My name is Ray Randol and I am going to be a Junior at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where I live during the school years. Over the summers, I live in Portland and work at the summer camp Trackers Earth. I study music at U of O, my instrument being the French Horn. My hobbies include music, spending time outdoors, and martial arts.
![Italian.presto Headshot of Franny Gaede](https://blogs.uoregon.edu/exploringdolomites22/files/2022/07/Italian.presto.jpeg)
A place I enjoy going is a site in the Bull Run that I go to for work. It’s called BREC, which stands for Bull Run Education Center. I have many fond memories there, nothing beats roaming around in the woods.
![BREC.jpg Brown, fluffy cat sleeping on a cat bed](https://blogs.uoregon.edu/exploringdolomites22/files/2022/07/BREC.jpg.jpg)
![map of italy Orange cat looking up from a straw basket](https://blogs.uoregon.edu/exploringdolomites22/files/2022/07/map-of-italy.jpg)
I decided to start studying Italian because of Italy’s rich musical history and strong ties to my area of study. I greatly enjoy learning the language, and I really looking forward to being able to practice with other language students as well as with native speakers. And, of course, I am extremely excited to be spending time in Italy.
![map of italy Flowers, in shadow](https://blogs.uoregon.edu/exploringdolomites22/files/2022/07/map-of-italy.jpg)