Five Charming Cities

After spending the first two days in Rome, hoped on a train to the Cinque Terre. It was a four hour train ride, but seemed like one hour due to the cute Italian couple next to us and the beautiful Italian country side.

The Italian couple were incredibly cute! The did not speak a work of English and of course I do not speak a word of Italian (expect those that I am lucky to pronounce correctly from our phrase book). But they desperately were trying to communicate with us. Luckly Lauren can speak Spanish, so she could make out some of the words...but most of the time I was completely lost. However, with much struggle and searching within our small (mostly useless) phrase books, we were able to make some conversation with them. For lunch they even gave us some of their fresh fruit and afterwards the lady pulled out some coffee and offered everyone in our car a small cup (basically a shot) of coffee. She told us that it was to "complete the meal." But they were super cute, and made the train ride very enjoyable and entertaining.

The second we stepped off the train in the Cinque Terre, we were struck with the areas beauty. These five towns are the most simple and relaxing and each village are so unique and have so much character! I quickly fell in love with the area! The towns had small beaches and plenty of rocks to swim by or to sun bathe on.

The view of the Cinque Terre when we stepped off the Train

Picture of me in Riomaggiore (the town we stayed in)

While in the Cinque Terre we also made several new friends...and I randomly ran into an old one. The first night in the Cinque Terre we met some Austrailians and New Zealanders. They showed us a great bar on the cliffs overlooking the water, however the best thing about the bar (other than the amazing view) was that wine was only 1 eur!! We also happened to be there for the Festival of St. John the Baptist, where there were fireworks in the town and a small parade.

Lauren and I hanging out with the Austrailians and New Zealanders at the bar

The next day we met some sisters from New Mexico. We actually ended up spending the next two days with them and became pretty good friends. The crazy thing is that both of them will be moving to NY at the end of this summer to start school (one at NYU). So I think we might try to hang out before I leave NY for Stanford.

While in the Cinque Terre we went on a hike that took you between all 5 of the towns. The hike took us about 5 hours, but that consisted of a lot of rests to take in the magnificent views the hike provided and the necessary gelato stops and lunch break in the towns. I loved the hike, I thought it was so much fun and had some amazing views!!! It was defintely the way you really expereince the area! The town of Monterosso, the first stop on our hike

Me, Lauren, Rachel and Nora on the 5 hr hike

One of my favorite pictures from the hike

Manarola from above.

Randomly while we were in one of the towns on our hike, I ran into one of my old friends from OSU Robbie Mitchell. It was so crazy because I was just walking down the street and we both saw eachother and were like...what...is that who I think it is...and it was! So crazy, it is amazing how small this world actually is. So he is staying in Siena (where we will be shortly) during the summer, and ended up taking a weekend trip to the Cinque Terre. So hopefully while we are in Siena we will be able to get together and catch up. Such a small world....

The Cinque Terre was amazing! I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing vacation in a charming area! Someday I hope to go back and spend a longer time there....it was truly an amazing and beautiful place.

A Picture of Riomaggiore
Me in front of Manarola (my favorite of the Cinque Terre Villages)

Don't worry...there are more pictures of the Cinque Terre to come!

Wandering the City

So far we have spent two whole days in Rome. The first was in the Vatican City. The second at the National Museum of Rome and wandering the city. No, unfortunatly I have not seen the Colosseum yet...but we are to return to Rome within a week and that is definitely on the agenda.

Here are some more photos of our wanderings throughout Rome.

A nice plaza where we ate dinner one night

Another Lovely Plazza

The Trevi Fountain

Me throwing money in the fountain and making a wish to Return to Rome

The Pantheon

The Bath Houses

I believe this is the Imperial Forum

When in Rome...do as the Romans do

Rome is a crazy city...it is certainly a hustle/bustle city with everyone going everywhere and usually fast! The transportation here is insane...especially coming from small old Corvallis! But it is seriously insane, there are so many people driving their tiny cars and scooters! I think I would be scared to death to drive over here!

