Hey everyone, it's Rei!
1. Don't Procrastinate
2. Write stuff down
3. Get some fresh air
4. Study outside!
- ONIT cafe @Federal way
- Coffee Kitchen @Lakewood
- Garfield 208 @Parkland
Hey everyone, it's Rei!
Hi everyone!
With summer only being a few weeks away, I figured it was time for some tips on what to do in our area during your summer break! Washington is really a versatile state with lots to offer, and here are just some of them:
Mt. Rainier National Park - 50 miles away from Campus
We can see Mt. Rainier all the way from Campus, even though she's 50 miles away! Summer is a great time to take an hour's drive over to the national park and see her close-up. The Nisqually entrance is the closest entrance to campus! There are numerous trails to pick from - if you're wanting a shorter hike, there's the Nisqually Vista trail of 1.2 miles, or if you want the most scenic hike, the Skyline Trail to Panorama Point is rated one of the best hikes in Mt. Rainier National Park. It is 6.2 miles, and if you want some more detailed information on this route, take a look here. There are also different waterfalls you can go to, including Myrtle Falls and Narada Falls. Lastly, if you want some scenic views while eating, visit Summit House Restaurant - Washington's highest elevation restaurant where you eat with a view of Mt. Rainier's peak. Remember: never go on a hike unprepared! Pack plenty of water and snacks, and dress according to the weather. It's better to bring layers that you can take off rather than being cold.Visit Seattle - 42 miles away from Campus
We are really fortunate to live so close to the city of Seattle, where the options are endless! After less than an hour, you'll be in the heart of Seattle where you can explore the Pikes Place Market, visit the first Starbucks cafe, visit the Space Needle observation deck to get a good view of the city, go to a concert, or watch a game! One of my personal favorites is renting electrical scooters that you can find all over the city and ride around - those things can take you pretty far! I once rode on those from the space needle all the way over to pikes place market, parked it, and went exploring in the market! They are faster than walking, more fun than driving (traffic in Seattle is pretty bad), and cheaper than Uber!Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium - 16 miles away from Campus
You're never too old to go to a zoo! This is the only place in the Pacific North West that has a zoo and aquarium combined, where you will be able to see sharks, penguins, lions, and peacocks all in the same place. Tickets are only $20 if you buy them online, and spend your day walking around the park, getting up close and personal with wild-life animals. Plus, there is a great view of Mt. Rainier and the puget sound. The park is really close to Ruston Way, where you can walk around and enjoy the ocean breeze after a long day at the zoo.Ruston Way Park - 13 miles away from Campus
Ruston Way Park is one of my personal favorites. It's a quick 20-minute drive from campus, with small business shops located right at the waterfront. In the summer, they have a farmers market where you can buy locally produced items like fruits and veggies, or handmade art. I enjoy walking by the waterfront and sitting down where they have a big art piece on the concrete of Washington State. You'll see street artists play music, painters getting inspiration from the scenery, and people riding around on bikes (that you can also rent and ride along the waterfront, btw). Spending time in Ruston is such a simple pleasure.Visit a Museum!
There is a range of museums available in our area, all for different interests! Listed below are just some of them:
A lot of museums offer student discounts, and some even let you in for free - including the Tacoma Museum of Glass. All of these museums have great reviews, so take a look and see what may interest you!
I hope this inspired you to make some trips this summer and explore what our area has to offer! But, until then - Good luck on your finals everyone!
~ Silje
Hey everyone, it's Rei!
April 22nd was Earth Day! Yay! It is a day to think about the earth and the environment, and to appreciate our beautiful natural environment. Since I am taking the Conservation of the Natural Resources class, I just learned something about our planet, and I would like to share some ideas about Earth Day and how to celebrate the day. The day itself has passed, but it is okay to celebrate at any time, no matter when!
There is no set format or rules for Earth Day. Each person is free to act according to his or her own ideas. If you think about the Earth and the environment even a little, and get involved in an activity that you can related to, no matter how big or small, you can call it an Earth Day-like activity.
📍Birrieria Tijuana Lakewood |
Hi everyone, it's Silje!
Spring break ended this week, and while it is good to be back in routines and see people on campus again, I would be lying if I said that having a week off school wasn't much needed... And in honor of being back to reality, I figured I should have a little spring break recap!
