Week 2: Help! I'm living in a land where people can't say OREGON correctly!

So I have reached the two week mark here in Chicagoland and I've made a few observations that I feel are worth noting:

• Everyone and their mom wears Sperry boat shoes.
• (many)People from the midwest cannot pronounce Oregon correctly. They prounounce it like "Or-eee-GONE".
• Chicago sure looks a lot like Oregon when it rains.
• Gas is flippin' expensive here.
• What do you know, even in grad school Pinterest can still serve as quite the impressive distraction! 
• Did you know that you can pay ~$35,000 a year in tuition and your school can't even afford a decent gym? Well now you know.
• No one knows where Corvallis is.

All these things have only made my love for Oregon grow exponentially! I am counting down the days until I get to return to the luscious, green northwest. But in the meantime...

Pharmacy school isn't too bad! (I'll probably look back at this and want to kick myself in the face for ever uttering these words...) Everyone said that I would have to study a lot so I pretty much came in with the expectation that that's what I would have to do! I haven't had any tests yet but I am actually enjoying the material that I am studying. That's a good sign, right?

I haven't been able to visit any churches yet due to my lack of vehicle...but I am hoping that changes soon. I am really craving fellowship.

I am missing my homies back home. It's been great having phone dates and receiving letters from friends. That is the only thing making this whole long distance relationship with Oregon bearable.

Lastly, my beavers defeated #13 Wisconsin today! I don't have a TV and was studying most of the day but I was able to listen to the wonderful voice of Mike Parker via internet radio! Luckily I was the only one in the study lounge because I would pretty much scream every time the beavers got a first down, field goal, sack, touchdown, penalty in their favor, etc...They made me proud today :)