Stained feet and Native Americans

It has been a incredibly busy weekend. I haven't had this much to do as long as I can remember. Luckily, it was not schoolwork that was taking up my time, but rather things that I enjoyed doing. Where to start, that is the question...

 

Probably the most odd activity was the grape stomping I did. There is a winery just outside Decorah called Winneshiek Wildberry Winery and each year they have their grape stomping festival. It consists of what you would expect, stomping on grapes. The weekend held fun for all, from musical performances to tours of the brewing facilities and games for the youngsters. There was a lot to do, and it was a good way to spend a beautiful afternoon.

 

However, I had to run directly from that to our second slackline clinic that was held as a one of Backyard Wilderness Pursuit's activities for the year. It was a great success, with lots of visitors and good times had by all. Especially this fella:

I also attended the second Center Stage Series performance at the Center of Faith and Life. It was the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre. It was a really fascinating performance win which a group of Native Americans shared their traditional dances and information about their culture. I've always had a deep respect for the Native American culture, and so this performance was really intriguing for me.

 

I won't bore you with all the other events that took up my time, mostly it consisted of riding my bike in the woods, spending some time with a few good people, and enjoying the beautiful weather characteristic of autumn. I did manage to get my banjo to school because a friend of mine asked if I'd be interested in jamming with him and a few buddies, playing some bluegrass and folk, so maybe that will develop into somethings. Rest assured that you will find out straight from me. Thanks for reading, and I hope that all is well in your homes and lives.

 

Peace,

Collin

  

Another note:

If any of you are inclined to help me out with a conflict that I have been having, I would appreciate hearing what you have to say. I know it is still early in the school year, but I am currently planning my next adventure for next summer. I've narrowed it down to two options: 1) a few of my raft guide buddies want to head down to South America and travel a bit, or 2) a solo bicycle trip across the United States from the west coast to the east coast. Now, I've been to South America before, but would not mind visiting there again, but I'd also like to have an epic bike ride like this. So leave a comment, tell me what you think, or email me at thomco02@luther.edu. Hope to hear from you!

This year is the "next year" you worried about last year.

So you may want to ask me, "How does this year compare to last year's experience at Luther, Collin?" And if you don't want to ask me, that is fine, I will tell you anyway.

It is amazing how different of a place Luther seems once one year is through. The campus is no longer foreign at all, the flood of faces seen each day is full of familiar smiles, and living in the dorms seems pretty regular. Obviously I had some new adjustments this year; I have a new dorm, new roommate and a new schedule, but these were far easier after having the first year under my belt.

I must admit, at the end of last year, I was getting a bit burnt out with the whole college experience. I wasn't sure what I wanted to make of it, and wasn't sure if it was the right thing for me to be doing at this point in my life. However, I stuck with it (obviously) and I have a somewhat different attitude towards it now. I am still a restless individual, but I feel as though things have improved for me in regards to school.

One main contributor to this attitude is that I feel I have a larger impact on the campus community this year. I am leading a student organization, rather than just participating, I am meeting more people each day and taking part in various activities that intimidated me last year, and I just feel more at home among all the students here.

People kept telling me last year that freshmen year can be hard. It is not always easy for people to adjust, but everyone kept saying that sophomore year was so much better for them. I can now speak from experience that this is true in many ways. My first year was very taxing, I didn't know how to act or react to a lot of things that college life threw at me, but now it seems like I can take these challenges in stride with confidence and make the most of my time here. So anyone who is anxious about going to college, or is at college and is stressing about it, I will tell you this: I am a firm believer that college is not for everyone, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Some people will be much more productive and feel it is more beneficial to spend their time to do other things, and I totally respect that. But if you feel as though college is worth trying, go for it. And if it seems hard or not worth it, just give it some more time. You may end up feeling the same way I do now. So good luck.

Anyway, I hope I didn't scare anyone away, or make anyone uncomfortable, that is not in my intentions. Life is all about exploring; trying new things to find your place in the world. So I wish everyone the best, and you will hear from me again very soon!

Peace,

Collin

One week down.

So here we are, after the first full week of the 2008-2009 school year at Luther College. It went relatively smoothly, but it did seem a bit long. I've grown accustomed to Luther life again, but because of that it seems like I have been here several weeks, rather than just two. However, I know that at the end of the year it will seem like it flew by, just as it always does.

