Overwhelmed

So, my blogs have been pretty positive so far. Well, let's even that out. I am overwhelmed. I am not so sure if it is great to be overwhelmed during the first few days of class or not. In the back of my mind, I know that things will iron out. But, right now, I feel like I am trying to juggle a million things at the same time - 17 grad credits, my TA-ship, the potential AmeriCorps position I want to do (10ish hours/week), wanting to be a SARC advocate (Student Assault Resource Center). Rahhh. I feel good about a few things, which is a positive. I feel comfortable with the campus and with my classes. It is just when all the classes mesh together that I think I am overwhelmed. I feel good about the gym on campus, which I definitely have not utilized as a stress release yet. I feel good about the people I have met and the relationships I have formed, and I know they are all feeling similar right now. I feel good about this city, this university, and the decision I made to come here. I feel good about everything that is around me--the people, the nature, the activities. I feel good about being able to pick up the phone and call home to family or friends, who I know will listen to me blab on and on about how tough it is or how fun it is (depending on the day). So, I guess I should be looking up. I hope by the end of the first two weeks of school, it will all come into place. And I know that I just put absolutely too much pressure on myself to do everything at one time and to be perfect and to understand everything and to excel. Maybe I should stop. But on the other hand, I think this is what drives me to succeed. But how do I know when I'm putting too much pressure on myself? Well, I will try to stay sane, but in the meantime...there is reading to do, applications to fill out, schedules to make, and letters to write. I hope you all are great! Well, thanks guys for listening.

Pictures from Glacier & Potluck

These are pictures to go along with the post below...so read the story first and then come back and check out the pictures!

At Becca's Birthday Potluck...from R to L - me, Becca, Julia, Kendra, Lindsay, Laura (in front)

Performing duct-tape surgery on my almost-brand-new Teva's

Lindsay giving professional medical care to Kendra's ankle

Lake Avalanche - check out the waterfall in the distance and the crystal blue water

Possibly the coolest tree ever

Our "wild" game of Texas Hold 'Em Poker

Me checking out an inlet to Lake McDonald

Lindsay & Julia hiking along Lake McDonald

Tent City...recovery area from the forest fires

I'm still here!!! Camping at Glacier...

Hokay. So, you may believe that I have been swallowed by a bear in Glacier park, fell into the river in Missoula, or just plain got whisked off of the planet. Well, fortunately, none of that has happened. I am still alive, very much breathing and having a pulse. Lucky you! That means you get an update! And since I wrote last, there is so much that has happened. Where to start?


Well, since Thursday, I have been sick-ish. I add the "ish" because I have not been inhibited from doing any of my normal activities, but have just mostly been super uncomfortable and have been trying to figure it out. It all started Thursday when I was reading this absolutely horrible and just painfully excruciating article that we were supposed to read for our grant-writing and negotiating class. At first, it was a headache...solution: ibuprofen. An hour later, it was a migraine (ow!)...solution: Excedrin Migraine. Yes, I'm sure my stomach was really happy. I was debating whether or not to go to Becca's Birthday Potluck that night because I just felt so nauseous and gross. (Sorry for the details...but they help convey the story more vividly). Anyways, so I ended up going but developing this heartburn/stomach-thing that I have had since then. What is up with that? I have not been able to get rid of it, but I am thinking it may be stress-related. Hopefully it will calm down once classes begin. Boo. But, anyways, it is manageable-ish.

So, I ended up going to the potluck, and it was such a good time. I got there, and Becca challenged me, "Lynn, you have to meet 5 new people...GO!". Oh gosh, the anxiety. However, throughout the night, we ended up meeting lots of nice people and had a really good time. My spinach dip was a hit! Although I am starting to think that our food in Wisconsin is not so sophisticated....this food at this potluck was amazing. I honestly did not even know what half of it was (because it was actually healthy-ish)! But it was all so good. Another very cool and interesting element at the potluck was the dogs. Dogs get treated so differently out here! They are like part of the family, whereas at home, they are usually the "pet". (Sorry, Derby...but it's the truth). Dogs go everywhere here! Outside of any building, there are usually a few dogs just chilling and waiting for their owners to return....at home, there would be fear of a bite, and then with a bite comes a lawsuit, etc. etc. etc. Anyways, at this potluck, there were about four dogs that were so funny! They kept wrestling with each other, but one dog was just not having it. They all varied in age from puppy to old, but their personalities were really evident as well. I guess you had to be there, and my explanation really does not help you picture it, but just imagine that there were dogs running everywhere and playing (just like little kids do at family functions). All-in-all, the potluck was great, and I hope Becca enjoyed her birthday!

Friday night, we headed to the Kettlehouse for a small social gathering...which then turned into a much longer social gathering that we were not anticipating. However, we only live once. We went to the Old Post, where we enjoyed a platter of goat cheese dip (amazing). Did I mention how wonderful the food is here??? Oh goodness. Then, we went to see a band at the Union Club, and the band was so much fun! I couldn't quite place the type of music that it was, but it seemed to be a cross between country, rock, swing, and bluegrass. We definitely danced a little bit, and I even learned some swing dance moves from Kendra. This is when I realize that I actually have no rhythm. But hey, it was fun! Becca and I rode our bikes home that night, and it is quite the obstacle to try to avoid all of Missoula's potholes in the dark. And Brrrr, was it cold! I had dressed anticipating that I was going to bike home around 8:00...and instead, it ended up being about midnight. Brr.

