Memories on a Run

My run today took me past a place long familiar; a place where my cousin and I once climbed vast jungle gyms and scaled giant concrete pipes. Memories of building block towers and scavenger hunts abound there. The lawn is overgrown now, and the metal jungle gyms and concrete pipes have long ago been removed lest children be exposed to the hazard. In their place a plastic play set sits unused on its bed of recycled tires. Inside on the floor once strewn with blocks and other toys are scattered shards of broken glass, while vines make a steady, beautiful assault on the sidewalks and brick columns. As I ran by, I realized that my hometown is changing and so am I. My kindergarten is for sale, but my memories will remain.

Settling In

Ashby and I at the Copper Harbor lighthouse, the 

northernmost point in our weekend road trip.

I've been in Houghton or about two weeks now, and am beginning to settle into the routines of going to class and living off campus.  I've found that living off campus has been the right decision for me.  It's been much quieter and I have my own room that's only slightly smaller than the one I shared last year!  The cost is much less here as well, which more than offsets the necessity of commuting to campus (about 3 miles).

Classes have gone fairly well so far, with none that I'm too worried about.  I've also decided to join the Automotive Systems Enterprise team, which is a student group which competes to design and build the most fuel-efficient vehicle.  This will be a great way for me to gain experience while having fun.  I look forward to working on this project in the coming years.

Ashby and I took advantage of the time before classes started to take a trip up the Keweenaw peninsula.  We also made it to a few of the events put on for freshman orientation week.  This weekend we went to K (Keweenaw) Day, held at McLain State Park by the university.  We are trying to enjoy outdoor activities as much as possible before the weather turns cold.  It's nice to go to school in an area where there are so many opportunities for outdoor activities.