Martha's Vineyard

I've been spending some time with my dear friend, Martha. She invited me to her place in the Dundee Hills. This is the sight I woke up to the following morning, Mt. Hood and the Willamette Valley in all it's glory:

The next day we hiked her vineyards and talked
about grape harvest. The grapes look and taste
great. Harvest should be about the second week
of October.

I worked at the Maresh Red Hills Vineyard Retreat today and was
able to continue enjoying the view. Ahhh!

It's Official!

My presentation on my internship in Burundi and final oral exam were this past Wednesday. It's official...I passed and have my MPH! Some of the highlights of this program were my amazing fellow students...the Malaria Rangers...classes at all three campuses (OSU, PSU & OHSU)...our inspirational mentor, Dr. Chi...acronyms...going to the APHA conference in D.C. with Lisa...making lifelong friends...and finding joy in my work!

...and at the Oregon coast with Gaby girl!

Beth in Oregon

I live in the suburbs...it's a lot different than Burundi, and I am having some difficulty adjusting. Today was a good day, though. I went out to my favorite Lebanese joint, Nicholas Restaurant, and to Stumptown Coffee with my crazy friend, Suzanne. The coffee buyer for Stumptown stays with Trina and Seth when he comes to Burundi...small world!

We saw some beautiful sunflowers and a random plastic horse tied up to an old hitching post! It made me remember why Portland is also my home. Beautiful, weird, quirky, fun!