounds me and gives me some air to get some perspective on why I do all the junk that I’ve got to do as a student, son, employee, and friend, so that I can continue to do them efficiently for the next six days.

When you see it…

All that being said, Coos Bay has an Adventist church here and I told myself I would check it out. Now that I had a free weekend I finally did, and it was pretty nice actually. I walked in and sat in the pews while waiting for the service to start. Within minutes an old dude with a Hawaiian shirt walked over and greeted me. His name was William and he was a 65 year old surfer dude from Corona, CA. We talked about outdoor recreation and how surfing has changed in Oregon over the years, how California has too many people, and more insignificantly chill subjects. It was nice. During the service a woman talked about how her friend’s mother, after three years of being labeled as “Missing” had finally been found. The woman said that in everything that happens, we have to remember that things don’t unfold on our time, they happen on God’s time. And though my own relationship with God is pretty damn dicey, this statement comforted me. It’s comforting to know that the things we want to achieve as soon as possible might not be what we need in the moment. Maybe we all need a little more time to reflect on what we actually have in order to truly appreciate what is going to be given to us in the future. Who knows, who even cares, my mind can go all day with this. That being said, the sermon was just awful. A woman talked for wayyyy too long about miracles in the form of receiving money so I left early and got German food. The day was followed by a stroll downtown, a Disney movie binge (Lizzie McGuire movie, Zootopia (which you have to see if you haven’t already), and Atlantis), as well as a very pleasant nap. All in all, it was a very Happy Sabbath, and while I did nothing of real significance in comparison to the sites I could have been seeing, I don’t regret a single thing.

The Sexiest Man on the Chetco

This weekend was also very lazy and laid back. On Friday, I participated in the Coos Bay Wine Walk with Julia and Katie. Crazily enough, during the walk I ran into a guy I used to play flag football with in seventh grade. That’s probably number three on my list of random encounters/coincidences I have experienced in my life. After the Wine Walk, I went bar hopping with a few friends who I rock climb with. It was a glorious night filled with beer, fantasized business talk, and giant Jenga. I went to bed at 1:30 that night but my sleep was short-lived. I woke up at 5:30 to drive down to Port Orford with Catie so that we could kayak, and I am so happy that I went because it was sweet!! For three hours we paddled along the coast, going through caves and crevices, chewing on various kelp species, seeing river otters and harbor seals and birds of all sorts. Definitely was better than church last week. The rest of the day consisted of a two and a half hour nap and Pulp Fiction at the local movie theater with my roommate Brendon. I have seen that film tons of times; it’s one of my favorites from one of my favorite directors. But seeing that movie in the theaters just blew my mind. It was like I had seen it for the first time and I could not have been more satisfied with a movie going experience. On top of that, tickets were $5! Bless up, for sure.

Dead Harbor seal in Brookings. Poor thing.

Well I’ve rambled on plenty again, but let me take this time to say that I’m a bit of a scumbag and didn’t post last week so expect to see another post by myself later this week (fingers crossed) detailing what I’ve been doing at work and such.

Here’s to the next three weeks! (Photo taken by the talented Catie)

Well I am extremely late on posting this but here’s a bit about my past two weekends, both which turned out to be a couple of the summer’s best so far. My experience with two professional photographers happened on that first weekend, July 13-16, while the second weekend (July 20-23) was highlighted by the Mid-Summer Camping trip.

Friday morning (7/14) started early at 4:45am. Catie and I drove down to Secret Beach in Brookings and met up with Dave Lacey of South Coast Tours LLC where we were joined by Holly and Scott, two experienced paddleboarders and soon to get some experience in modeling, and later Justin and Erik. Justin and Erik arrived later than anticipated because the lighting wasn’t as great as they had hoped (it was extremely foggy). They rolled up fashionably late in their fancy SUV, drinking their fancy Dutch Bros Coffee. They were obviously hot shot professionals. Well, it turns out these hot shot professionals were some of the nicest, coolest people you could find in Oregon. Erik was a big, bearded, refreshingly sarcastic whale-lover who’s casualness about his life made for great conversation and even greater stories. Justin was a very tall, very young-looking father who just fit the role of the quintessential photographer. I could tell his role as a father was imbedded in his identity when he told me that I made him nervous when I got too close to the cliff edge. Both men were funny, kind, and patient, and they both answered the disgustingly numerous questions I had for them about photography. They definitely made the weekend special, that’s for sure. Anyways, after a respectfully reserved introduction not typical of myself, we stood around discussing possible options due to the poor lighting. The conversation was casual and light-hearted, and I remember laughing a fair amount despite the lack of sleep and caffeine. We ended up deciding that paddle-boarding was still an option so we made the trek down to Secret Beach, which I should mention is soooo much easier going down than up. At the beach, Holly, Justin, Dave, and Justin hopped on the paddleboards while Catie and myself stayed around shooting on the shore with Erik. I can’t remember much about those conversations or what we did exactly but I remember feeling content – it was the earliest morning I’d had since coming to Oregon and I was spending it on this peacefully eerie foggy beach with a friend and a stranger, just taking photos. Only thing that could’ve made it better would have been a cup of coffee in my hand, but hey I was chill without it.