Saturday morning, we all headed to Glacier National Park for some sightseeing, hiking, and camping. What an adventure! Because we have our cabin up north now and my summers just seem to get so busy, I forget how much I truly enjoy camping. The drive to Glacier is about 2 1/2 hours, and it is such a beautiful ride. The highway is surrounded by mountains the entire way there, and the best part is when the car comes over a crest and overlooks Flathead Lake, which is a huge lake set in the valley of several mountains. It is amazing. Anyways, I still wasn't feeling good on the drive up, so Lindsay graciously offered to drive. Secretly, I believe she was dying to experience the power of Jenna the Jetta.

We arrived at Glacier and headed to Avalanche Campground to find a campsite. After setting up our tents, we went out for a hike to Avalanche Lake. This was quite the eventful hike. My Teva's (the shoes that I absolutely love and was so pumped to get...oh yeah, that I've only worn about four times) broke on the hike! The left back-strap pulled out of its stitches. We did some quick duct-tape surgery (Julia saved the day with her wicked outdoors skills....she worked in a wilderness therapy program for teens) and thought I had it all patched up. Well, five minutes later, the back-strap snapped again. This time, I just decided to walk without a backstrap. It was all good. Well, a few minutes later, Kendra started slowing down and looking at her foot. She had accidentally hit her foot on a rock, and all of a sudden it was the size of a grapefruit! Once again, thank goodness Julia brought her wilderness survival skills....Kendra elevated the ankle, we threw a cold water bottle on it, and also Julia tied her bandana around it for pressure. She even did these really medical tests, like feeling for ankle-pulse and circulation in the feet (there is a name for it...but yes, I forgot). Anyways, Kendra and Lindsay stayed back on the trail while Laura, Autumn, Julia, and I headed on the rest of the hike to Avalanche Lake. Poor gals! The lake was absolutely amazing, though. One end was basically a huge dam with old trees and logs piled, while the other end was crystal blue water. There were glaciers in the background with a huge waterfall tumbling down the mountain. Amazing. We headed back to meet the other gals so we could go back to the campsite. Kendra's foot was still pretty swollen, but she took every precaution and walked back slowly.

We went for dinner because of our lack of stove for camping, and definitely all were really tired from the long day of driving and hiking. After din-din, we played a wild game of Texas Hold 'Em Poker (and by wild, I mean not wild at all) and headed to bed. Unfortunately, across the street was a very "nice" group of frat-type persons that were loud and obnoxious until about 4:00 AM, who obvoiusly forgot that a campground probably has children around that have not heard many of the words and phrases they were expresssing. How lovely.

Sunday, we packed up camp and headed for the trail to Fish Lake. Hmmm. Fish Lake??? Well, we never found the sign or the trail. Instead, we did a hike to John's Lake, which was...eh, okay. We were on a horse trail with many horse "reminders" and lots of dust. Unfortunately, I found myself at the back of the group and coincidentally, with tons of dust on me. We reached John's Lake though, and it was not nearly as striking as Avalanche Lake, but it was doable. After John's Lake, we headed down to an inlet to Lake McDonald and then hiked back on the beach. We went around a gate that said "Do not block access". To us, this does not mean "Do not trespass". No, no. Simply, it means, "Do not block access." We quietly went around the sign and walked along the beach. When we stumbled upon a boarded-up cabin, we thought perhaps we were not supposed to be there, but kept trekking on. Eventually, we found some other cabins and walked up the driveways to the main road. Well, on the way out, we quietly passed signs that said, "Private Property. No Trespassing." Hmm. Well, we didn't see the signs until the way out, so we were okay. Nobody chased us with shotguns or anything, so we survived.

Anyways, we met everyone else and headed back to Missoula after grabbing lunch. On the way back along Hwy 93, the fires were really evident. The smoke was bumbling over the highway, and you could definitely see spots of smoke from the forest. We passed a huge evacuation area as well (aka a fire base, possibly?). These fires definitely take a toll on a lot of peoples' lives!

Anyways, so today was my first day of "real" class at the University of Montana. Hmm...however, it was only one class that did not start until 4:00. My counseling theory class seems like it will be a lot of fun - the professor seems great, the workload does not seem impossible, and I feel like I will learn a lot. Awesome.

We also had a chance to work on our group Fulbright grant today to toss around our ideas. We are thinking of applying for a group study/research grant, which will allow us to study a particular region for 3-12 months for research purposes. So, today just involved some brainstorming. We have no clue if we will be able to finish the application on time, much less even be able to get the grant, but it is worth a shot. We have thought up a couple ideas, which include studying youth development and possibly the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in either Ethiopia or Bhutan. We seem to have extensive contacts in both countries (through professors and the university). We will be running our ideas past our professor tomorrow, and we'll see how feasible they are!

Anyways, so that's my l-o-n-g update! Sorry for all the reading! I will be posting pictures, but will do them in a separate post, because the formatting gets goofy!

Peace & Love

I just get so excited about this stuff!

