Sarah Transfers to OSU

Did I mention that Sarah has transferred to Oregon Sate University this year? It seems that Syracuse wasn't the greatest fit for her last year. It was just too far from home, the East Coast/West Coast culture was too different, there was too much partying for her taste, and she hated the snow. So, now she's back on the West Coast, 1 1/2 hours from home, and immersed in rainy weather once more. Be careful what you wish for, Sarah!

Sarah snagged a room in Halsell Hall, a dorm on the edge of campus (near the stadium) that is solely upper classmen and transfer students. 

    

She is in a suite and has 4 other women. She shares her room with Kyla, who's from Forest Grove. Her other suitemates, Audrey, Meghan,  and Jamie, are from Milwaukie, Stockton, California, and China, respectively. They all get along well, and share a desire for a clean, neat living space. That's a big improvement from her living situation last year. 

 

Her suite consists of four bedrooms, a shared living space, and a kitchenette.

    

Her room is amply decorated with all her favorite things, and feels very homey.

   

One benefit of being in an upper classmen dorm is reduced partying. That bothered Sarah a lot. She's a serious student, and really wanted to be able to focus on her work. Another plus in attending OSU is the number of people Sarah already knows on campus. She has friends from ACMA and from elementary school/Girl Scouts that she sees regularly. She's really enjoying having a social life again. 

She's keeping busy in other ways, too. In addition to her classes for credit, she's taking a yoga class at the fitness center and a jewelry making class at the craft center. I can't wait to see what she makes!

Having Sarah so much closer to home means we can get to her school for campus events, and she's able to come home for holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions. Larry went to campus for Dad's weekend in early November and they had a good time together. They attended the OSU/USC football game - Sarah's first. Larry delighted in explaining the game to her. Unfortunately, USC won, and it wasn't OSU finest performance, but they enjoyed it together.

They also did some shopping, attended a special pancake breakfast, went out to dinner (off-campus!) with Sarah's friend, Liza, and attended a comedy show together. On Sunday morning, they went for a hike, always a favorite father-daughter activity. Silver Falls was beautiful, even in the rain.

 

It's been a positive start to the year. We're looking forward to having Sarah home in a couple of weeks for her birthday!