Morning Paddle-boarding at Secret Beach

After the beach shoot, we all were starving so we headed to a place to get brunch. Lemme tell you, brunch was a BLESSING. It is rare for me to finish everything off my plate but I did not leave a single thing on my plate (okay I left a piece of toast but that doesn’t really count). It was just nice to have a cup of coffee, a hot plate, and a good amount of laughs with all these chill new friends. Even though I was slowed down with all this food in me, the day did not slow down. Immediately, we drove inland to the Chetco River in hopes of clearer skies (we were successful!). We got to a place called Elephant Rock right on the river and there we cliff jumped into the perfectly temped water while Erik and Justin constantly snapped photos. After that we finally got a bit of a break while Erik and Justin headed back to their hotel to download their photos so Catie and I headed to the beach. While I took a nap underneath the still grey sky Catie walked around taking photos of birds. Guys, I was pooped. Like seriously so damn tired. I was the driver that day and after an early start, late coffee, a fat meal, and cliff jumping I was ready to rest eternally in Nap Heaven. And let me tell you, that was one of the best naps I’ve had in a loooong minute. Not only was I dreaming and hallucinating like crazy but when I woke up an hour later the sky was completely sunny! It was a night and day difference from when my eyes closed and when they opened, and it was a sight for sure. The sun was blazing down, people were walking up and down the beach, and the birds were flying about, enjoying themselves as they dipped in and out of the water. Nothing else to say except that it was beautifully perfect.

Elephant Rock on the Chetco River

After checking out the dead Harbor Seal, Catie and I met up with the gang and we walked along the pier, checking out a restaurant or two, while Erik and Justin’s shutters sound all the while. During that time, we went to a restaurant/bar called Fat Irish where the beer is poured from the bottom of the glass. I couldn’t explain really how it’s done but it’s unique because this pouring method uses more of the beer within the keg than a standard pour method to a substantially significant percentage. Well, with that information we all had to have a beer (strictly for photography purposes of course). I got this beer called the Shark Bite and it was cider with Guinness. Dankness confirmed. After that Erik and Justin needed to break for dinner so we separated again. Dave, Catie, and I went back to Fat Irish and ate together. It was real nice to connect with these two individuals over cold beer and hot Rueben’s. I guess now’s as good a time as any to give a shoutout to Dave for being so hospitable and friendly and fun to Catie and I. Seriously without him this weekend would not have been as cheap, as enjoyable, let alone possible. So, Catie and I dipped out after dinner and we had about a half hour or so to kill before we had to meet up with Erik and Justin again so what do we do? Visit California, of course! Yup, we mobbed down that 101 and gave a quick “What’s good!” to the best place in the world (I’m sorry y’all but it’s true and we all know it). It was a weird mix of satisfaction and disappointment at knowing that I was the closest to home, family, and friends than I’d been in four weeks and that I wouldn’t be that close again for another six weeks.

*Welcome Home

Well Catie and I hoped back in the whip and we met up with Erik and Justin at Samuel Boardman State Park. On that cliff we all enjoyed the setting of the sun whilst snapping photos. But once the sun started making it’s way over the horizon everyone stopped taking photos. We all just stood there and stared silently. That’s the thing about sunsets, they’re religious. You’ve gotta be respectful of it. Well, the “work” day was all but done now that the light was gone so we said bye to Justin and Erik and made our way back up to Port Orford to start the process over again the next day….    

Well, I’ve rambled on plenty about the sweet stuff I experienced in just one day and I’m extremely blessed to say there have been many like that in the past two weekends so instead of writing novels for all these other dope days and decimating the number of followers of this blog I’m just going to write three bullet point highlights for each day. Hope this little teaser will be enough to provide some context as to what the overall vibe and take away was for the day.  