Alright, I've had some very exciting things going on (well, I find them exciting!) and also, I am postponing my reading that I have to do for tomorrow...so I thought I would write them down.

Our group has decided to courageously apply for a group Fulbright travel grant for 2008. Basically, last year's cohort applied to do research and study in Cambodia and Laos in order to develop curriculum plans to teach about Eastern Asian and Hmong culture in schools in Montana. Well, they didn't get the grant, but when the grant committee reviewed their proposal, they sent a "Why they didn't get the grant" summary. So, what we are planning on doing is taking this same idea, revising the proposal, and resubmitting. However, the deadline for the grant is Oct. 4th, which is - yikes - only a little over a month away. We are going to work out the details yet, but it sounds like an awesome opportunity to get some real-life grant-writing skills and also the possibility of doing research in southeast Asia. So, good-bye social life!

Also, I am so excited to have discovered a different health-related course to take. I was planning on taking Intro to Epidemiology (the study of diseases, how they spread, where they come from, etc.) as a way to prepare me for my Master's of Public Health that I want to earn sometime down the road. However, it is an online course, and I was worried about the practicality of it, da da da. So, with the help of my classmates (two of which are also taking this other course), I have been introduced to Health and Human Performance 485: "Theories of Health Behavior and Counseling". Cool. How practical. I hope through taking this course, I will be able to apply much of what I am learning to my international work and doing healthwork somewhere in there. Anyways, can't wait to start school.

And also, potluck tonight = I need to read my assignment now, because I've been on the phone with Alison for the last hour. Fun times, but haha now I will employ my speed reading skills!

A day off

We had a day off! Not that I would ever want a day off from school, but it was nice and relaxing. The whole day was really wierd in that it really felt like a weekend because we were actually out doing stuff! Well, last night, our group ended up staying out until about 1:30 just talking, laughing, writing on chalkboards in the women's bathroom, etc. (yes, there are chalkboards in the bathroom stalls at Charlie B's - groovy). So, because of the late night, I was inclined to sleep in this morning. However, because I could not stop thinking about my laundry - nightmares, actually - I was pulled from my bed before the alarm even went off in order to get to the laundry room. How efficient...I balanced the laundry with a shower and reading for class - nice, Lynn.

Anyways, after that I headed out on my bike to hit the credit union on campus before going to Out to Lunch (lunch-music festival downtown). Lucky, lucky me...campus was swarmed with freshmen who were there for orientation! Ohhh, those kids...okay, I really should have joined them because they will probably come out of their day with a lot more knowledge of the campus than I have currently. Oh well...one of these days though, I have to jump on a campus tour with those high schoolers to figure out where all the buildings are. Or, I'll just look at a map.

So, I went to Out to Lunch and did some awesome people watching. The interpretive dancers were there again, but not quite in full force as last time. There must have been a shortage of drugs today. There were hacky-sackers to watch, families, food vendors, etc. - so much fun. I met Kendra, Lindsay, and Laura there as well, and none of them would agree to finish my huge mound of nachos that I had bought...and thus, they went to waste. But, they were good while they lasted.

Then, the highlight of the day! Since it was such a gorgeous day and we've been meaning to get out hiking, we did a short jaunt up the Clark Fork River. Yes, (mom, you are right) it was a "wussy" hike, but hey, it was beautiful. The trail is a flat trail along the river, but we ventured off onto the shores and the fun part was finding our way back! Either way, we saw some gorgeous sights (okay, I've seen them before...get over it). The weather was beautiful, though! The warmth from the sun caused my jeans to be a little too heavy, but I survived. Gosh, I love my Tevas.

View of the Clark Fork River and Mount Sentinel


Kendra and I posing for a picture


Laura and Kendra deciding where to go next

After the nice hike, I headed back home for some R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N. I feel like I've been "Go, go, go" for the past week! Okay, although apparently my definition of relaxation involves making spinach dip for tomorrow night's potluck (Thanks, Janet, for the great recipe) and reading material for class tomorrow and Friday. Fun times, fun times. Oh, also relaxation includes updating my blog. What would I do without it? Well, the answer would be "actually get my homework done" but we'll just pretend that I typed that in invisible ink.

Peace everyone!

Class, class, class!

So, school has started (well, not officially), and I find myself actually busy! Who would've thunk? And PS, I love school. I may officially be a nerd, but hey, I have learned to accept it and really shine as a nerd.

Sunday night, we were all invited to a potluck at two of our professors' house (they're married...to each other), where we met a few other students from past cohorts and two that have already graduated from the program. And also (sidenote...but this is really important), it rained!!! I wasn't excited about the rain per se, but just about the fact that the rain pushed some of the smoke out of the air, so we could breathe again! Anyways, back to the evening at hand. So, although it was a potluck, we were told "We will provide the food...you all just bring what you want to drink." Okay, so the sometimes-idiot that I am, I actually brought what I wanted to drink...my Nalgene full of water. Nice, Lynn. When some of the others picked me up and they had actual stuff to donate to the potluck, I definitely felt like a loser. Yep, way to go, Lynn. So, instead of attempting to share my Nalgene of water with others, Kendra let me walk into the house with one of the food items that she brought (so nice of her)....and I only felt like an idiot on the inside. Haha. Well, next time I will know. Anyways, the food was amazing...actually, all food that I have not really ever had before. Hmm, apparently we don't have the most sophisticated eating habits in Wisconsin (yes, I know what you are thinking - "What?!?!" - yes, it may be a shocker). But, it was delicious! Becca even brought a zucchini-chocolate cake....hello, can you get any more in heaven??? Zucchini + chocolate = best combo ever. So, the evening was great for discussion, fun, etc.

