Farewell

Now that my semester in Idaho has come to a close, I look back and realize I have learned very much: about Idaho, the west, and myself. Coming to Moscow, Idaho as a 'misplaced southerner' was definitely a culture shock to begin with. I was at a large state university as a second semester junior and didn't know anyone. Enter the Beta chapter.

After briefly exchanging emails with the president of the Gamma Gamma chapter of Beta Theta Pi last semester, I knew that I had the potential to be among brothers, even if I was 2500 miles away. At the beginning of the semester, I felt like a freshman all over again, having to learn dozens of names as fast as possible. However,  I got along with all of them so easily because they reminded me so much of my Upsilon brothers back home: they were men of principle. I was on the house meal plan, so I got to eat with them every day, which helped with name memory. Through them, the greatness of my experience increased tenfold. I made so many memories with the brothers of the Gamma Gamma chapter.

I went skiing for the first time ever, traveled to Boise, traveled to Jackson Hole, camped in Montana, and so much more. I was shown 'southern hospitality' by my brothers and their parents, which was so comforting for me. This has been such a great experience for me, and it has been surprisingly difficult to say goodbye to the guys here. Being an honorary member of their chapter, I will definitely be back, I'm just not sure when.
During senior testimonials, where the seniors of the chapter share their experiences and give advice to the underclassmen, I picked up a piece of valuable advice that I have started to really embrace. Life is about making memories. Do whatever makes the most memories.

I plan to.

Arboretum

Now that the weather finally became spectacular (as I'm about to leave), I got to go to the UI Arboretum to take pictures. Taking a tree class this semester has given me a new-found appreciation for trees, and it was cool being able to recognize a few of them. The arboretum itself was located in a pristine dip of land next to the UI golf course. Did I mention, I went on a beautiful day?

The arboretum was divided into different geographical sections of the world. Part was Europe, part was Asia, part was the American West, and the last was the American East. I got to see a bunch of trees from all over the world.

I had been to the arboretum a couple of times with my forestry class, but this was probably my favorite visit.

PCEI

Every Thursday afternoon this semester I have been volunteering at the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute. It is a nature center in Moscow that focuses on restoration projects and sustainability. Many times it would be covered in snow or soaked in rain, but now that it is getting to be nicer weather here, I can appreciate the beauty of the landscape even more. This is a shot of it when biking in.

I would do various projects around the facility, such as painting, planting, potting, and landscaping. The people running the place were hard-working, nice people, many of whom were in AmeriCorps.

The sustainability of the center was incredible, and being an environmental science major, I greatly enjoyed it. All of the plants they and their volunteers pot go to stream restoration, to be planted on the banks to prevent erosion.

The restroom on site is completely sustainable. Lights are powered by the solar panel, the water in the toilet and sink are rain runoff, and all of the waste goes to composting bins in the basement of the facility. I've never seen a restroom like that before, but I would definitely like to see more like it everywhere.

Once all of the snow melted off of the hills, I got to take some good shots of the whole facility from the highest point.

Volunteering at PCEI has been a rewarding experience for sure.