i even found a starbucks.

I find myself referring to Portland-- or really, anywhere outside of Logan, Utah-- as "the real world." For example, I just thought to myself, "Oh, it's only 2:30 in the real world." At this point, Logan is this la la land stuck in a little canyon that boasts a population of under 50,000 and an average winter temperature of 20 degrees-- and somehow, in my head, that cannot be the real world. My main source of entertainment lately has been simply driving throughout Logan and getting a feel of it. Sometimes I think, hey, it's a real city, too! (The other day I even found a Starbucks!) But within about five minutes driving in either direction, I wind up in the outskirts of town among the homemade craft vendors and farming supply stores, and I mentally demote Logan to a dinky small town once again. I have yet to find out what there actually is to do here besides studying, doing puzzles and country dancing (I graciously declined the offer to go country dancing with my roommates the other night) but that doesn't mean I've given up hope! One good (nay, amazing!) thing about Logan being in the middle of nowhere, however, is that it's surrounded almost completely by amazing natural facilities. There's a campground about two minutes away from my apartment (Green Canyon), as well as Beaver Mountain, Bear Lake, the Wind Caves, oh man. It's such a different environment from Oregon, and I'm terrified for winter, but there are so many opportunities to go out and experience nature at its finest. I just wish I had someone to go on adventures with! I did sign up for Forestry Club and the Berryman Institute (a wildlife management club), and hopefully I'll stumble upon some other adventures later on. For now, though, Logan and I are still awkward acquaintances that secretly have it out for each other. But who knows, maybe I'll love freezing to death at 4600 feet, and Cache Valley will become the "real world." Life's full of surprises.