Coming back to Corvallis

When did you begin to feel old? I think I felt it the end of my first year of pharmacy school. It began where I was noticing this transition between what were my biggest priorities:

• Freshman year: Find Independence away from the parents > Meet new people > get good grades
  
• Sophomore year: Meet more people > house/frat parties > avoid getting C's
• Junior Year: I'm 21!!! > Bring up my GPA > meet more people > pump up the extracurriculars to get into pharmacy school
• Senior Year: Prep up for pharmacy school interviews (GPA, recommendations, extracurriculars) > I'm legal :) > Meet more people
• P1 year: Pharmacy school >>>>> meet more people

This transition is likely to be similar with most college students, with the exception of pharmacy school being a specific goal. I then began noticing that as I still stayed in Corvallis the people kept coming and going with similar interests as I when I was entering college. I witnessed greek rush with the new recruits parading around 25th and 26th streets, the groupies at the designated house parties, the new 21'ers at Clods or Tailgaters... all things I once enjoyed, but grew out of.

Fast forward. I recall just last year at OHSU where there's was an hour and a half commute to campus, it was impossible to hang out with friends since Portland is so spread out (I mean that takes effort), and there were SOAP notes, oral presentations and therapeutic exams to worry about... I was wishing to return to Corvallis. Campus was this magical land where you didn't have to worry about the real world.

Present. Loving the portland metro area. There's more diversity, attractions, restaurants, people with common interests, and now beginning to make an effort to get together with friends. I know I vowed not to return back to Corvallis until graduation June 2010 but had to make a pit stop before going to Beverly Beach. It's also amazing how much things are different after a little over a year:

• No Fungs Maple Garden (Now Chipotle) or Platinum (where do all the Asians go now??)
• There's a coffee/beer place... well
• More tanning salons for all those So-Cal Sorority Girls
• People at Bombs are no longer earth friendly botanist with hairy faces (now replaced by happy guys with skinny jeans & scarves that like to wiggle dance)
• BTW, love this Band called F.o.l.k.l.o.r.e.

$2.50 Hefeweisen with complementary pizza from one of my good friends. Hey Obama likes American Dream

Missed this girl! Hopefully traffic in I-5 won't be such a hassel

Oregon is known for its delicious microbrews