Lewis and Clark College is nestled in the Willamette Valley of Portland, Oregon, and proudly boasts of its high ranking on lists of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States, and many educational opportunities of outdoor trips that involve hiking, kayaking, and/or skiing. While these aspects of the school certainly played a part in my decision to attend after high school, it was largely something else that guaranteed my decision: the feeling of being at home. In the midst of college applications and AP testing, my family and I took a trip to Portland to visit the campus, and within a few minutes I had made my decision.
As I graduated high school, spent my last summer living with my parents in California, and finally moved into my dorm, I could increasingly see that I had made the right decision.
It was Elvira, my roommate, Journey, our close friend, and myself. Journey had somehow gotten us a bottle of Fireball, a strong and sweet whiskey that is probably the favorite of no one who isn’t in college. We sat on the floor of the dorm room, in between Elvi’s and my bed, the three of us in a circle around the bottle. Although we could easily just drink, I suggested we play a game instead. My memory is fuzzy and I don’t really remember the game, but it doesn’t matter, because I remember the fun that came afterwards. Journey and I choreographed a dance together that I still have the video of. It was a dance to Fergie’s “Fergalicious,” inherently ridiculous but altogether fun. At the countdown of “Four trés two uno” we started to dance, shaking our heads wildly from side to side and pumping our fists into the air.
Needing to take a break and hoping to cool down with something cold, I grabbed ice cream from our mini-fridge in the corner of the room underneath the desk that had been built into the wall. It was Honey Lavender flavor from Salt and Straw, an ice cream shop that originated in Portland and has the most interesting flavors that I had ever seen. The olive oil flavor is a personal favorite of mine, and is only available in Oregon.
As I took a spoon straight into the pint of ice cream, I remember I had a load of laundry waiting for me in the basement. Luckily, at Lewis and Clark, there was an unwritten rule that stealing other people’s clothes is unnecessary, immature, and rude, so I could spend time in my room without having to sit near the machines while the clothes were washed and dried. Stepping out of the room and still eating ice cream, I spotted someone in the study area common for each floor. As the floors were co-ed, he was a neighbor from another hall. I had seen him before, and only talked to him once or twice. But, feely confident and fuzzy from the alcohol, I approached him easily. He had an easy smile, the kind that lights up an entire room, and I was pleased to see him grinning at me. His blue eyes sparked and he raised a hand up to wave. It wasn’t until later in the semester that we held hands in public, or even at all, and once had a homeless person tell us we were a cute couple as we walked around downtown Portland together.
But for now, I simply smiled back. We chatted, and I was confident enough to tap his nose with my finger at one point during the conversation, when he was being especially cute. I dismissed myself to still handle my laundry, but I’m almost positive it was this interaction that caused him to eventually ask me out. I think I used to be more spontaneous, a little more carefree.
I finally grabbed my laundry, made it back up the stairs, and to my room. Journey and Elvi were still there, laughing and chatting like I had never left. They had both gotten snacks of their own at this point, a frozen pizza that they microwaved and chips.
This is how I choose to remember my time spent in Portland. This is how I choose to remember that semester. That semester I found out I was going to leave my new life there, and say goodbye to the happiest I had ever been. That semester I cried and laughed, and hated having to pack up to leave. But I was going home to take care of my mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer. I will never be the same for so many reasons, but I choose to remember this season fondly.
A Composition of Self by Alexis Rivera 