UW-EAU CLAIRE GEOGRAPHY
2018 OREGON FIELD SEMINAR

After leaving the hostel, we took the transit system to Portland State University to go to the Farmer’s Market that is held in the square. What a spread of vendors! There were breakfast burritos, pretzels, donuts, fresh fruit and vegetables, of course coffee, and so much more! It was an environment filled with young families and older adults. A few college students made their way to the Farmer’s Market but it was still mid morning. It’s clear that Portland maintains a culture that prioritized local, organic, and ethical consumption. Many of the vendors seemed well-established and well-known by the community. The fruits of their labor were well received by all. Many of the crops being sold had a geographical element to them, such as lavender and wild mushrooms.

 

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We took the transit once more to the PDX airport. The trip was coming to a close but the opportunities to learn about the area from visitors and people in Oregon continued as we met more people in the airport. We boarded the plane from PDX back to MN. Everyone was ready for some rest. A common theme that we have noticed that everywhere we went, people continued to say they believe we will create a better future. As we all reflect about our adventures on the plane and try to relax from the busy trip, a song came on – The Future Looks Good by OneRepublic. We had an experience to travel to Oregon to interact with people, conduct research, and gather observations to better understand the world around us. We are more critical of the environment around us and more aware of interactions. After the flight we sleepily boarded a big van back to Eau Claire. We were driven by a man named Dean, our first contact with anyone from the Eau Claire homeland. He made conversation about local sports and then held up a clipboard declaring, “You’re all on the Dean’s list”, before hopping in the driver’s seat and speeding us toward the Chippewa river valley.