“I love you,” I said to my boyfriend this afternoon. “I’ll see you in a month.”
With a heavy heart, I walked away from him. Our eyes met with one last glance and we went our separate ways.
We’ve been a long-distance couple for a year. It was hard at first because we went from working and living together to seeing each other every few weeks. This school year, we’re going longer without seeing each other. I’m working weekends and can’t come home on a whim. Also, I have a bunkmate this semester. We have to plan his visits and get a hotel when he does come. But, I’m only two and a half hours from him, so it’s not a problem for him to come up just for a night at a time.
So, here’s my hot take: I like long distance. Don’t get me wrong, I love my boyfriend and I miss him every day that I’m not with him, but I’m a very independent person. To be honest, I’m very needy when I am with him, because he does all kinds of things for me – acts of service are my love language. But because I’m an independent girly, I do okay as long as I’m staying busy.
I think that everyone should do long distance at least once in their relationship. I think having some space from each other is healthy. You can find out who you are without them while being with them at the same time. Even if it’s a two-week family vacation without your partner or a temporary school or work relocation, it can fortify your relationship.
The most important thing to remember when you’re in a long-distance relationship is that communication is key. In this modern age, we have technology that keeps us connected better than ever. My boyfriend and I video call each other on Snapchat at least once a day; several times if possible.
Another thing that’s important is to remind them that you love them just as much when you’re apart as when you’re together. A great way to do that is sending letters. I know there are more efficient ways to communicate, but letters make great keepsakes that will foster fond memories you can look back on in the years to come.
If I could choose, I’d still do long distance. Maybe not for a year – it’ll be two when I’m done with school – but at least for a few months. Because of this trial of our love, we are stronger than ever.
My whole life I’ve been told to “travel young,” “travel while you still can,” and “travel now because it only gets harder as life goes on.” I gained my love for travel my freshman year of high school when I had the amazing opportunity to go to Mexico with my aunt and uncle. Since then I have gone three more times. I have also been to Dallas, Texas and California’s bordering states. Traveling is one of the things that I love to do most. I was supposed to go to Costa Rica in 2020, but like many other people that year, I had to cancel my trip due to COVID-19 rapidly spreading through our world.
When I went to Dallas during the summer of 2021 for two weeks, it showed me how much I missed traveling and seeing new places, people and cultures. Right now, the only thing that has been holding me back is school.
The pandemic has been hard to navigate as a young adult and as a student, but I try to find silver linings in everything. With most courses still online, I have been able to adjust my schedule so that the majority of my classes are on Zoom or are completely asynchronous, which gives me the opportunity to travel this semester.
Keeping up with school while traveling is a whole monster in itself. Operating in a different time zone has its challenges. You have to figure out what time it is at home versus wherever you are and keep track of what time classes meet. Trying to discover new places while having class also presents a challenge because your time management skills have to be at a peak level, not to mention the fear of contracting the virus in the process and not being able to get back to the US if you leave.
During this school year, I have been able to go to Mexico twice. Yes, I am privileged to do this since I work for an airline, but what can I say? This is a field where you can mix business and pleasure. The first time was only for two days, so I went to the class that took attendance and was able to do my homework in the airports. This last time, however, was for a week and I was able to attend the first week of classes online. One of the struggles of starting the semester abroad is not having access to textbooks, but I found a way to survive.
Even as a full-time student, I have managed to find a way to travel and see the world. It is difficult but it is so possible and so worth it. I encourage you to try and see the world. Stop staring at your computer screen in your apartment trying to get an education. Do the same thing on a beach somewhere, or in an Airbnb a few hours away. Just live your life.
Humboldt State students from Los Angeles and San Francisco take the long journey back to HSU with the Homeward Bound buses.
The trip takes about 14 hours for those who board the bus in Los Angeles, while it takes eight hours for those who board the bus in San Francisco. The buses travel approximately 650 miles to get back to Arcata. There are occasional pit stops within the commute.
Ana Vazquez is one of the many students who took the bus from Los Angeles.
“I had a nice break,” Vazquez said. “I got a chance to sleep more than I did when I was at Humboldt, so that’s a plus.”
Another student, Jason Barnes, said he prefers traveling on the Homeward Bound bus.
“I like to take long trips like this,” Barnes said. “On Amtrak, there’s weird people, but here it’s easier to sleep throughout the ride.”
Students like John Martinez come prepared for long trips.
“My phone kills a lot of time when it comes to taking trips like this,” Martinez said. “I’m either listening to music or texting to friends and family when I have cell service.”
