This weekend was spring break at LC. We had two days off of school. Not enough time to fly home, but enough time to give us a break from the onslaught of homework. Any lull in school poses a problem to Lewis and Clark students. How do you have fun and let loose while still respecting covid 19 guidelines? The normal activities that occupy college student’s free time have become dangerous. We can’t have parties or gatherings. Even exploring Portland has become risky.
LC does have some organized things to do. College outdoors has regular activities. If college outdoors is new to you, it is basically a school-sponsored group that does all different kinds of wilderness recreation. Over the break, they had an introduction to slacklining and a hike on the Oregon coast. Excited by the idea of seeing the ocean, I signed up for the coast hike. Unfortunately, there is a lot of demand for College outdoors trips and with covid, they are limiting their capacity. I ended up getting put on a waitlist and didn’t get to go. That being said often times there are open slots in their trips. If you’re interested in what they’re getting up too soon here is a link: https://www.lclark.edu/programs/college_outdoors/programs/
Whenever I have a little bit of time, I try and get outside. There are a few options for this: Lewis and Clark’s beautiful campus, and the Ravine running right through the middle, Tryon state park (only a five-minute walk away), the nearby graveyard, and the Willamette River. I am sure there are others. A friend of mine went fishing at the Willamette over the break. He brought his fishing equipment from home, and whenever he has time he heads out to sees what he can catch. This time he caught a sturgeon.
Virtual Meetings may be difficult and certainly not ideal, but they are a great way to connect with friends and family, both near and far. My parents and my aunts have dinner together each Sunday over zoom. Usually, I’ll drop-in for a while to catch up with them and see how they are. Another regular online meeting is my dnd session with friends across the country. We get together over discord and kill about two or three hours wandering through the tortuous halls of the sunless citadel.
While seeing people in person may be inadvisable, they are still possible with your pod or by socially distancing. Small gatherings of friends have become a common replacement for the parties of pre-covid times. I have a friend who lives down the hall from me. We’re in a pod together. Each Sunday, they make chocolate chip pancakes, and we have a little brunch together. They truly make the best pancakes, they’re light and fluffy and the chocolate is all melty. Little things like that help us keep our human connection in these trying times.
Despite our now limited options, I had no trouble filling my time over this break, and honestly, I wish I had just a bit longer to relax.