Monday was our first day of our Applied Skills class, which is basically focusing on intercultural mediation (and mediation in general) and grant-writing skills (since this is a huge part of international work). We are apparently going to finish half of the course hours during this week and then each be assigned to community agencies, where we will work closely with them to write a grant for a program they would like to develop or secure funding for. Sounds like fun! The past two days, we have been doing role-plays on negotiations (I know, it sounds lame...), but it has actually been really beneficial! Today, we even secured a solid contract for a Chinese opera singer who is trying to jump-start her career again....serious business! You better believe it.

Monday night, we started our soon-to-be weekly tradition of "Wine & Whine" night, which is basically a girls night where we will rent somewhat cheesy romance movies, sit around and talk, and drink some wine. It was awesome. We watched "Before sunrise" (I think...), which was half-cute and half-sometimes-"gag me"-ish. All in all, a great night.

Today, I finally got my registration account figured out and was able to register (yay!!!). Luckily, I got all the classes I wanted, which I wasn't too worried about anyways. They include (yes, don't get too excited):

• COUN 595 - Counseling Theories in Context
• IYFD 501 - Intercultural Aspects of Human Development 1
• IYFD 510 - Applied Skills in Intercultural Service
• IYFD 595 - Seminar: Critical Issues in Helping
• POSC 466 - Non-Profit Administration & Public Service
• PUBH 510 - Introduction to Epidemiology

Yikes! I think I will have a full load of classes, but hopefully I will survive. But, since I will be studying topics that I am passionate about, things will be great.

Yesterday, I also got a nice little letter in the mail from the Peace Corps (grr), asking me for a lot more health-related information for my medical screening. I fumed for about 2 hours and tried to read to calm myself down. Haha, I think this whole medical screening process is actually the real test - their theory is probably that "Well, if they can get through this intense and sometimes ridiculous screening, they will definitely be able to live in a country with no electricity and running water for two years". Nice... Today, I kind of took the list one step at a time and made the phone calls I needed to make to get this taken care of ASAP. Wish me luck!

Alright, so that gets you updated a little bit. Hopefully, I will be going hiking tomorrow so I will have some beautiful pictures to show ya'll (without smoke!!!). Have a good night.

Peace.

A very, very short update

So, I know I just wrote an update yesterday, but this blog-thing is so darn cool! Hopefully it does not continue to consume my life once school starts, but for now, it's okay.

I am officially having troubles with registering for classes. I have a "hold" placed on my account because of something with my health-history form (which I mailed in about 3 weeks ago). Grr. This truly puts me at a disadvantage for getting the classes I want! I have e-mailed the student health center to see what is up, and I think I will stop in there tomorrow to get everything resolved. Some of the other students in my program had the same problem - one even has to go get one of her MMR shots again, simply because she received her first one within 6 months of birth rather than a year of birth. What!?!? It sounds a little crazy, so hopefully it is nothing like that with me. I will keep you posted. Hopefully I should get it cleared up tomorrow and I will be able to register for classes.

Last night, we went out to celebrate two birthdays in the group, which was such a great opportunity to get to know the town and each other a little better! This group is really awesome, because we are all unique but have many of the same interests. So, we checked out some places downtown and then headed home later, as some of us couldn't stop yawning! Here is a picture of five of us from our program - one was taking the picture (one of the birthday girls - what were we thinking?!?), one was working, and the other was out of town for a wedding. Just so you know who I'm hanging out with! Some things I am learning though:

• "Potluck" is like a buzzword here - everyone has potlucks as social gatherings apparently! I have one tonight and possibly one on Thursday. Whoa.
• So, going out here is very, very different from going out at home. And very cool.
• Montana does not have a bike helmet law.
• Up until a couple years ago, Montana also allowed open containers in vehicles (including the driver). So, it was fine to drink and drive as long as you were under the legal limit. Wierd.
• Speeding tickets here start at like $20 - what a deal!

(from right to left) Julia, Rebecca, Kendra, me, Josh

This morning, I woke up and honestly could not tell what time of day it was outside. It is so smoky! I decided to go for a bikeride anyways, because I figured if I do not get motivated now, I will never get motivated, so I better get up off my butt. So, I wanted to go down Pattee Canyon Road, which runs along Pattee Creek and is supposed to be very scenic. The first three-quarters mile is all uphill (so I found out), and my lungs were B-U-R-N-I-N-G. Oh, it was not cool. About 1 1/2 miles down the road, I wisely turned my bike around and headed back to town. I was so winded! I think (hope) it was because of the smoke. Instead, when I got back to town, I did a short 40 minute ride on the city streets (which are mostly flat...shwoo) and then stopped to grab some milk from the store. This is where a basket on my bike would be very convenient, but alas, I do not drive a cruiser-type bike and thus, it would not be too functional when I am actually going for a nice bikeride.