Even with the long hours students endure when traveling by bus, the Homeward Bound services have proven to be a better alternative for students to travel out from Humboldt.
Finals are upon us, but so is winter break. It’s time to make travel plans again.
Some people huff at the thought of making travel arrangements, especially since many of us just got back from a long-awaited and well-deserved Thanksgiving break. Needless to say, we’re also readjusting to the home stretch of this semester.
In spite of that, we encourage you to invest some of your downtime thinking about the places you’ve always wanted to visit and make it happen during winter break. Write down the destinations, pull up Google Maps or TripAdvisor and start researching your fantasy voyage. The simple act of routing that one landmark you must finally check out with the restaurant you need to try could be more fun than you expected. The ultimate goal here is to try new things in new places and maybe meet inspiring people along the way. This can be anywhere between the pub down the street you’ve been meaning to visit or backpacking through Europe. Either way, you’d essentially step outside of your comfort zone and gain new experiences. These are two invaluable components of growing up and expanding your mind in a world full of narrow-minded blockheads.
A few of us are strapped for cash or don’t drive, but don’t fret. It’s not completely hopeless.
Humboldt State’s Homeward Bound Bus Charter Program “provides students with discounted round-trip transportation from Arcata directly to San Francisco or Los Angeles.”
If that doesn’t work for you, consider HSU’s carpool program, JackPass, Zagster, Zimride and Zipcar. Visit parking.humboldt.edu for more details.
The pressures of finals will surely stress us out, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Plan accordingly and don’t forget about the potential road constructions due to winter conditions. Good luck, safe travels and enjoy your upcoming adventures.
It’s common knowledge that traveling outside of Humboldt county is a long trip. Plenty of students are getting ready to scurry down south to begin summer vacation, while families and friends of Humboldt State University graduates prepare to make the drive to Humboldt for the graduation ceremony. With the recent storm that has recently hit Humboldt county in the past months, various repairs have been needed along the 101, including a huge rock slide. The usual quickest route back south, Highway 101, may not be such a good choice for students heading home, or families and friends heading to Humboldt..
Eli Shannon, freshman psychology major, is finishing up his first year at HSU. “I was planning on leaving about a week after finals,” Shannon said. “If the 101 is closed I guess I’m taking the 299.” Shannon’s remark may sound similar to other students who are planning on reaching their destinations as fast possible.
Currently US 101 has two locations of 1-way controlled traffic, both being in Mendocino county. One of these locations is 12 miles north of Dora Creek Bridge, and the other being south of Garberville. Around 6 miles of the 101 are being reduced to one lane both ways in southern Humboldt County.
Some students have people coming up to watch the graduation ceremony. One of those graduating students is Araceli Gracia. She is a child development major who will be walking this month.
“I’m planning on telling my family to take the 299 instead,” Gracia said. “It would be better to take the 299 to be safe rather than taking the 101 getting stuck or having to turn around and take longer.”
The inconveniences on the 101 are another worry for students as they prepare for finals. Worrying about passing classes is stressful enough without having to endure a lengthy car ride home. One student who calls San Diego home is Melissa Blanford, a marketing major with a minor in English. “Yeah I guess I’m kinda annoyed that there will be traffic,” Blanford said. “But I’m not really worried about it considering I have finals to worry about.”
Super-star naturalist Jeff Corwin walked out onto the stage at HSU’s Van Duzer Theatre to a cheering and excited crowd. Immediately, the child in me bubbled over and I was thrown back to my younger years when the world was for exploring and Jeff Corwin was showing me how. This particular evening would be very similar, only my childhood hero would be talking less about exotic animals and instead be tackling climate change.
Corwin visited HSU this past Saturday as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series: Tales From the Field. He is an emmy award winning television host and wildlife biologist who has been on the Discovery Channel, CNN, Disney Channel, NBC, Animal Planet, and even the Food Network. Currently he is the host of the television show “Ocean Treks”, but he is best known for his show in the early 2000s, “The Jeff Corwin Experience”.
I grew up watching Corwin travel the world talking about wild animals and nature. I have looked to him for guidance as an adult conservationist, and he has inspired my wonder for the natural world. I had been looking forward to seeing him in person for the first time in my life, and anticipated he would give the crowd something to walk away with.
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,” Corwin said. “We borrow it from our children.”
Corwin spent over three hours talking and answering questions about his career and his concerns on climate change. He reminded the audience of the dangers it poses to our planet. But unlike so many climate change talks I have witnessed, Corwin had a sense of optimism despite the alarming figures he shared.