I started off spring break at the Seattle airport, headed over to California for a long weekend! My boyfriend's family lives down there so we figured that this would be the best time to go see them for longer than just a couple of days. We landed in Sacramento pretty late in the evening so we just drove an hour over to Vallejo, and went straight to bed. The first morning, we did a little tour around Vallejo (it was my first time there!) where we grabbed some lunch on First St. in Benicia, Mare Island, I had In-n-Out burger for the first time, and we went to see some of his friends and family to catch up.
On the second day, we woke up bright and early at 5.30 AM to head over to the Mountains in Lake Tahoe! Lake Tahoe has multiple ski resorts (I had no idea you could go skiing in California), so we spent most of our day up in North Star skiing and snowboarding with his friends and family. It was bizarre going skiing in 60-degree weather - we even ended up getting sunburnt! On the way back, we drove around Lake Tahoe to get some pretty views in before the day was up.
On our third day, Sunday, we spent the first part of our day on a Good Guys car show! It was really cool - they had a market with random things you could buy, all from small nicknacks, posters, cool traffic signs like a Route 66 sign, and car parts. On the other side of the car show, there were old, authentic cars from as far back as the 60s. Some of them were original and really well kept, and others were completely redone with new paint and custom designs. After the car show, we went to his house for a good-old game night.
Hi all, Silje here!
I haven't talked to you guys in a while! A lot has happened since Thanksgiving when I last wrote, including going home to Norway over Christmas, a hectic J-term, preparing at the office for our new international students that arrived in February and Spring semester. But, good news; spring semester also means lacrosse season! For those of you that might not know, I played lacrosse during my high school exchange year in Colorado and fell in love with the sport. The second I decided to go to PLU, I knew that I wanted to pick up my lacrosse stick again and play during my three years here. This is my second season with PLU and I am having such a great time with the team at practice and games. Since lacrosse season is, unfortunately, coming to an end in a couple weeks, I am gonna tell you a little bit about my experience with playing sports in college and I'm gonna include some sports and club sports that you can look into playing here at PLU as well!Headed to Idaho for a tournament against University of Idaho and Portland State! (6+ hour road trip) |
As I said earlier, I played lacrosse for the first time ever during my senior year of high school as an exchange student. They don't have lacrosse in Norway, so I think that is why I was so interested in trying it, and I am glad I did. I was terrified for my first practice last year because I hadn't played in so long but it went well! I remembered more than I thought I would and most of my skills came back rather quickly. Lacrosse practices are 4 times a week for 2 hours in the evening, and weekends are off unless we have a game. During our off-weekends, we sometimes do team bondings: before Christmas, we had a Christmas party together where we did Secret Santa, we have gotten together to watch other schools play and we also had a Halloween party!
Idaho tournament |
After the game against Montana State University (Notice the snow...) |
In addition to club sports, PLU offers a variety of interest clubs for example business clubs, investing clubs, or even a Rubik's cube club. I always tell new students to look into the different sports and clubs and to join any that sounds interesting because it is a great way to meet new people and make friends with similar interests as you.
Delayed at Bozeman Airport, Montana |
I hope this sparked some interest in checking out the different clubs and maybe trying out a new sport or hobby!
Until next time,
~ Silje
Hello Hello!!! It's Chau again 😁
I hope you have a wonderful J-term or great break for everyone who doesn't have class this term. Back to our blog post this week, our guest blog is BRYAN!!!👏👏👏. We had a Q&As interview with Bryan and I asked him a few questions about his experiences before and after graduating from PLU.
Let's get to know about Bryan:
Bryan and his girlfriend- cute couple 😍 |
"Hi guys, my name is Bryan. I am a recent (like 2021 recent) graduate of the PLU nursing program, and I'm also an international student from China. I used to work at the International student service, and I've posted quite some blog posts. I'm currently working in a skilled nursing facility as a floor nurse."
What made you choose PLU as opposed to other colleges in the US to pursue your academic goal?
Why do you want to become a nurse?
Please feel free to add something that you would like to share with us!
"As a side note, Bryan is an amazing nurse and I think all the grandmas at the facility will agree with me, hehe. He has worked hard these past few years and has gone through numerous obstacles to get to where he is now. I am proud of him and all the things he has accomplished! So focus on the bold and you'll do great my fellow international students!" -His girlfriend 😍😘
And that is the interview with our second guest blogger! Thank Bryan and his girlfriend for their time and wish them the best with their life and career! 💖🍀