Fourth of July in Vermont was the best I have ever had. The Dean of Admissions, Greg Buckles, took the student workers under his wing and showed us a classic Vermont 4th. It started bright and early at 8:15am. Almost all of us made it on time despite the fact that it was a little early for our day off. We piled into the back of Greg’s truck and headed off for Bristol. We chatted about how Greg got to Middlebury, his time as a wild Salmon guide in Alaska, and his kids.

We made it to Bristol just in time to catch the outhouse races. Outhouse races are exactly what they sound like. Various organizations and businesses in the area built outhouses, put them on wheels, and raced them down Main Street. It was definitely an experience to see, especially for Khalid, Philip, and Naila who are from actual big cities. After the races, we headed back to Lauren Waite’s house to watch the parade. Lauren, a Middlebury alumna, works in the office seasonal. It was like walking back in time. Bristol just celebrated their 250th birthday, and the town retains that same small, Americana charm that filled me with nostalgia. We made it to Lauren’s house and were immediately introduced to generations of Midd Kids, all married or dating other Midd Kids. We had a delicious brunch before we headed off through the mountains.

But the highlight of the day was Bristol Falls. Greg immediately popped in the water, and us summer interns followed tentatively behind. We slowly waded in the water, and watched as people took the 15-foot plunge from the falls. Greg asked who was going up. I said yes before I could convince myself not to. Greg showed me the spot to jump from, and then went himself. I knew that if I hesitated, I wouldn’t jump. So I stepped onto the rock and jumped. As soon as I was off the rock, I wanted to be back on the rock! The water got closer and closer and then BAM! I went under. It was so awesome. I jumped off Bristol Falls with the Dean of Admissions. I think that qualifies as a check on my bucket list.

After Bristol Falls, Khalid, Naila and I rode in the bed of the truck down the dirt path through Lincoln Gap. The scenery was stunning, pristine, and fresh. We made it back to Greg’s house, and he cooked up some delicious salmon:  “All you need is lemon pepper and butter.” The summer interns sat in the AC and were lulled into a coma from the sun and the salmon and the perfect day.

Bristol Firetruck in the Parade

Midd Kids past, present, and future

After Bristol Falls

Tomorrow is July 4th. Everyone knows it’s our nation’s biggest holiday and no one’s working so it’s a great day to have some fun. Greg, the Dean of Admissions, has been telling us that he is going to take us all to Bristol Falls and tomorrow is the big day. Bristol Falls is supposedly this huge rock that is a really popular place to dive off of. It is also really, really tall, so I have been doing a number of activities in preparation of Bristol. One of which would be going to Lake Champlain on Saturday.

Like my co-worker, Naila Jahan, I am city kid down to my bones, but I love to explore and do a lot of new things. When I was younger I used to love leaving New York and going down south to the country and just being around trees, bugs and all things natural and this summer I am determined to regrow that love. So on Saturday all of us interns went to the beautiful Lake Champlain. It was perfect weather, mid 70’s, warm enough to swim and tan in, but not too hot. The sky was enchantingly blue with spotted clouds here and there. The water was a little cold but it was fun nonetheless. I had my first kayaking experience this Saturday as well. It was phenomenal I had never had so much fun in my life and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. I also jumped off the dock into the lake as a small preparation for Bristol but I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I had swam and trust me when I say it had been a long time. Luckily some instincts kicked in and I did not drown but there is much practicing to be done.

So these past 3 days I have been going to Middlebury’s pool everyday to prepare myself to swim in Bristol and I would say my swimming skills are almost back at an acceptable level. Tomorrow will tell whether these practices have paid off.

Today is my first day as a Middlebury College Summer Admissions Intern. I took four weeks at home to recuperate from the semester. Basically, I watched four seasons of Mad Men and then furiously packed the night before. For Father’s Day, my dad and my sister and I drove up on Friday to enjoy a Vermont weekend.

Living in Philadelphia, we only got lost once or twice in the seven hour trek. Once we made it onto to Route 30, I knew I was home. Cruising through the Vermont hills and farmland filled me a renewed sense of comfort. I knew this was where I was meant to be for the summer.

After finally making it to the hotel, we stopped by the M Gallery for a gallery opening and some live music from a friend. It was such a nice re-introduction to the Middlebury community. The next morning we grabbed breakfast at Otter Creek Bakery, strolled through the farmer’s market, and then headed off to the Ben and Jerry’s factory. Unfortunately, we got very lost but we got to experience Bristol’s farmer’s market and more gorgeous scenery. We finally made it to the factory, and enjoyed some ice cream by the Flavor Graveyard (where the retired flavors come to rest). Then we headed to Burlington for a stroll around Lake Champlain, and we contemplated how many cows and how many quarts of milk it takes to make Ben and Jerry’s.

No trip to Middlebury is complete without some sort of moving in or out. So after six tedious hours, my family moved me in to my room in Stewart. And to top off the weekend, I took a sunset hike up Snake Mountain with twenty other student workers. It was beautiful! If you have never done Snake Mountain, put it on your Middlebury bucket list! It is breathtaking every time, and a perfect end to a classic Vermont weekend.