He used multiple examples of endangered species to move through his points. He profiled species that were on the brink of extinction that recovered because of the efforts of humans. Corwin seems to believe that with the right amount of passion and scientific approach that humankind can slow climate change and save wildlife.
“We can do amazing things,” Corwin said. “I don’t think conservation is about politics. You can look at incredible conservation stories, successful and disastrous, that happened from both [political parties].”
Throughout the evening Corwin took the audience through his life as a television host. I have always loved the energy and sense of humor Corwin has brought to his adventures, and to hear about what was going on behind the scenes was very special.
The charismatic television host spoke for about an hour before taking questions from the audience. As the night pressed on, he continued taking questions until he had answered every last one, over 25 personal questions. Corwin did an excellent job combining inside facts about his life while inspiring his audience to continue defending the environment.
“The best thing you can do is begin in your community,” Corwin said. “Find some level of passion in whatever you do.”
Humboldt State’s spring break just ended. Some Lumberjacks submitted pictures via Instagram to show what they were up to over their #LJspringbreak.
Daylight_hallucinations Does anyone know if Hogwarts has a Grad school Program? I’m desperate!!! #ljspringbreak #springbreak#harrypotter #hogwarts #socal #ravenclaw#losangeles #gradschoolproblems Location: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Hollywood
Adam.tricomo Flowers for daysss Location: The Flower Fields, Carlsbad, California
Kor_g HIGH-5 to this stud who just hit an automatic qualifying time for NCAA National Championships in the 400m hurdles. Beyond proud to call you not only my teammate but my best friend #running #humboldt #teammates#bestfriend #roommate #humbuildt #ccaa #running #ljspringbreak Location : Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, California
Aaronpudlicki Got to see rocks 2 billion years older than this planet (6,000 years) today Location: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Baileyyboyd Sad Spring Break is coming to an end, but also excited because Thailand is only a month and a half away!!! Here is a recap of my Spring Break: #JPhlip #FernCanyon #HumboldtHikes#GoodFriends #Elk #LJSpringBreak#NoBadDays Location: Humboldt County, California
Xsession Day 72! Don’t mind the face. I was nervous Location: Hammond Trail Bridge, Mckinleyville, California
Ishouldvebeenabear Here’s to what felt like the shortest vacation ever #findyourpark #archesnationalpark #ilovebears #saverbearsears #girlstrip #springbreak Location: Arches National Park, Utah
Filled with diversity, delicious food, and beautiful sightseeing, San Francisco is a travel hotspot within the United States. With so many sights to see these are just a few the popular spots around San Francisco.
Humboldt State will be going on spring break next week. Spring break is an opportunity for students to travel, relax, and take a break from studies. We hit the streets to ask some fellow Lumberjacks what they are going to be up to next week.
Photo | Curran Daly
I’m heading to Red Rock Canyon right outside Las Vegas to go rock climbing. The rock climbing there is world class.
-Max Kittel, senior, environmental management and protection major
Photo | Curran Daly
I’m gonna travel down to Santa Barbara to visit a friend, then I’m going to visit my awesome roommate in Pasadena and visit Joshua Tree and then I’m going home to celebrate my mother’s birthday.
-Melissa Lozano, freshman, environmental science major
Photo | Curran Daly
I’m doing absolutely nothing, I’ll be staying in my dorm. My friend might be coming up from Southern California so we might do some hiking.
-Kelsey Meusburger, junior, psychology major
Photo | Curran Daly
I am going to be staying on campus and researching for a class. I’m going to be researching Tibet and the Himalayas.
-Quint Migliardi, junior, geography major
Whatever you’re doing over spring break, have a fun and safe time.
Going somewhere cool for Spring Break? Or just staying home? Take a selfie of yourself and tag #LJSpringBreak in the caption for a chance for it to be in the next issue of The Lumberjack.
“On a roadtrip? Things rarely go as planned, but that’s part of the adventure,” said Sean Sesanto, a senior Humboldt State University student from Santa Cruz, Calif.
Stormy roads carved into snow 12 feet tall, trespassed tent sites, and driving directions gone adrift. These unanticipated parts of my recent Oregon road trip made for moments of wariness but enlivened the memories. The key to appreciating bumps in the road is expecting the unexpected.
“My only road trip preventions = time & money,” said Jenna Kelmser. Kelmser is an environmental science major at Humboldt State. The response reverberates the words of many students and potential road trippers.
Planning a road trip to Oregon may sound difficult with time and money constraints. Once these are bypassed, obstacles such as car trouble or being generally unprepared may also present themselves.
