The last few days have been anything but ordinary. Watching the city of Charleston reopen after the snow is an interesting experience, especially having grown up in the Midwest, where snow is a normal occurrence. Something that I have never seen before though is snow on the beach! I got to experience snow on the beach for the first time which was beautiful and fascinating. I have never thought that walking through snow and looking at seashells could happen at the same time.
There are exciting things happening in school too. Our design deadline for small group designs for our studio project is on Friday. My group is focusing on larger scale designs, playing with the idea of two separate but connected structures. We went back to the site a few days ago to measure and survey things in more depth, and started to see the vision for what this structure could be, as well as what it could do for the community. So far, our interaction with the neighborhood has been limited, but we did have a kid at a nearby house throw a snowball at us while we were measuring! The kids and their families are already walking by the park and trying to see the new developments, so I definitely think it will be a busy site when we are working. I am excited to see how this park serves the community, and for the opportunity to meet some of them while we are building it!
Outside of class, moving to Charleston has been really interesting. I have enjoyed learning about the history of Charleston, seeing the mix of old and new, and experiencing life near the water. I have tried to focus on eating at local restaurants when I eat out, and everything I have tried has been very good. From Church and Union to Five Loaves Cafe to Smash City burgers (which we have already been to several times), the local restaurants have not disappointed us. With all of the new things that I have experienced in the first three weeks, I am excited to see what the year in Charleston has in store, both for the studio and for myself!