Photographers Justin, Erik, and myself

Thursday 7/13 (day before this Friday)

• Did a morning run on the Battle Rock beach. Even took a couple of dips in the cold water.
• Walked around town checking out shops. Bought my new favorite jacket for $3.50 and met a toothless 15 year old kitty named Olivia.
• Hiked Humbug Mountain State Park with Catie and a photographer named Rowland and his wife Christie. Lovely people.

Catie, Rowland, and myself

sweet ole Olivia

Saturday 7/15

• Paddle-boarded twice: Hunter Creek in the morning and Secret Beach in the evening. I went traversed a cave in a sea stack!
• Climbed to a lowkey precarious rock to get a great view of Harris Beach State Park.
• Drank a brew during a lil fishing escapade.

Thursday 7/20

• Checked out Newport’s Bayfront with Julia and Catie. Super cute but where’s the wifi at?
• Took a WONDERFUL 2 hour nap
• Joined the North Coast Scholars and the REU’s for a bonfire on South Beach to send off a chill dude named Brady. Rode to and from the beach on the back of his pick up truck. It was special for sure.

Friday 7/21

• Woke up early and did a yoga class with the K(C)atie’s and Julia, followed by a grandiose breakfast at PigNPancake.
• Spent some much needed quality time with the other Scholars around the campfire.
• Tried to go herping in the creek that night but I didn’t find any herps, just some big slugs, a sweet white moth, some odonata nymphs, crawdads, some petable fish, and soaked clothes.

Saturday 7/22

• Cliff jumped into Tamolitch Blue Pool.
• Checked out an awesome waterfall whose name I can’t remember.
• Played Knock You Down by Keri Hilson in the car. It was lit.

highlight of the week: meeting Frank

This week really flew by. I don’t know if it was because of July 4 or because I finally feel established here but it just seemed like everything was a blur. My weekdays have just morphed together to become some depressingly adult blend of waking up early, making myself breakfast and lunch, driving to work, working, working, working, driving home, then doing stuff of which has no real significance because I have to wake up at 7 again the next day (more like 7:20 because of all the ‘snoozes’). I say of no real significance not because it really has no significance but more so because I’m a night owl whose inspiration and work ethic are at its peak at 2am. So considering I am a very nap-loving human being who needs at least 6 hours of rest to not set up shop underneath his office desk like George Costanza, I must go to bed well before I can blossom into the sleep-deprived individual who I was born to be.

Despite this lack of energy and sense of accomplishment outside the workplace, within the workplace I am inspired! On Monday, we didn’t go into the office but got work done at the college’s library instead. There, Miles had Catie and I make a very detailed outline for this summer. The document is extremely thorough and literally covers every day of the internship along with what we plan on doing those days, meetings scheduled, and the amount of hours dedicated to each task. While it was pretty overwhelming to create such a future-oriented plan (I can barely even plan what I’ll be eating for dinner some days) it definitely made things clearer as to what I will be doing this summer and the skills that I’ll be taking away once I head back to San Diego. And I can happily say that I am excited! However, this excitement did not hit immediately but rather built up as the week progressed. Various meetings, daily duties, talks with Miles, and my own observations of the South Coast have not only opened my eyes to the various issues and things that are trying to be accomplished here, but it’s helped me understand where I may be able to fit into it all. I know I’m only an intern but there’s just so much potential for change and progress and it’s just really neat to be a part of it all.

I’ve been thinking of whether I would move here if I had a job lined up for me. I know it’s rash and maybe unrealistic to think I could get a job position out of this but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with fantasizing about the future. So with that being said, I’ve been fantasizing! I’ve just been imagining if I could see myself living in such a small place like this. I drive around the town, staring at the stores as they pass by just wondering “Would I be cool with this being my life?” I’m enjoying the work and I think there’s a lot of potential for growth, both in this position and the South Coast community in general, and that’s neat, but it seems scary to think I may one day uproot myself from California. But hey, I figure there’s no point in getting too invested in fantasies so I’m just gonna enjoy these next 7 weeks here and live as if I was living here.

In other news, on Friday, Catie and I went to the beach to take photos of people kayaking. We also got to kayak ourselves which was awesome. It was definitely a surreal experience to just paddle out and gradually hear the voices on the beach drown out. After that we enjoyed an incredible seafood barbecue, adorable dogs, good company, and country music. I went to the Oregon Country Fair in Eugene this weekend. My roommate Brendon and I drove up on Saturday and met up with some of his homies who joined our party. The fair was interesting to say the least. I have never seen so many painted boobs in my life, that’s for sure. That was my first real taste of Eugene and I can confirm, it’s a beautiful town. But as sweet as my weekend was, it was very relieving to finally see the Coos Bay bridge, it was a very home-y sight.