Anyways, peace.

Montana Nights

So, the past two days have been pretty eventful, as I have been trying to keep busy and also still explore. I think the exploring aspect of my semester will continue well into the spring months, as there is so much to get to know around here! I'll let you know what I've been doing for the past couple days, but hold on to your seats folks, it'll be exciting!

Thursday night, we attended Downtown ToNight at Caras Park in Missoula. There was live (very good) music, a beergarden, and great food. Unlike Wisconsin, the beergarden does not exactly equal tons of people trying to get wasted! It was really refreshing. We had some amazing Mexican food that was unfinishable but delicious. It was a bit smoky for the entire night, and ashes kept finding their ways into our beer to disintegrate. Oh well - good roughage. The night was also very windy, which definitely helped the wildfires to have their worst night yet! The flames right now are visible from Missoula at night - one whole horizon of a mountain is lit up bright orange. It is crazy! And let me tell you, the live music brought out some "interesting" people. There was one couple who was apparently also present at Out to Lunch on Wednesday who were some sort of interpretive dancers. Or at least that's what I think they were doing. They were definitely on drugs, and it was not normal. This morning, I asked my roommate (who I just met) about these people. She knew exactly who I was talking about with hardly any description! All it took to be on the same page was a, "Was the man wearing cut-off shorts?". "Yep - that's him!". Anyways, she says that these two people are apparently multi-millionaires. I asked, "Holy man, what do they do?" The answer, I guess, is what I was expecting - "Drugs". Ohhhhh, okay - don't worry people-who-care-about-me, I will steer clear of the interpretive dancing in the park.

Friday morning, I had to take Mom to the bus station, where she was grabbing a bus to Whitefish, which is just outside of Glacier National Park, where she stayed for Friday night before jumping on an Amtrak to come home on Saturday. It was so sad! I shed about three tears because it is always hard to say good-bye, and let's be honest, I am going to miss her! (Thanks, Mom, for road-tripping with me and putting up with me while I moved!) After I left, I definitely got messed up on the roads (darn one-ways) but found my way home eventually.

I had about 45 minutes before I had to leave for orientation, and honestly, my stomach was in KNOTS! I was sooooo nervous. So many questions were running through my head. What if they don't like me? What if I don't do well? What if my courseload is too hard? What if I am not a good TA? What if....what if....what if....?????? I was definitely shaking in my flip-flops, and I almost threw up. Thank goodness I didn't! Mom took a picture of me on my first day of school before she left, so it was sort of like kindergarten again. I arrived at orientation a little too early (imagine that...it doesn't run in the family or anything) but when the other students showed up, I met them. Orientation started, and one of the students never showed up, so there were only 8 of us. It is a nice group. Throughout the day, we all got to know each other a little better, and everyone seems so wonderful! Honestly, too, it is a very intimidating group - well-traveled, intelligent, experienced, amazing work/volunteer histories, articulate, etc. Hopefully it will be a very collaborative group where each of our individual experiences and specialties can be used to help each other learn. There is a couple students that have backgrounds in creative arts (theatre, photojournalism, art education, etc.), so hopefully their creativity can be transferred to me! All-in-all, it seems like a great group to work with for the next year. It will be interesting to see how the dynamics work out.

Last night, four of us met to have a few drinks at Kettlehouse, which is a brewery in town. Since I live about two miles from campus, I did the whole debate - "Do I walk or do I bike? If I walk, it's a long walk later. If I bike, I do not want to bike home after a few drinks. That is unsafe. If I walk, I can talk on the cellphone on the way. If I drive my car - uhhhh, Lynn, don't even think about driving! This is a pedestrian-friendly city! Dumb thought...walk or bike, walk or bike, walk or bike....uhhh this is a tough decision....uhhh okay, I'll walk...that way, I don't have to bike home later." Exhausting! Such decisions to make. Anyways, when I got there, I literally thought I was walking into a warehouse - wait, that's what it was - a warehouse. But, inside there was a brewery. Actually, it reminded me of a country bar in Wisconsin where someone just put a bar into a shed or a garage. It was awesome! They had tons of interesting beers, but I decided to try "Fresh Bong Water" - daring, but mmmmm, delicious! Apparently, the "Old Bong Water" is not good. Note for later. After a couple drinks, we went to my friend Erin's house in order to drive to her boyfriend's house, which is in the South Hills of Missoula. I definitely went to put our beer in the back of his truck, and screamed, "Holy crap! There are antlers back here!" Yes, there were antlers in the back of his truck. Ummm....okay.....oh, Montana. Another gal, Kendra, is from Seattle, and antlers are not a normal thing for her either! It was fun...we laughed it off and just thought, "Ohhh, Montana." We better get used to it! Anyways, we we went to Erin's boyfriend's house and these guys are apparently world-class grillers. Erin says they grill out every night. And I'm not talking "throw some brats and hamburgers on the grill" grilling. It's more like "mush all the meat together, throw in onions and spices, and make 2-inch thick burgers" grilling. It was a sight to see. The choices of the night were, "Would you like beef or elk?" Elk...something new! Hmm, well I stuck with my spinach caeser salad but tried a bite of Julia's elk burger. Honestly, it was very tasty and savory. Yum. Anyways, I stuck with just the one bite but it was very good. The night ended with a very fun game of Scattergories before we all headed home. Shwoo - I was tired.