I’d never ventured Oregon before my Feb. 2017 trip. I let the aforementioned roadblocks prevent me from setting out despite being just south of Oregon’s border. I’d heard about Oregon’s natural wonders, culinary experiences, and breweries from friends and websites. It took me two years. My suggestion? Don’t wait to go. Oregon’s whimsical wanderings- hot springs, waterfalls, quirky cities- will not disappoint.
Oregon is a welcoming expanse, with speed your only real limit. Use this Oregon road trip guide to prepare for the road and get out there right now. Money
Total cost of my quintessential Oregon road trip? $280. My strategies:
-Camp when not in a big city. State parks and national recreation areas are cheap options ($10-20). There’s plenty of free dispersed camping as well. CampgroundsOregon.com maps all of these and has helpful search filters. Just make sure to check the box “redo search when map is moved.”
-Travel with others and divide the costs
-Keep eating out and making food at a 50:50 split
-Have drinks before going to the bars
-Focus on free recreation possibilities
-Find free or cheap firewood within your community
Use a budget calculator to estimate your trip costs. Once you know your total, you can reign in regular spending. Destination photos are great motivators for sticking to this. OutdoorBlueprint.com breaks down road trip planning in a way that people of experience levels can appreciate. Access its budget planner from the “Read” section of the home page.
Lambs ear plants flock the Valley of the Rogue SP Campground | Photo by Scott McCrary
Time
The week before the road trip, make a list of imminent tasks. Then match those tasks with a tentative completion day. It doesn’t have to be exact, but gives the brain a good idea of how to manage within the available time.
Use TravelOregon.com to estimate travel and activity times. It has excellent graphics and trip ideas. Anything you find on Travel Oregon can be added to a Roadtrippers website account by clicking “add to my Oregon road trip”. Roadtrippers has a page for each thing added with locations, hours, and detailed reviews.
Weather
Travel Oregon made an Oregon Weather Compass (OregonWeatherCompass.com) that shows you where you can find sun, snow or rain anywhere in the state. The Oregon Department of Transportation (tripcheck.com) shows all road restrictions, closures, and weather hazards.
Snowshoeing the Raven Ski Trail at Crater Lake NP | Photo by Scott McCrary
Car
-Carpool with others to avoid fatigue. Whether or not you can drive, you can help keep drivers awake.
-Inspect your vehicle or get it inspected before taking off. This is always less costly and time consuming. Proper tire pressure and fluid levels are included in any car manual. Some auto shops offer a free check with simple servicing, such as an oil change. Others offers inspections for around $20. American Automobile Association (AAA) members get free inspections.
-Know how to change a tire, jump a car battery, and put on snow chains. In Oregon there can be snow just over 1,000 feet elevation. Instructions are easy to find on YouTube.
Directions
-Save maps or directions detailed enough to use when service is lost. Download these to a phone or print them out.
-Glance at directions beforehand if you are driving to avoid confusion.
Snow towers over the road to the Steel Visitor Center at Crater Lake National Park | Photo by Scott McCrary
Gear
-Borrow gear from friends. Make sure to return it clean and in good condition.
-Rent items that you don’t use often. (i.e. snowshoes). Humboldt State Center Activities is great for this.
-Be prepared for the weather, and have a plan if items get wet (such as a laundromat).
The Trip
How long did it take me to indulge in the Rogue River, Crater Lake, Umpqua Hot Springs, Toketee Falls, and Portland? Just three days.
Night 1: Valley of the Rogue State Park Campground
Day 1: Snowshoeing Crater Lake
Night 2: BLM’s Susan Creek Campground – closed for winter
Day 2: Umpqua Hot Springs, Toketee Falls, Portland nightlife
Night 3: Airbnb in northeast Portland
Day 3: Exploring Portland, Corvallis pit stop
View an interactive map and detailed info for this trip.
It’s been a record high year for rain and snow according to N.O.A.A., so to escape the wet coast, students head for the snowy mountains to get their adrenaline fix.