I jumped off a cliff the other day. I know that sounds like a bad idea, but it was actually pretty fun. A few of my friends and I decided it would be a good idea to go and do something adventurous in order to ease ourselves into Academia from our habits and love of summer. So I took them to a place near town where the river cuts through the limestone and we jumped from a 25 foot ledge into the water. It was really cold since there was no sun and the rain has chilled the water a few days earlier, but it was still a fantastic time. Definitely a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Speaking of pursuits involving the wilderness, our first Backyard Wilderness Pursuits activity - a meet and greet campfire - went really well. We had a surprisingly large turnout, and everyone showed a lot of interest and enthusiasm about the organization and activities. This coming Saturday, I will be instructing our first clinic on slacklining. I am very excited to see how that goes, because it seems like a lot of people are excited about it.

Another first happened on Friday - it was our first climbing event of the year. We hosted a headlamp/flashlight climbing party at the wall. Once again, lots of people attended, making it a huge success, and therefore, a lot of fun. I don't know what is different about this year, but it seems that more and more students are showing interest in things like BWP or the rock wall, so I am very excited to see where their (and my) enthusiasm will take us. I think it is going to be a good year.

One last "first" that I feel I must mention was the first Center Stage Series event last night. Luther does a fantastic job of bringing in quality performances for the students and community. Kudos to the Student Activities Council for all their hard work. Last night, as I said, was the opener of this series of events held throughout the year, and the performance was done by the Capitol Steps, a group of musicians/comedians that focused on political issues and scandals. It was a really funny performance, and they left no politician alone. They had a song or rhyme for every scandal, debate, and issue in Washington. So if you like political satire, check out the Capitol Steps.

All is well in our little corner of the Midwest. Now it is Sunday, so all the students are busy cramming all the homework that has been put off all weekend. So I suppose I must follow suit. Take care everyone, and feel free to drop me a line anytime.

Peace,

Collin

I like to ride my bicycle...

My best friends in Colorado, Ciara and Travis after we jumped seven consecutive waterfalls 

in Cascade Creek, right outside Durango, Colorado

Welcome back everyone. We are rolling right along on another whirlwind adventure that is the school year at Luther. The returning students are back in a familiar place, whereas the new students are going through the grand adjustment period. I hope all is well for everyone out there, and rest assured that things are going smoothly here on campus.

 

There is much to be discussed, since I haven't written in about three months, however, I will spare you some of the details, because I do not want to harm your eyeballs.

 

First off, my summer was fantastic. As I mentioned in my previous blogs, I spent the summer months in Durango, Colorado, working as a whitewater rafting guide on the Animas River. I worked for a great company called 4 Corners Whitewater (if you are ever in the area, look us up!). I spent every day in the sun, either floating down a beautiful river in the southwestern US (work?!?), or passing the time with activities such as rock climbing, hiking, biking, kayaking, or most anything else that Colorado has to offer. It was time well spent; I got to meet fantastic people, have a job I loved, and work outside all day. So if you are ever aching to take an adrenaline-pumping trip down some whitewater, look me up!

But now I am back at home, meaning both Decorah and Luther. I moved in early because of some training we had at the rock climbing wall. On the note of moving in, my experience was a little different this year. You all know me pretty well now, after a year of blogging, so you can understand why I decided to move to campus in the manner that I did. You see, I believe that our society tends to rely on cars and gasoline a little too much in our day-to-day lives. I think that most of the time, cars are not a necessity, but rather a convenience. I understand that cars are helpful at times, whether it be because time constraints or the need to carry multiple people or possessions. But because I live so close to campus, I decided to move in by bicycle. 

 

To do this, I first built a trailer out of 1/2" electrical conduit (metal tubes that protect electrical wires). It cost me a total of about $25 because I had a lot of the necessary parts at home. I spent several hours trying different designs and ended up with a pretty solid one. It evolved as I worked on it, and turned out really well. So when Friday rolled around, I loaded up all of my things onto my bike and pedaled down to campus. It took me three trips, but all of my possessions were carried without a drop of gasoline. I got a few strange looks on campus, but it felt good to relieve myself of the stresses related to parking, paying for gas, and concern for environmental impact. Moving by bike is not for everyone, it can be a pain, but it was definitely worth it for me.

Another adventure I have undertaken is the responsibility as one of the leaders of Backyard Wilderness Pursuits (BWP). It is a student-run group on campus that is involved in any and every form of outdoor recreation. We do everything from biking to hiking, canoeing to camping, skiing to snowshoeing. The Student Activities Council had their annual activities fair, and we had a table promoting our organization. It seemed like there was quite a bit of interest, so hopefully that interest continues, even as classes take up an increasing amount of people's time.

 

Speaking of classes, they just started today, so it is a little early to tell how the year will progress in the academic sphere, but I am entirely optimistic, and you will be hearing about it all as it happens. My schedule will be manageable, and hopefully a bit entertaining. 

 

Keep on doing what you do, and may good health and happiness come your way.

 

Peace,

Collin