Corvallis will always have a special place in my heart. Why did I pick Corvallis? I had never heard of this town. I knew a bit about Oregon, but I was more obsessed with California or Washington as west-coast states.
I only knew Oregon because it sat in between them. How did I do this? I simply googled the professors working in the forestry department and sent an e-mail I wanted to work with them. Yes, it was really that easy. Corvallis is first and foremost a university town. I arrived at the start of the summer term, so it was nice and quiet the first few months I was there. I had university housing, so of course, the first thing I discovered about this town was its university campus.
Now, you have to put this into the perspective of a European student. So yeah, I was pretty impressed with the campus. I loved the grandeur of the buildings and big laws. Also, college sports are not a big thing back in Europe, especially not football. The tailgating and the atmosphere alone is enough to make it worthwhile. As a forestry student, I must mention the Peavy Arboretum. Peavy Arboretum is located a bit outside of Corvallis. Students and researchers alike use this forest to learn more about forestry, ecosystems, and nature conservation.
You can find many native and exotic trees and visitors are encouraged to learn more about forestry themselves by the Forest Discovery Trails. After I got over my social anxiety, I ventured further out. First on my list: historic downtown.
Most of downtown had these typical brick-fronted stores and a historic cinema called Whitefront. In summer, people go tubing or canoeing down the river to escape from the heat, something I can definitely recommend.
