The Hallie E. Ford Center grand opening is tomorrow at 3:30 on the corner of 26th and Campus Way. Please come for a short program, followed by tours of the building and light finger food and refreshments.
Grand Opening
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Seek Within
There’s something humbling, enlightening, personally special about traveling — especially adventuring alone. I’ve tried to pinpoint the reason it is this way, but it still eludes me. I can’t put my finger on it, but I can sketch the ideas that surround it.
Traveling is healing. Mentally, you are pursuing a desire to discover, and essentially you are indulging in a luxury. To travel and follow a craving to explore, you are testing yourself. I think the feeling of need to adventure on your own stems from a subconscious achievement of readiness. You are ready to physically set about. You are psychologically prepared to seek what’s mostly unknown. You are responsible in the commencement of your travel, yet you are heavily resistant to deterrents. It just feels right, and you are determined to follow through because you know you want this feeling of accomplishment. It’s this that heals you.
Heals you from what? Heals you from losing yourself — heals you from all the days you failed to recognize your next step in life — all the days you don’t enrich who you are and push for what you want from yourself.
This solo trip to Grants Pass — easily dismissed as just a hangout with friends. But I look at it as more. I feel like I’m just testing the waters. I’m indulging in this personal adventure to acknowledge readiness for the next phase… And this phase is my internship abroad. I hope it works out, but I have a higher preferred option that could possibly keep me nested happily at the Hallie Ford Center. It’s nice to be developing not just one plan, but two solid options.
I have heard from many people. They say if you have the opportunity to travel — take it, for you might not get another chance. I pass this on to you now.
This road trip I’ve taken… Now I want more. It kind of makes me long for summer break to start over again — maybe do things differently. Maybe a drive to California (scary driving!) or just take myself somewhere. But, then again, if we always dream of doing things over, we’ll forget to live the dreams yet to come. Let’s move forward.
Onward We Fall
In about a month classes begin again. I have never been more eager for this time to come. I usually hang onto every last minute of summer, but this time it’s so different.
Working indoors from 8:30 to 5 every weekday, I suffer when I’m not outside. I crave to have the sun shine on me and to enjoy the relaxation it brings. I miss the people about, and the hangouts with friends. But I have also come to look past this and to realize how fantastic these near three months have been.
Work has not only been awesome, but also inspirational. In our everyday lives we get in sort of a rut when we travel the same path too long. And for me that path was school and unemployment. It has been pretty much the same thing every day. Classes, hang out, study a bit, hang with friends, bed, repeat. I mean I had great times with friends and all, but in general it has been the same routine. At first it’s really nice and feels great to live like that, but over time you don’t realize how much it brings you down. Working has completely reignited me — and I think this fall term at school will be the best ever.
And as for this season, I really don’t know how to explain why I crave the cooler crispness of fall. I just think about sweatshirts, hoodies, falling leaves of all sorts of colors, people on campus, coffee, tea, hanging out at a café, reading, working, applying myself. It just sounds so inviting. I think this is one of the rare summers where I can actually say I feel I made the most of it — and we’re not even done yet! There’s the road trip to Grants Pass this weekend, maybe a family outing, our grand opening at the Hallie Ford Center — who knows what else is in store! I think I am simply content with the way things are and am confident in the way they will continue to progress.
Onward we fall, in just a month, to another stage of our lives — where people return, the lights go on, and we get down to work and to building memories. I am so ready to make this the best.
Image provided by Oregon State University
This for Granted
The sun in your eyes, the sunglasses you left at home. The warmth. The very moment you close your eyes. The breath, the saccharine summer air. The walk, the people about. The bicycles, the kids, the runners, the smiles. The distant music, the green trees. A wave hello, an echo of friendly laughter.Why do we wonder if the glass is half full? Why do we care if it’s half empty? Love what you have, for every drop in my glass I am grateful.
For what you don’t understand, you whine. Toss and turn, a vision of plague through sleep and wake. Out of your mind, unable to find contentment. It controls, throws, hurts you off guard. Emotion, sicker than any dizzying ride. Make it stop, make it stop. Stand up, think straight. Straight is not forward. Straight is right… right where you want to be. For what you don’t understand, be forgiving, and breath easy. When we make things so complex, it becomes negative. Keep things natural, and the simplest of matters will take you so far.
Always thrive as who you are, but never drown in your own existence.
Group Therapy
Last weekend I was shopping at Borders to use up my remaining balance in gift cards before their stores close down completely. I really didn’t know what to get. I’m not a huge book person — and usually when I am shopping for a book I know which exact one I want and I always shop around for the best price. I was just wrapping up my meander around the store when I saw it sitting abandoned on a CD rack — Group Therapy by Above & Beyond. I instantly knew this was my purchase. I checked iTunes and also calculated the final Borders price after the liquidation discount. I would be paying about $1 more at Borders to have this physical CD. I was sold.
I have been a pretty loyal listener of Above & Beyond’s music. I know the artist voices and know immediately when I hear just a fraction of a song playing. It has been a while, however, since I have invested in more of Above & Beyond’s discography, so I figured I would give Group Therapy a go. The last purchase I made from them was, in fact, my all-time favorite album — Sirens of the Sea by spin-off artist OceanLab. I knew Above & Beyond had released Group Therapy as I have received the updates on Facebook, but for some reason I never really pursued the album.
I am so glad I made this purchase. Not only does it feel fantastic to have a physical CD and tri-fold case, but I really love these new tracks. It’s been a little less than a week and I’ve only had a couple days to listen to the songs but they are already implanted in my mind. I have great favorites — but in general it is a solid vocal trance album worth purchasing.
Be Change
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Remember that it is possible to make your own way, if you’re brave enough and are willing to not just embrace change but be change.
Beautiful
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Studio Monroe has gone back to basics! Even premium themes weren’t cutting it for my standards — too many finicky matters to deal with and not enough elegance and simplicity. So, here we are, suited up in a helluva sleek theme. It makes Studio Monroe better than ever.
