My First Adventure

This weekend I went to the Oregon Coast with my roommate and some of her friends, who I now affectionately refer to as "my friends". Here are some pictures of the coast...

Isn't it gorgeous? I was so amazed!! We drove out in the morning and met up with some wardies who were already out there for a sleepover at some kid's beach house. We all went for a hike and were promised that the end would involve some sort of pirate beach and caves (yes, that's pirate, not private). However, our hike was cut short by a big fence and a sign that said the rest of our hike had been turned into a nature sanctuary and we couldn't go any further...boo hoo. But, there was plenty more exploring to do in the big meadows and up onto this great peak that overlooked the water. The hiking was amazing! I was so happy to find that on my very first weekend in Portland, I was already doing all of the fun outdoorsy things that I love to do. After the hike we went down to the beach. It was beautiful, sort of similar to Malibu with it's tall cliffs and rockiness. However, it was FREEZING! We were in Lincoln City, which is apparantly known for it's high winds, which make it perfect for kite flying...not perfect for sunning yourself on the beach. I was in jeans and a jacket and still cold. Despite the frigid weather, one girl decided to get into the water. She is crazy and I will from here on out refer to her as such. After the beach we made a brief stop at the outlets...but I was way too tired to shop. Then we had dinner at Mo's which is a local seafood joint with really yummy clam chowder. Delish!

So, all in all it was a fantastic day. I have to admit that it's still a little hard being the new guy and not knowing anyone. And, people seem to be really young. But, I have met a few really cool people who I hope will be my buds. This is my new friend Kaydi, who I felt an instant connection with. She's really fun and adventurous we seem to have a lot in common so far. I just have to be patient with the awkwardness of being new and feeling needy for friends. I still miss my LA peeps quite a bit...and always miss everyone else that I'm far away from. You all need to come up and visit asap...maybe you will fall in love with it and move up here with me!!

Tomorrow we are going boating! Yes...boating! There are several people in the ward who have boats so we're going to go out to the river and go water skiing and wakeboarding. I'm super excited!! I grew up water skiing on my friend Amy's lake and I haven't been in a very long time. I'll post more on that adventure soon! Love and miss you all like crazy!!