Hey hi! Welcome! Come, grab a pair of fuzzy socks and pull up your favorite fall playlist. We’ve got tea and hot chocolate. There should be some cookies around here, too. Somewhere…
I find myself incredibly grateful for this fall break, although it hasn’t been a complete break for me. On top of moving (perhaps stumbling) my way through my first semester and classes at L&C, I am a part of the wonderful mainstage here: Passion Play! While it has been a completely amazing experience so far, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a little overwhelming every so often. It’s a big commitment, but totally worth every second of time I spend on that Fir Acres stage.
So far, I’ve been using this break to catch up on both homework and time with my friends, as I’ve been losing those in the mix of my busy schedule. It’s been a beautiful experience to watch the seasons change with my found family up here. In this post, I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to take a break, whenever I get the chance to do so, featuring some things I did with my fall break!
Carve pumpkins!
My wonderful friend and I decided one morning to utilize the community garden here at L&C in order to make our spooky season dreams come true. Accompanied by the babbling of the fountain near Howard, we created the most fantastic pumpkin people known to humanity. Please, feast your eyes on my pride and joy: Pazzini Phil the Pumpkin.
Play D&D!
I’m lucky enough to be a part of a long-term campaign with some people I love back home. And, thanks to L&C’s (usually) reliable wifi, I’m able to continue that campaign up here! During the session I played this fall break, my character fought a devil in a sewer to save two children and their father, so I suppose that was pretty eventful in and of itself.
Take some time for self-care!
One of my favorite ways to rest is to really take some time for myself. Though it may sound cheesy, I do enjoy a good face mask. Paired with some aromatherapy and a good book? Oh yeah, we’re living the luxurious life now, baby.
Eat a good meal!
While we all love the Bon (most of the time), I cannot express how nice it is to occasionally get a meal somewhere else.
Pumpkin-carving friend and I have decided to embark on a soup journey for you all! We take it upon ourselves to try all the soups of Portland (including Bon soup!) so you can know where to get the best. In the future, this segment will be known as For the Love of Soup.
A few weeks ago, we ventured to downtown Portland to eat at The House of Ramen. Let me just say, it was fantastic. I’m a relatively picky eater, so I ordered what most would consider to be a plain dish. However, to my palate, it was simply divine. Pumpkin friend (is that going to be his title from now on?) ordered something more adventurous and was pleased as well. Overall, it was a very good experience.
Soup Review: 4.5/5 stars!
While I’d love to give it five stars, I do want to leave room for improvement as we continue to taste the soups of Portland.
I believe that’s all for now! Thank you for joining me on this beautiful autumn day, and I’ll be back next week!
-Mack
(they/she/he)
email: mwille@lclark.edu
insta: @mack_mae11