A group of Humboldt State students load up their cars with warm clothes, snowboards, skis, and sleds as they head 40 minutes out of Arcata to hit the fresh snow. | Photo by Ryan Wiegman
Skis and snowboards loaded in the bed of a pickup truck early Saturday morning. Horse Mountain, according to Six Rivers National Forest, hasn’t had a significant amount of snow in a several years, but this year there is about 3 feet of snow. That’s enough to cover rocks and small trees, and allow Humboldt residents to safely play in the snow. | Photo by Ali Osgood
Environmental engineering senior, Derek Roelle, gears up to walk a quarter mile down the snowy road to the open slopes. | Photo by Ryan Wiegman
Clayton Kelley, a senior recreation administration, tries out a new line. He has been skiing since he was five and visits Horse Mountain a few times a month in the winter. | photo by Ryan Wiegman
Recreation administration senior Sara Schneider values escaping into nature between her busy weekdays. “Skis get degrees,” Schneider said as she looked back at her roommate who just face planted in the snow. | Photo by Ryan Wiegman
HSU alumnus Harry Ward carves into the fresh snow on Saturday. He drove up from Lake Tahoe and was surprised by the quality of snow in Humboldt County. “I thought it was gonna be way worse,” Ward said. | Photo by Ryan Wiegman
Dylan Fluet attempts to ‘Mary Poppins’ his way off the cliff. “It didn’t work” Fluet admitted. | Photo by Ryan Wiegman
Marina Marcroft and Jake Campbell watch as Fluet and Roelle try sledding over a drop off into a small creek. | Photo by Ali Osgood
After sledding out of control into the freezing creek, Fluet poses for a Snapchat. “If you didn’t get a picture, it didn’t happen,” Fluet said. | Photo by Ali Osgood
Kelley sends a front flip off a jump he built earlier that week. He’s been skiing since he was five and is always looking to push his limits. | Photo by Ryan Wiegman
Marina Marcroft sleds down a short slope while her friends took a break. The sun came out for about 30 minutes between heavy snowfall. | Photo by Ali Osgood
(From left) Jake Campbell, Derek Roelle, Marina Marcroft, and Dylan Fluet enjoy a hot meal and a cold beer after a long day in the snow. | Photo by Ali Osgood
Clayton Kelley hikes up a cliff on Titlow Hill in the Horse Mountain Botanical Area. “Being able to see the ocean and ski is pretty incredible,” Kelley said. “It’s one of the few places in California where it is even possible.” | Photo by Ryan Wiegman
Miki Fukasawa’s journeyed from Sagamihara City, Japan, to Arcata, Calif. in his pursuit of playing baseball in America.
“My lifelong dream was to play baseball in America and now I am,” Fukasawa said.
Fukasawa is a catcher on the Humboldt State Intramural Baseball team. Fukasawa came to HSU in a study abroad program. He previously attended J.F. Oberlin University, located about an hour outside of Tokyo, Japan. There, Fukasawa was studying English. Fukasawa was also a catcher on the J.F. Oberlin baseball team and hopes to rejoin the his former team after his semester at HSU.
“When I move back to Japan, I want to learn more English, and play baseball as long as possible,” Fukasawa said. “The dream would be to become a professional baseball player either in Japan, or even for Major League Baseball.”
Fukasawa found out about the study abroad program, from some friends at his university back home.
Fukasawa said that so far he cannot complain about the Humboldt life. His favorite food since arriving at HSU has been the pizza from The Depot on campus. Fukasawa said that he feels no added pressure to perform on the baseball team, and that he enjoys his teammates very much
Fukasawa found housing in Arcata with fellow intramural teammate and HSU student Christian Clouthier. Clouthier is a second year transfer student from Sacramento. This is Clouthier’s second season with the team, while also acting as the team treasurer. These duties include getting people reimbursed for away games, collecting the dues of the players, and estimating the total cost of the season expenses.
Clouthier has done more than that, he has opened his apartment to Fukasawa for the semester. Clouthier lives in the same complex with an international student coordinator at Humboldt State, who told him about Fukasawa.
“It was just me and my girlfriend in the apartment, she is half Japanese and thought it would be a good idea,” Clouthier said. “We had an extra room, so we thought it would be a good thing to do.”
Fukasawa is not the only Japanese ball player on the HSU intramural squad, Shinya Arai is from Kanazawa, the capital city of Ishikawa, Japan. He also plays catcher and a little bit of third base for the intramural team.
“I have always wanted to attend an American university. I chose HSU because I like the California climate,” Arai said.
Arai started playing ball around when he was around 9 years old, but stopped around junior high school. He was fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to the HSU team.
Arai has enjoyed his time in Humboldt County, he is staying in an apartment in McKinleyville. His favorite food so far has been from the Chinese restaurants around town.
Arai likes playing on the baseball team, but says at times there can be confusion on the field with the language barrier.
When Arai returns home he will continue with school, and learn more about travel and english, in hopes of one day becoming a sightseeing organizer.
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#running #humboldt #teammates#bestfriend #roommate #humbuildt #ccaa #running #ljspringbreak
#findyourpark #archesnationalpark #ilovebears #saverbearsears #girlstrip #springbreak