But the insane traffic itself makes walking around slightly intimindating....at least at first. Lauren and I quickly learned the techniques to crossing the streets in Rome. "When in Rome...do as the Romans do" So Lauren and I did just that and instead of standing on the sides of streets with all the other tourists, we began to act like Romans and just walked across. Because the truth is that they will stop (when you are in the street and not waiting on the sidewalk). So you have to look for a slight break (or at least build up your courage) and step into the street and crossing streets become quite easy.

It becomes even easier if you can follow an Italian across the road because they are fearless! And even better is an Italian priest! Lauren and I were trying to cross a very busy street near Capitol Hill and found an Italian priest ready to cross. So we hurried up and closely followed him across the street. When we reached the "safe zone" in the center of the street we paused to consider stopping to take a photo of Capitol Hill, but decided it wasn't worth missing out on the easy of crossing the street behind the priest. I mean honestly, no Italian is going to hit a priest...so we were golden!

So just remember..."When in Rome, do as the Romans do"

Here is a picture of how small some of their cars are!!

Vatican City

On our first day in Rome we decided to start with the best--Vatican City.

Getting to Vatican City proved to be our first struggle. Public transportation in Rome is quite different than anywhere else I have travel, and especially for Lauren (and throw in there that everything is in Italian...it just makes it that much more confusing). However after lining up in several wrong lines, we bought our tickets for the metro and headed to the stop. But the fun didn't stop there! I have never been on such an incredibly crowded subway ever! We were honestly smashed up against everyone...no room to move. We even had to get off the train two stops before the Vatican exit because Lauren thought she was going to pass out. So after a bottle of water and resting on a bench we were prepared once again to withstand the crowded subway to get to our destination.

Finally we arrived and after a short wait in lines we entered the Vatican Museum. The museum was amazing with everything from Egyptian artifacts to hundreds of statues, paintings, tapestrys, and murals. Of course I always found the architectural and decoration of the building itself to be the most beautiful and often found myself gazing at the ceiling. But it was a great museum where I could have easily spent a whole day. The tour through the museum ended with the amazing Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel was a lot different that I expected. I honestly do not know what I expected...but basically it was a large room covered in the amazing art work of Michelangelo. It is very difficult to describe how beautitful it really is. The "Genesis Scene" is simple amazing. I really found the depictions of God seperating the light from the dark and and him creating the universe particularly interesting and beautiful. The Last Judgment mural was also so amazing. It was so incredible the way he showed the judgement day. Just being in the Sistine Chapel was very powerful and moving...it brought me to tears. It was simply incredible.


After we exited the Vatican Museum we headed to St. Peters Basilica. Now that place is incredible!!!! I was in awe the whole time I was inside! I now know why it is the center of the Roman Catholic faith...nothing comes close to it's beauty nor how much you feel God's presence. Once again I was moved to tears and sitting down to pray in there was an extrordinary expereince. I could never try to describe St. Peters Basilica's beauty to you and give it justice...just take look at my pictures.

Lauren and I in the Vatican Museum Courtyard















Me infront of St. Peters Basilica in The Vatican City

Inside of St. Peters Basilica...

Simply INCREDIBLE!!!

There are just so many more beautiful pictures I want to show!!

Over the Big Blue Ocean...

Well...I'm finally over here! After 5 years of plotting, I actually made it. On Monday, June 20th, I flew out of LAX with my friend Lauren to Europe!

The original plan was actually for me and my best friend, Jamie, to travel together...but due to recent events (specifically her marrage) she wasn't able to make it. But luckily I talked to my friend Lauren, a girl I met through PEER (Earthquake Nerd Trips) and currently is getting her Ph.D. from UCSD, and she happily decided to join me!















This is a picture of me after the long flight waiting to catch our train to Rome.

I would have to say the flight was not the most exciting nor funnest experience to go through...especially when you are stuck in the middle between two people who are sleeping the whole time--It makes it rather difficult to walk around or even make a trip to the bathroom! But oh well, we survived and easily made it to Rome. And here we are in Rome for the next two and 1\2 days.

It is quite amazing to be surrounded by so much history!

