Summer Recap

    Wow! It has been a while, it is crazy that this whole summer is already over. It seems like just yesterday that I was taking finals, or watching graduation!
    This summer I was lucky enough to stay in Cedar Rapids, and to take a May Term Class where we went to Montana and learned all about policy involving resources in the west.

Great Group of People to spend May Term With

 It was awesome being able to learn about all of these policies, but instead of just learning about them, we actually got to experience them first-hand. The drive out to Montana was a very long one, but it was cool that we had such a great group go. It was great getting to know people who have similar academic interests as me. When we arrived in Montana, we traveled around, and got to meet some pretty awesome people. We not only met people who work for Yellowstone National Park, but we also got to meet some Coe Alum, and it was interesting to sort of see how many cool opportunities they were afforded after graduating from Coe. For me personally, the worst part about this May Term would have to be the drive back. It is tough leaving a place as beautiful as Montana, but I know that I will one day be able to return, maybe even for school after Coe!
   

Gonna miss views like this!

  When we returned to Coe, I began my summer jobs here at Coe. I was lucky enough to have quite a few jobs. I worked in our Writing Center all summer, as well as in our admissions office as a telecounselor. My favorite job this summer was actually only a one week job. I was asked to be a counselor for a Coe Cross Country Camp. It is always lots of fun to see so many young people interested in running!

There is always some sand volleyball going on at Coe during summer!

     At first, when I decided that I was going to be staying at Coe all summer, I was a little nervous. It was my first summer completely away from my family and friends back in Plainfield, and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I sort of thought that no one would be around, and I would be pretty bored. I was so wrong! Coe is awesome because there are always so many students that stay all summer, so there is always fun stuff going on!
Also, just because I decided to stay in Cedar Rapids, doesn't mean that I didn't get to go on some awesome trips!  Early in the summer, I got to travel to California, and meet up with my family. We spent a week there going on some gorgeous hikes, and spending some great time together. It was awesome seeing everyone, and being able to just relax and reestablish myself as the best ping pong player in the family.

After California, I was able to get back to Plainfield for a
few visits. I absolutely loved seeing all of my friends, and catching up on! What is cool is that no matter how many miles apart we are I know that these are the people that I can always come back and have by my side. I know that this next school year will be full of visits to see them, and them coming to Coe, and I can't wait. 
The second time that I visited, I got to spend a night at the most wonderful place in the world, Wrigley Field, and weirdly enough, out of the thousands of people there I ran into another Coe student, who had an internship in Chicago all summer. Even though the Cubs lost to the bad guys from St. Louis, it was awesome to spend time with all of my closest friends, and enjoy an outstanding game!

What an awesome game with some outstanding friends.

Small world running into Coe Students Everywhere

     Other than trips back home, I also went on some pretty awesome adventures in Iowa with Coe friends. I went to an amusement park called "Adventureland" with some friends, and it was cool to ride all of the roller-coasters. I also got to spend time doing fun things in Cedar Rapids, like going out and supporting another Coe Student in her water skiing show. It was my first ever ski show, and it was so intense to watch!    

Going up!

Ski Show!

Also, one of the last weekends of the summer I got to travel with many Coe people to the beautiful town of Pella, Iowa, for a close friends wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, and it was so great to see two perfect families come together to celebrate. I loved not only getting to see the families celebrate, but to get to reunite with many Kohawks and all have an awesome weekend. 

Marcus the Groom

Coe family, goofing off at the wedding!

      Finally, the last thing I did this summer is something that I have been lucky enough to do for the past few summers, and that is the long weekend spent down at a lake near Galesburg Illinois. Every year, the 5 of us are able to sort of put our lives on hold, and just spend a weekend riding tubes, laying on boats, and having bonfires together. In all honestly this is an awesome tradition, and I spend the other 51 weeks of the year looking forward to the late summer weekend where we are all together again!

Tubing Fun!

Close Friends

Overall, it is clear that my summer was full with some great adventures, but I am so excited for the next

few days when people start to move back in, and campus is full again. I hope that everyone else's summer was excellent, and I look forward to the start of another memorable school year!

Until the Next Adventure,

Ryan Rey