This morning, I made a point of not turning my alarm clock in and slept to the late hour of 8:30...then slept again to the late hour of 9:15. Wandering around in my pajamas in the kitchen, I met my roommate! She came home yesterday from Great Falls (where she is from) and was just also in New York interviewing for internships for the spring. Very cool and very nice gal! I think we will get along well. She offered really great advice about the city, the school, the people around here, etc. I also had intentions of going to the farmer's market this morning, but my cramped shins (from climbing the mountain the other day) really inhibited my motivation. So, hence, I am writing in my blog and will probably do some studying for Monday (we were supposed to have 2 books read before orientation even began!). It is also birthday-day for two girls in my program today, so I think we'll get together for dinner and/or drinks later. One of the girls just moved here from Ohio, so I can imagine it would be tough to be in a new town on your birthday! We'll try to make her feel at home.

Anyways...peace, love, and happiness everyone!

I'm exhausted!

Okay, the past two days have been exhausting to say the least! I'll give a quick run-down of all we've been doing, because when I add it all up, it seems to be a lot. Missoula, as I'm discovering every day, is beautiful and has so much to offer! It has a strong culture, community presence, nightlife, events, nature, etc. So, the past two days have gone like this:

WEDNESDAY

• Went to the UM Outdoor Recreation Program office to rent a bike for my mom - according to the guy working there, bikes come in "big, small, or way big" sizes. We chose small. This program is awesome - it offers trips for students and rentals of all kinds.




• We headed to Rattlesnake Creek Recreation Area for some biking on an "old logging road" that runs along Rattlesnake Creek (don't worry...no actual rattlesnakes). Now, keep in mind that I love road-biking, and not so much mountain-biking. I was definitely expecting this "old logging road" to be a little smoother than it was. Considering my bike is not made for hard-core mountain-biking (eh, this was "easy" mountain-biking), my arms and butt were really sore! We ended up switching bikes halfway through to give my arms a break (mountain-bikes have shocks). We biked about 15 miles and saw some beautiful views of the creek.
  
  


• Next, we went back to my apartment to grab some lunch and then headed out on our bikes again. This time, more my style with road-biking. We wanted to explore Missoula, because it has an extensive trail network that runs along the rivers and there are bike lanes and bike routes everywhere. It is awesome! We biked about 25 miles around town, and it was hot!
  
  


• During our bike-a-thon, we stopped at "Out to Lunch", which is an event that is held every Wednesday in a park in downtown Missoula. Basically, tons of food vendors and restaurants come and set up booths while a band plays. People just in general are in good moods while they listen to music, eat, and watch the kids run around. It also seemed like a lot of different types of group homes brought their residents to enjoy the day too. It was so great and such a beautiful day!




• We had a little time to kill and since we had spent most of the day outside and it was still really hot, we headed to the mall. This is the "premiere" mall of western Montana. Eh. You all know how much I love shopping (cough, cough, sarcasm). Some good stores, but just a basic mall. The west end of town has tons of other shopping though in a more suburb development-type scheme (big parking lots, separate stores, tons of traffic, etc.). The best part (drumroll please) is that there is an REI here! Ohhh, I could spend hours in that store.




• After shopping, we headed to the Iron Horse Brewpub for some outdoor seating, fantastic food, and of course a beer or two. Still debating about whether or not to cut alcohol out of my diet completely (seeing as my body hates it), but in the mean time it stays in minimally. Anyways, the food was amazing to say the least, and there is something about sitting outside on a huge outdoor patio surrounded by other people who are also in the mood to not rush the eating process. We were there for about 2 hours, and there was no table around us that got up to leave in that whole time. It was a completely different philosophy than Wisconsin eating! I love it!




• We finished the night by walking around downtown for a little bit, but then headed home because, as you may have guessed, we were exhausted. I think I made it through about 4.5 minutes of The Cosby Show before falling asleep.

THURSDAY

• We got up early again today in order to be out before it gets too hot outside. We biked through the University to the Kim Williams Trail, which is an old railroad track converted into a recreation trail - it runs along the Clark Fork River.






• About a mile down the trail, we locked up our bikes and hiked the Hellgate Canyon Trail, which climbs up the back of Mt. Sentinel to the summit. We were the only ones on the trail - and no wonder! Everything was so smoky from the wildfires that you couldn't even see anything from the top. They also advise people not to do too much physical activity with the air quality right now....hmmm we survived. It was a total of about 6 miles hiking to the top of the mountain.



• Once we reached the bottom, we jumped on our bikes again to finish the Kim Williams Trail, which was a total of about 5 miles mountain biking.
  
  
• We finished by heading home because, as you guessed it, we were exhausted! So, all-in-all, we did a triathlon of sorts today, without the normal sports...but it consisted of 5 miles mountain biking, 6 miles hiking, and 6 miles road-biking. Fun times, fun times...but I think I will be sore tomorrow!



• Tonight, we will be heading to "After Work Missoula", which is similar to "Out to Lunch". Every Thursday night, there is music and food in the downtown park from 5:30 to 8:30. I think it will be the same idea as Jazz in the Park (in Milwaukee) if you are familiar with that.