The Order of the Engineer

On Saturday, June 11th I took part in the Order of the Engineer Ceremony at OSU. I, along with many of my friends and collegues, recieved a steel ring symbolizing and took an oath declaring our dedication to the engineering profession. It was amazing to be among so many young and old engineers all who were declaring their passion and committment to the profession.

I first came across the Order of the Engineering Ceremony in my research for a paper on the "Quebec Bridge Collapse." I found the ceremony so fascinating and especially important for young engineers entering the profession that I knew I want to take part in one. So what did I do... I decided to organize one for OSU. It definitely took a lot of work, but with a lot of help from my friends and professors, the ceremony was a huge success.


Here is the 2005 Order of the Engineer Inductees at OSU

It was really an incredible site to see so many deans, professors and graduates turn out to publically display their dedication to the profession. However it was just as amazing to see the reaction of the families and friends of those partaking in the ceremony. All of that made organizing the ceremony worth it and I am proud to say that it will become a tradition at OSU and will now take place annually.

For those of you who don't know about the Order of the Engineer...here is a little history for you. The Order of the Engineer started from the Canadian Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. The Ritual of the Calling began in 1922 when Canadian engineers wanted to install in young engineers the understanding of the importance and social significance of their profession. At the ceremony the inductees receive a steel ring, which was originally made from steel from a fallen structure, to be worn on the pinky finger of their writing hand. "The ring symbolizes the pride which engineers have in their profession, while simultaneously reminding them of their humility. The ring serves as a reminder to the engineer and others of the engineer's obligation to live by a high standard of professional conduct."


Here is a pictures of a few of my friends and fellow inductees ( Ae-young Lee, Grahme Williams, Javier Moncada).
We were showing off our recently recieved "Engineer Rings"

Graduation

Well, it has happened. On Friday June 10th, I graduated from Oregon State University. For some it was just the night of the 2005 OSU Civil Engineering Graduation Ceremony, however for me it was a night to remember. I was given the honor of representing the Civil Engineering Students as one of the evening's student speakers. Additionally I was chosen by the CCEE faculty as "Outstanding Civil Engineering Student of the Year." Did I already say it was a great night?

The rest of the night was filled with visiting with close family and friends. It was so great that a lot of my family was able to make it, it really meant a lot that so many of them made the trip. It was nice to have everyone there to help celebrate with me.

The next day I had my graduation party where my family had the opportunity to meet my close friends at OSU. It was nice to be able to introduce my family to all those people they had heard about in my stories. And it was a good time to say goodbye to so many good friends.


Me and my grandma Donna


Me with my "Aunt" Sig-Linda and my "cousin" Marie.


Me with my family...I owe so much to them all


Me with my two friends Chris Prahl (left) and Mikal Mitchel (right).
Don't I look cute? I had just returned from my last indoor soccer game
(yes, the game was friday night after graduation...and yes I already know I'm crazy)


My good friends Cynthia and Dave. I went to high school with Cynthia...it was so great to
have her at OSU these last few terms. They are getting marring this August! I can't wait!


Me and my big bro Scott


Me and my good friend Courtney Carter. Courtney is in NY and I'm so excited to be able to
hang out with her again this summer while I'm over there for my internship!

Memorial Weekend

This last Memorial Weekend I spent in Leavenworth, WA rock climbing with a few of my good friends from Portland. Yes, I actually spent a whole weekend not studying! It was a first for me, but I would have to say that I deserved it. =)


The view from my tent...not bad huh?

Saturday morning my friends Kim, Spencer and I set out from Portland on the long drive to Leavenworth. With not too bad of traffic, we made it there by 1pm. Once in Leavenworth, we headed directly to the boulders. Meeting up with some of Kim and Spencer’s other good friends (Joe, Bridget, Katie, Pete, John, Josh, and many others) we started climbing some great problems.


My good friends Kim and Spencer

Katie, Kim and I started working some scary slab problems. They were slightly scary, but fun...I topped out on most of them. Then we went to work on some other awesome problems, one with a dyno move that I never stook (oh well, it was still fun trying). Later in the day we all went to the river to clean up and cool off. But the water was freezing!!! It reminded me of coldpools for soccer training. That night was spent eating and telling stories and jokes around the fire.

