Oregon so far

I'm on study abroad, but I've only made it as far as the west coast of this great nation.
One week ago today, a group of eight students in two cars began the 18 hour drive to Coos Bay, Oregon. I drove for the first 3ish hours and for the last 5ish hours. It was fun to talk and get to know the three in my car. There has definitely been a separation between those of us who started this trip riding together and those who flew in or drove in by themselves but integration will soon be achieved.
It was breakfast time when we arrived in Charleston where OIMB is located so we stopped at the Sea Basket for breakfast. As much as I dislike the smell of fish, I prefer the look of the fisherman - thick clothes to protect against the weather encountered at sea, a strong build and a thick beard. I think I might stay a while!
On the whole, our class was dreading the 4 hour lecture before lunch and the 4 hour lecture following lunch to total 8 hours of lecture per day, in one seat, with the same professor, while we prepare for field trips ahead but we've never had to sit the whole 8 hours! He'll think of some story and have us go out to collect hermit crabs or to find snails that he'd been talking about or sponges to make slides of spicules. It's been working out just fine. We removed the hermit crabs from their shells and watched them compete for a shell against and opponent. We collected a lot of snails that we thought were latterina planaxis, common name "periwinkle," but turned out to be a lot of nucella lamellosa, common name "dogwinkle." All three of the sponge species sponge that we collected off the Outer and Inner Boat Basins had long thin spicules. The only variation was that they were either long and pointed at both ends or a little shorter and rounded at one end. Oh the excitement of invertebrates!
On Sunday, the YSA representative for the ward we attend asked Dr. B if they could join our Sunday firesides. Apparently, Dr. B hogs his students for the duration of our stay and the YSA want our women; (From the perspective of the YSA representative and Dr. B respectively) slightly entertaining.
After some hardship with crabs as the subject of our research, we may have moved on to softer animals. Before moving on, however, we went to the docks to talk to the crabbers and got a few leads that didn't really lead anywhere. At least we were able to have those conversations that just aren't to be had in the BYU-Provo bubble.
There is one drawback to this rainy paradise - all of the mail comes through Dr. Braithwaite which means that the TA's usually carry it into class. I get a lot of mail! He hasn't said anything yet, but it's only the first week and I've received three things.
I now own a digital camera and have taken many a picture with it but I don't have internet because I didn't think to bring an ethernet cord. Wireless is everywhere esle! I'm in the library and I don't have my cord, but I had time. Pictures to be posted at a later date.
Oregon is beatiful!