Hi everyone!
I hope y'all had restful winter breaks if you got one, though you've likely been back at school for more than a little while now!
My winter break was uneventful but after a busy semester, some rest was much needed, so I'm not complaining about the lack of activity. I got to visit some family, go on a couple of hikes, do some baking, and get caught up on my reading. One of the downsides of being a double-major in the Humanities is that 85 percent of my homework consists of reading, which means I often don't have time to read any books that *I* want to read. So break gives me a nice opportunity to read everything I've been missing out on!
After a couple of weeks at home, I was definitely ready to be back on campus. I missed my friends and roommates and the Portland greenery. It can also definitely be a little hard to return home after a few months of independence. In some ways, being a college student puts you into a state of limbo between homes, and this feeling can be a little hard to deal with, even after two and a half years. But I'm getting better at navigating it.
We've been back to fully online classes for the first three weeks of the semester, due to the Omnicron variant of COVID. This hasn't been my favorite thing in the world- I don't focus well over Zoom- but it was a nice way to ease back into academics. My classes this semester are all so interesting. I'm also taking a chemistry course, which is definitely out of my comfort zone, but it's going really well so far!
The only exciting thing I did during my first few weeks back in Portland, was visiting the Portland Art Museum on the recommendation of one of my professors. It's a really magical little museum, and I highly suggest checking it out. Their website is here. They have a permanent collection with some fabulous paintings and sculptures, as well as rotating exhibits. The exhibit I was most interested in was on the Art of the Nabis. The Nabis were a group of Parisian artists who worked in the early 20th century. They have ties to the Modernist movement in Europe, which is one of my areas of focus in my English major. One of my favorite things about LC, and living in Portland in general, is how easy it is to extend your academic interests beyond campus. In a few weeks, they're opening an exhibit on Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism which I'm so excited to see!
 |
 |
| A couple of paintings from the Nabis collection. |
Other than that little adventure, I've been sticking close to campus during our online classes. I'm so happy to be going back to in-person classes this week.
I hope y'all have great weeks! <3
xo
Ashleen