The leaves are changing and another month has come and gone.

Here are my five favorite things from October. Enjoy!

1. Watching the Leaves Change Being from Los Angeles, I have never really experienced seasons. But since moving to Oregon three months ago for grad school, I have been able to get the first taste of what I have been missing out on: some major beauty. Eugene is gorgeous and the University of Oregon campus is one of my favorite places. The changing seasons inspires me to challenge myself to change one thing in my life for this season. Until Winter (December 21st), I will take more time for myself. With the busyness of my MBA program and working for the University of Oregon 10 hours a week as a Career Advisor, I find myself neglecting the things that are important to me. Once a week I want to set aside an hour for myself. Whether to get a hair cut, try a new recipe, or explore a neighboring city, I need to put a little more focus on myself and check back in with my happiness hunt.
2. Runs with Riley The leaves changing has been extra incentive to get outside. For me, that means going on runs. My favorite run from October was when my boyfriend Riley and I took his family’s dog Wallace out for a run in Salem, OR. Riley, Wallace, and I covered a good few miles around a lake. It was great quality time and a nice de-stressor for both of us. This brisk Oregon weather makes the runner in me happy!
3. E.Z. Orchards Fall is my favorite time of the year and with that comes Fall flavors, including warm apple cider and fresh pumpkin. Riley took me to an apple orchard in Salem where we ordered hot, freshly made donuts. The donuts at E. Z. Orchard are delicious and are guaranteed to put you in the October spirit with a huge smile on your face.
4. House Hunting One of my favorite things to do is walk around new neighborhoods and check out the houses. When I was in Bend, OR recently for the New Venture Conference (read about my experience here), I did just this. Some of the houses in Bend are amazing, like this property that overlooks the Deschutes River. Houses like these are great incentive to keep cracking down at this MBA! I’ll need to be making serious bucks to afford anything like this in the future.
5. The Oregon MBA I really haven’t mentioned it much on FromBrownEyes, so I figured this would be a great time to open up about my MBA program at the University of Oregon. I am one of 62 first-year students and everyone has been so welcoming. It is truly crazy how this pressure cooker 1st term has made all of us feel so close to each other so quickly. I love that the OMBA is focused on team work, and how much importance it puts on the non-academic parts of earning an MBA, like conducting information interviews and building strong friendships. Here is a group of us taking a study break to cheer on the Ducks (they need all of the support they can get right now) at Autzen stadium.

I am sure it is just the busyness of the program, but I cannot believe how quickly time is passing. It has already been over one years since I quit my unfulfilling job at Target, moved back home to Los Angeles, and started this blog. Thank you, to readers that have been with me from the start, when my spirits were low and path undetermined. It is amazing to see just how far we have come.

-TM

How will you challenge yourself to change like the leaves and try something new for the rest of this season? Let us know below.