Okay, I have rambled on and on and on. Tomorrow, mom leaves (sad) and I start orientation (exciting) so you may hear from me a) more because I will have no friends yet and so I will have oodles of free time in which I will be able to blog about my entire life, b) less because I will make so many friends and will no longer have time to blog, or c) less because my life will be overtaken with homework, studying, working, etc. and I will no longer have the motivation to blog because who will want to read about studying, studying, studying? Anyways, I miss you all. The door is always open for visitors. And PS - my new phone, which I paid mucho dinero for, has not rang in like 5 days.Can anyone identify this bird?

"Do you have any firearms you would like to register?"

I feel like I have been away from my computer for so long! That is the sign of a true nerd...first, I thought I was nerdy back when I started doing calculus for fun. Then, I definitely thought I was nerdy when I became an avid Scrabble player. And now, now I definitely am nerdy that I am having computer withdrawal. Anyways, that was a complete sidenote and has nothing to do with what I am actually going to write about. Feel free to erase it from your memory, because as they say in the movie Billy Madison, "I am now dumber for having listened to that".

Now to the real stuff - we are in Montana! After 25 hours of straight driving, we have made it safely and arrived to find a beautiful and peaceful city settled in the middle of the Rockies. And boy is it hot! I won't bore you with the details of the entire 25 hours (sleep, drive, sleep, stop for gas, drive, sleep, eat, sleep, etc.), but I will give some of the highlights.

Undoubtedly, if you are from Manitowoc or have ever been to Manitowoc, you probably know what the "Big Cow" is. Everyone does. It is "the place with the big cow". New Salem, ND, has officially trumped Manitowoc's Big Cow by oodles. They boast Salem Sue, which is the "World's Largest Holstein Cow". It was awesome. Here I am, driving along I-94 with nothing but fields on either side, with Mom sleeping in the passenger seat. All of the sudden, in the distance I spot Salem Sue, which was like a fresh drink of water in the desert. She completely made my day! I pulled off the interstate at her exit and just followed the sight of her. Mom was a bit surprised when she woke up and I was trying to find a giant cow! Just some statistics: she cost about $40,000 in 1974; she is 38 feet tall, 50 feet long, and weighs 12,000 pounds; and the town's mascot is the "Holsteins". Salem Sue is completely what makes roadtrips fun.

So a few hours after visiting Salem Sue, I find myself driving again. As most people know, minds start to wander when we are driving. We think about sometimes the wierdest things - ew, no I am not talking about anything gross here. I thought about people who name their cars. Why the heck do people name their cars? Does the car deserve a name? Does it make the car cool? I haven't ever really named my cars. It's always been "my geo" or "the 'stang" or "my geo" or...you get the gist. Well, after travelling 1500 miles with enough weight in her to cause her to scrape the bike rack on the ground every time we travelled over a large bump, I think my Jetta deserves a name. She has been baptized as "Jenna the Jetta". Now, you may be thinking that this is a wussy name or that only "hot" cars deserve names, but this lady is a trooper! She ran smooooothly all the way to Montana. (Okay, so the cruise control doesn't work - as Dad says, it's a luxury). In fact, sometimes Jenna got so excited about our roadtrip that she found herself going back to her German roots and thinking that we were on the Autobahn. That's where we had to say "Whoa, Jenna, 90 mph would definitely get you a ticket in Wisconsin...slow down!". And she obeyed, humble and defeated.

We finally arrived in Missoula at about 10:45 on Monday night - exactly a 25 hour drive. At night, it is hard to see much, but we could definitely notice the smoke as we drove in. The sky was hazy and gray, a result of the forest fires that are sort of sweeping the west right now. According to a few sources, much of the smoke on Monday was coming from fires in Idaho. Today, however, a fire broke out just north of Missoula on a mountain that could be seen from town. The smoke was bumbling out over town and firetrucks were racing towards it. I don't know if there's anything much they can do! Hopefully it gets under control and no one is hurt.

Today, we took an early walk and headed over to my apartment, which is on the southern end of town and is about 2 miles from campus. The apartment, for an on-campus apartment, is wonderful! The room is average sized - the furniture fits in here well, and it seems to be in a pretty nice neighborhood. The buildings are only 3 years old, so I have found nothing to be run-down or cheaply made (yet). All-in-all, it's a nice cozy place that hopefully I'll be able to make my home for the next year. I haven't met my roommates yet, as they are both out of town until the 20th and the 24th, but they have both been living here for a while, as I understand.

Perhaps the most humorous part of our Tuesday was during apartment check-in time, when I was asked, "Do you have any firearms you would like to register?". I had to think for a little while before I understood what they were asking me and then answered with an "Uhh, no." I asked the woman if many students do register firearms, and she said that some bring guns for hunting. Huh. College campus. Guns? What?!?! Now, considering I am not a huge fan of guns myself, much less that people feeling the necessity to bring them with them in order to hunt in their free time while they are pursuing higher education, I was disturbed but slightly entertained to learn this tidbit about some of my new neighbors. I am crossing my fingers that neither roommate has a gun...and if they do, I sure gosh-darn hope they registered it! That way, we'll all be safe.