The next day was mostly spent climbing again with a dip in the river that afternoon (since it was so hot, we had no trouble dunking ourselves in the freezing water). Later in the afternoon a crazy storm rolled through, so we opted to head into town for our dinner. We found a german restaurant with a variety of food options (I chose to go with an authentic german meal). It was nice to walk through Leavenworth...it is a very cute town.

The next day I didn’t climb much, I believe I was more worried about the long drive I had ahead of me. I left Leavenworth by about 1pm and arrived in Corvallis around 7. Overall, it was a great trip with great friends!


Yes...that is what we do. Walk around in the woods looking for rocks to climb. =) What is not to love?


Bridget climbing...she is so amazing! Maybe that'll be me someday....

This Fall

This Fall instead of entering the profession as most of my peers are at this time. I will be continuing my education at Stanford University to get a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering.

Deciding upon a masters program was actually quite a stressful process, but after laying out all the facts and relying on my instincts, I decided Stanford was the place for me. With that I had to turn down offers (some with $$) from MIT, UT-Austin, and Cal-Berkeley.

At present I plan on taking the 5 quarter course in their Masters Program. This will give me an extra 6 months at Stanford, a slightly lighter class load and allow me to take part in many other activities other than my studies.

Picture of Stanford...Isn't it Beautiful?

I can’t easily express how excited I am to be attending Stanford next fall. When I visited, everything seemed perfect. I felt it really fit my personality and career goals. On top of it all...it is a gorgeous campus! And I definitely won’t be able to complain about the weather! =)

At Stanford I will be living in the Rain Houses and will have 4 roommates (yes, 4...that shall be interesting, but should be fun). I will give you more information about my Stanford experience as it takes place.

Summer Plans

Yes, my summer plans… All I can say is that this summer is going to be amazing. I will be jumping from one big adventure to the next. It will be very hard to return to school in the fall after all this, but I’m sure I will manage.

First on my list is a trip to Europe. I will be traveling through Italy, Spain and a little bit of France with my friend Lauren Stewart (she’s from UCSD, another fellow structural/earthquake engineering student). We leave June 20th and return to the states on July 20th.

After returning home for a week, I will ship off to New York City. Once in New York, I will be starting an internship with Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA). LERA is a structural engineering firm located in downtown NY. They design some of the world’s most famous and beautiful (in my opinion) buildings. Check out their website at: http://www.lera.com

A few photos of LERA's previous projects...

I am very excited to live in the city. I don't quite know where I am living yet...but I’ll find somewhere. But definitely let me know if you want to come and visit! Everyone is welcome to crash at my place! We can totally have a blast touring the city!

Graduation Nears...

Yes, I am finally going to graduate from college. It has only been 5 years in the running, but hey most everyone graduates in 5 years now-a-days.


OSU Memorial Union

But so many things have taken place over these 5 years I have spent at Oregon State University. Not only have I found a career that I have a passion for, but I have grown and changed so much as an individual.

It is funny how such a simple (yet important) decision can drastically change your life. Attending OSU sent my life in such a crazy direction, and definitely a direction I would have never expected. My original plan was to attend OSU to play for the OSU Women’s Soccer Team and had no clear major in mind. But my path quickly changed as I discovered civil engineering and dived head first into pursuing that degree and career.

Since then, I quit soccer, became overly involved in the ASCE Student Chapter on campus (eventually becoming President), took part in 2 CECOP internships in Portland, completed my first structural design (a remodel of a fire station in Portland), and here I am 5 years later preparing to graduate and move on to my next adventures.

My time spend at OSU has been so amazing! I meet so many amazing people and made life-long friends. I will definitely miss it here in little old Corvallis, but I am also excited to leave because now there are just too many exciting things to look forward to!

The Beginning...

As graduation nears, my adventures come out from my dreams and into reality.

In a week an a half I will close a chapter in my life that has been five years in the making. My time spent at OSU will be over, but never forgotten.

The exciting thing is that this is just the beginning...and so much more will be to come!