It says something about my personality that my first feelings when summer started were of guilt, not relief.  I should be doing something, I thought over and over again.  What am I forgetting?  Life at Middlebury can be very high-intensity.  The everyday hustle and bustle of classes and meetings, the semi-subliminal buzz of upcoming assignments, tests on the horizon.  It’s enough rush and noise to make anyone feel, when you finally get that moment to relax, breathe, god forbid read a book for pleasure! that it’s probably only because you’re procrastinating or forgetting something.

And it’s weirdly addicting, that chaotic life.  You get used to doing fifty, a hundred things in a day–small though they may be–and suddenly that’s what constitutes fulfillment.  Productivity, efficiency.  Checking items off a list.

And for all the advantages of being one of Foucault’s “productive, docile bodies” (you know, like landing a job and being a functional member of society), I think that the true, deepest fulfillment is that which marries this traditional engagement with something subtler, calmer, at once more self-centered and selfless.  The ability to find happiness in just being.  Can you be content just sitting in the sun, no people around, no distractions, nobody to report to?  Because that’s a test all its own.  It takes different skills than willpower and work ethic.  For me, the beginning of this summer has been all about coming to terms with this second type of fulfillment.  A bit more free time, a bit less stress.  Certainly having access to beautiful forests and waterfalls helps.  Relaxation and contemplation that aren’t cause for guilt or worry, but rather an essential part of being well-adjusted and happy in the long term.

I’m jumping back into stress-mode in July when I enter the world of Bay Area finance, so there’s a return to normalcy looming on the horizon.  In the mean time, though, Middlebury is an achingly beautiful place to spend a small bit of time reevaluating, decompressing, and learning about myself.  Here’s to a wonderful summer!

I’m so excited to be spending my summer up here at Middlebury! Something I had always heard was that it was really worthwhile to spend at least one summer on campus, so I’m really grateful that I have the opportunity to do so after only finishing my freshman year. After spending time with my family for a couple of weeks, I journeyed back up here to Middlebury and moved into the fifth floor of Starr. I lucked out and got a huge single with a skylight and tons of space, but it was an intense experience moving all of my things up five flights of stairs. Regardless, even in the past week and a half that I’ve been here, I’ve done so many fun things that I couldn’t do during the academic year. This past weekend was reunion weekend and  there were alumni all over campus. I had such great conversations with a lot of them (I even gave some of them tours) and it was really neat to be able to hear their stories and hear about what Middlebury used to be like when they attended. On Sunday, Thilan and I took a trip with some friends up to Lake Dunmore and enjoyed being in the sun. I had never been there before so I was really happy to be able to go and relax (there was also no pressure of having homework to finish or tests to study for – something I have to get used to this summer!). Other than that, I’ve been able to try more restaurants in town, spend more time with friends, actually dive into a novel, and get an average of eight hours of sleep a night. Of course, I’ve also had a great time working at the admissions office and meeting all of the counselors here. I can’t wait to continue my work here for the rest of the summer!

Welcome to the Summer Admissions Interns 2013 Blog! After a weird stretch of cold and rainy weather which forced Commencement indoors for the first time in 21 years, I think we can officially say summer has started at Middlebury. Campus is strangely empty as of now, as spring semester ended and Language Schools haven’t started up yet. However, within the next couple of weeks hundreds of students will be coming to campus for Language schools and Middlebury students will be doing research with faculty and working on campus. Nick, Eli, Mirella and I are the summer interns working currently at Middlebury College Admissions in the Emma Willard House . After many group photos and brainstorming sessions on what to cook for our next meal (the dining halls are closed for the next week until Language Schools start up), we’ve definitely come together as group of interns. From a rising Junior Feb to  freshmen who just completed their first year, we have a wide range of experiences between us. With  Switzerland, Southern Virginia, Mississippi and Canada represented by the four of us, we’ve basically got the four corners of the globe covered as well. From fielding calls regarding the waitlist to giving tours in this beautiful summer weather at Middlebury, we’ve definitely been keeping busy. Learn more about us and the other Summer Admissions Interns by clicking on our picture (aren’t we a great looking group?).  We look forward to meeting you this summer and having the other summer interns join us on campus!

This past week I took off work and went home for a vacation;  I was so excited to go home and see my family and all my friends. I hadn’t been home since spring break, and I was enthusiastic to go back and see my city. Home for me is Brooklyn, New York and as much as I love the beauty and intimacy of small town I was more than ready to be back amongst the hustle and bustle of a big city.

As I drove home that Sunday, I was overwhelmed with excitement as soon as I saw the first apartment complex in the Bronx. Words cannot begin to describe how happy I was to be home.  I was basically bouncing out of my seat. When we finally reached Brooklyn it was like I was being welcomed home with big open arms; my city was welcoming me home.

Then the little things began to get to me. I would get online and type in go/something and it wouldn’t work. Or when I would cross the street in Manhattan and would almost get hit every time because cars do not care to stop. I was especially bothered by how many people lived on my own block that I didn’t even know. These were all things about New York that had never bothered me. I would not  have dreamed they would ever be a problem, but now it was. I didn’t realize why I wasn’t content in being home, until about Thursday and I sincerely thought about it and found I was comparing home to Midd. I had to sit down and really take in the fact that over this past year and especially during the summer Middlebury had become home.

The quote really rings true, “home is where the heart is.” As much as I miss and no matter how much I love New York my heart isn’t there. It came with me to Vermont and it planted some roots, trust me when I say I couldn’t be happier.

Every tour is 2.52 miles of walking, forward for all of you, backwards for us tour guides.

We gain an elevation of 55 feet.

We burn 259 calories.

That is one impressive tour, if I do say so myself. So come and join us for a brisk walk through campus, and you can work off that milkshake you ate last night (or at least I can).

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

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.

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.

The alumni add a whole new layer to the already rich community here on campus. There is just something about watching the class of 1962 walk by and knowing that you’re the class of 2015. It further reiterates the appreciation for the beautiful legacy and the long standing traditions that Middlebury has. And some of the conversations you have with these alumni; they are breathtaking. The saying “Listen to those who come before you” truly has a lot of merit. I feel like I’ve learned and gathered so much from a half hour conversation with a gentleman from the class of ’62 and I have barely scratched the surface of the wealth of knowledge he possesses.

I’m just amazed once again at the beauty of Middlebury.

Philip Williams ‘15