If I’m being honest, I came here in large part because of my brother. My school was similar demographically and ideologically. I never felt terribly out of place in my home town. So in that, I differ from Coates. I’ve always felt a belonging. So the choice to come down to Eugene and all of it’s granola filled wonders was one of jealousy for the experiences my brother was having down here. These second hand stories of young adult life are pretty enchanting for a young-ish boy at the time. It really gave me a romanticized view of the whole Eugene. And now that I’m here, I still love it. It take some getting used to, and I’ll have to make more social connections as time passes, but this town is a magic place. Sure, I’ve been asked for cigarettes from multiple junkies, sure there’s a homeless problem, sure there’s lots of weird hippies, and that adds character. Eugene is a unique place in Oregon, and even the west coast. It’s both a college town, and a working city filled with interesting free love individuals from a day long past but one I can still look back upon and somewhat admire. If you haven’t gotten the message yet, I’m a fan of hippie/Eugene culture. Something about this town attracts more entertainment and luxury then any other trashy college town has any right to. I recently saw the ‘$uicide Boy$’ in concert here. A divisive act based on name alone, but one of their opening acts said something that really struck me about this town. “Man this place is better than Portland. It’s got some really good weed (I personally can not attest to that), some real good food, and some real good people.” And that, in essence, really does characterize this city for me. It’s a hub of culture, a hidden culture, one that you cant see from the outside. There is no “Eugenelandia” for easterners to gawk at. Truly a hidden gem (Emerald?) on the west coast. So I suppose in a much more lighthearted way, this is my Mecca. A bastion of culture at the bottom of the valley. A city that feels massive on foot. And I really am looking forward to exploring every inch of it. Especially if I can figure out how the bus system works soon. There’s no telling what I might find in this town. It really is a weird place, no were else like it. Hopefully soon I’ll make it down past my neck of the woods, and chances are on the way someone will pop out of the bushes to ask for a cigarette.

Also regarding the cubs victory: It’s disappointing because we can no longer use the joke about the last time the cubs winning a world series the Ottoman Empire still existed.