We also visited the campus of the University of Montana today. I was expecting a beautiful campus. Boy, was I surprised!! I was never expecting a campus that would be this beautiful! Everything - from the student union, to the library, to the rec center, to the trails surrounding campus, to the green grass - is gorgeous. Perhaps I was floating on a la-la cloud. But, I think it was all real! Yes, I think this is one of the most tranquil campuses I've been to. Perhaps it is a warm paradise in the middle of winter too?

Well, I will sign off. The next couple days will be spent doing some hiking, biking, and general exploring before I start orientation on Friday. I will keep posted. Thank you to everyone who has sent their well wishes, stopped by on Sunday, or has been thinking about me. I am thinking I will do okay! Muah - goodnight!

Ready for a change

Last night, I was so blessed to have some of my favorite people be able to celebrate the great things of Wisconsin and our great friendships with me. Yes, my "Adios, Amigos! Tribute to Wisconsinites" party went over pretty well. Thank you to all those who attended!

We started the night at Tony's Pizza with my absolute favorite meal - a perch fry - which I am guessing I will not be able to find in Montana. Who knows though, I could be surprised! The people that ordered pizza also had plenty to take home. We ventured over to Saucy's, where a raunchy comedian was just finishing his set, thank goodness. After drinking my Leine's Sunset Wheat (also a tribute to Wisconsin-things) without an orange, we decided not to stick around there very long. Vanessa was a bit scared by the mullets, and the leather biker vests were a little too tempting for us (sarcasm). So, we trekked to TimeOut, where we joined in on a 30-year class reunion and danced a lot to what I would like to call "bad wedding music". I wanted to ask the DJ to play the Chicken Dance, just so we could get it over with. My feet were sore, there was a wierd love quint-angle going on that we were observing, and there weren't many people there. However, I must say that I am a big fan of the belief, "We bring the fun", so we had an alright time. After saying goodbye to all my friends, we headed home. I am so grateful that the company I was with was wonderful - thanks guys! Check out some of the pictures!

Matt, Jenny, Alison, Beth, & I

Courtney, Vanessa, Jose, Ricky, Becky, & Jana

Since we met in daycare, we have always loved having fun!

As much as I am going to miss my family and friends (which is a lot), I am ready for this change. I am ready for new adventures, new friends (and still the old ones...don't worry), a new home, a new place to focus my energies. I am ready for Montana, and whatever the rest of the world brings me. We have decided to move up our departure time, so we are now taking off on Sunday night.

Good bye Wisconsin - see you over Christmas! (which is not that far away...)

Packing my life into a Jetta in 3 days...

Welcome to my blog! This is my first attempt at a journal-type publication, and also the first time I will let others see my feelings about what is going on around me. Hopefully, I will help you feel as if you are there!

I am currently three days from my moving-day to Missoula, Montana. In the past couple weeks, anyone who has asked me if I am excited has received the answer, "I am pretty much scared shitless". Sorry. It was the truth, and I am not ashamed. The past few days have found me getting less and less scared and more and more excited for this next chapter in my life. Thank goodness. People say, "You will be fine, you will be fine." Yes, I know. But no matter how extroverted, friendly, easy-going someone is, it is still scaaaary to move to an entirely new place. I relate it to travelling. I absolutely love travelling, but everytime I go on a trip, I find myself nervous that things will not go right, I will not find friends, I will get sick, etc. But, everything always works out. The same thing will happen with Montana!

Not only am I enthusiastic to discover a new city, a new university, and a whole new part of the country (and by new, I mean it has always been there...I have just not ventured to that part yet), but I am eager to begin my studies. Summer usually finds me restless, with my mind easily getting distracted by every little thing, my body filled entirely too much with Mountain Dew and not enough of water, and my eyes stuck too much to the computer or the television. It is the perfect recipe for purposely allowing my brain cells to slip away. If I added in any sorts of substance abuse, fatty and salty foods, or mosh pits, it would be almost guaranteed I would be a vegetable in 3 months flat. Sounds like a great experiment to do sometime. Hence, with the boringness and monotony of summer, I am pumped to be starting my new course of study, one in which I am so passionate about and I feel I could never learn enough. For your information, this is the purpose of my program:

"The Intercultural Youth and Family Development program degree is designed for students who wish to engage in culturally-relevant volunteer work or paid employment in the realm of child and family assistance.The University of Montana is proud to announce an innovative master's degree in Intercultural Youth and Family Development. This unique degree program offers students graduate instruction in human development from a psychological and counseling perspective, and is intended to prepare students to engage in cross-cultural volunteer work or paid employment with young people and/or families." (http://www.soe.umt.edu/edldc/iyfd/default.shtm)

So, it is obvious that because of my continuous internal urges to travel and see the world, work with people, and make a difference with youth, it should hopefully be the perfect program for me. That is, until I get my second master's. But that is down the road. As my former supervisor claims I said one day, "I just want to be poor!" As a social worker, it can be almost guaranteed.

So, as I finish writing this, my stuff still remains strewn all over my living room, boxes stay empty, and papers wait to be filed. The main goal is to pack my life into my Jetta - which needs to be done in the next three days. Fun times, fun times.