Upon picking up my package from Target at the Mail Center today, I began to realize just how remote Middlebury is.  Back home, I frequently drove the 3 minute trip over to Target to pick up any odds and ends I needed throughout the day.  And by frequently, I mean I went to Target probably 5 days out of the 7 day week.  Though I’ve been too busy with homework and practice to notice it, Middlebury really is in the middle of nowhere.  Yes, there’s Shaws and TJMaxx, which have most of what we consider to be “essentials,” but this past week I’ve started to miss the ease of living in a Boston suburb with tons of stores less than 5 minutes from my house.  As much as it makes me uncomfortable to be in an unfamiliar place with few outside resources close to us, I can’t help but be thankful for media and technology.

When I was in dire need of a Target trip last week, I picked up my laptop and went to their website to order some stuff.  I did the same with various other stores that I’ve started to miss.  Ordering online definitely isn’t the same as walking into a massive store, but I’ve found that it does the trick for now.  It amazes me that with one click, we can order something we’ve seen in a picture and have it show up right on campus in under a week.  Similarly, I love the fact that I can call or Skype my friends back home and still hear their voice or see their face.  Again, not as good as actually seeing them, but it carries me over for a little while.

So even though I’m far from home, I still feel like I’m back in Belmont because technology made sure that part of me never left.