A friend of mine turned 21 last weekend. To celebrate, we hiked Camel’s Hump, watched the sunset, and ate homemade double layer marshmellow and chocolate chip brownie cake with rasberry jelly and homemade icing (we called this cake the monster).

The view from Camel’s Hump was absolutely spectacular. I would rate the hike a ten out of ten. I love being here over the summer. The weather is amazing and I have the opportunity to explore all the beautiful places in Vermont! If you are visiting Midd, go for a hike or explore the surrounding area. Trust me. You won’t be dissapointed.

From the photos you can tell that we were definitely repping our Middlebury swag. My friend (the one who was celebrating his birthday) invited two of his high school friends who currently go to Williams, and we all felt that the need to represent our school. Plus, anything with Middlebury written on it has to be cool! Right?

Speaking of hikes, there are some really nice ones right here at Middlebury College. The Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) has a lot of nice places to walk, and last night after dinner another friend of mine and I walked out past the Organic Farm and did a loop back up to the college. We watched the sunset (I guess that I really like watching the sunset!), talked about life, made flower crowns, and then decided to make homemade chocolate cake for no reason. The decision to take a hike and then make cake was excellent, but very spontaneous.

It feels like the summer is flying by. There’s so much to see and do that I’m not sure I can get everything on my bucket list checked off. Oh well. I can try! I’m also not sure if I already said this or not, but I really don’t want summer to end…

While there has already been a post about the Ben and Jerry’s Factory there was no mention of the graveyard. That’s right ladies and gents there is indeed a graveyard on the grounds of the Ben and Jerry’s factory but there are no people buried here. Entombed in this hallowed ground are ice cream flavors that just couldn’t measure up to customer standards.

It was very sad to see flavors like Turtle Soup and Fossil Fuel (which had chocolate dinosaurs in it) resting permanently in this place.

However, I slept easy that night knowing that Americone Dream is still going strong and available for me to inhale each time I buy it. While ice creams may come and go this beacon of deliciousness continues to shine bright for all to see.

When I was a kid, family vacations consisted of loading food, sleeping bags, tents, and various supplies into a van and traveling to different national parks, museums, and hiking trails. We didn’t go to Disney Land, major cities, or massive theme parks. We saw Mount Rushmore, Crater Lake, the Oregon Trail, and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s home. The east coast, and all its cities, landmarks etc., was as far removed from my childhood as China or England. It was something to read about, but never to actually experience.

When I came to Middlebury College, I knew that I wanted to see and experience the east coast. I didn’t get to visit Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. during the regular school year, so I planned a two week trip over the summer. I stayed with friends, visited historical sites, ate delicious food, and explored the three cities.

In New York I had my first New York Bagel (I don’t know if I am going to be able to eat a non-New York bagel ever again), in Boston I climbed to the top of the Bunker Hill Monument, and in D.C. I was able to visit the national mall at night. I was up at seven in the morning and I didn’t fall asleep until about eleven o’clock at night. I tried to see as much as I could, but the more I saw the more I wanted to see. You could spend years visiting these places and never fully explore all the nooks and crannies. I walked about 13 miles every day, and I ate as much delicious food as I possibly could.

Places that stand out to me are the Boston Public Library, Botanical Gardens, MET, Highline, Italian District, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Museums, Freedom Trail, and parks. It was an amazing trip and I had a blast! I also really enjoyed meeting up with various MiddKids along the way.

Even though I had a wonderful time on my trip, I was excited to come home. I realized just how special Middlebury is and how much I have changed over the course of one year. I am not the same person that I was when I first came here. The community at Middlebury is incredible. I have been influenced, shaped, and changed by it. I look forward to next year and I can honestly say that choosing to come to Middlebury was one of the best decisions I have ever made… For both my academics and my personal growth.

Let’s face the facts: the dining halls aren’t going to be serving your favorite meal 100% of the time. And some days, you just want to go for a good old-fashioned sandwich. The panini machines are definitely my favorite thing about Proctor Dining Hall, and tonight (as well as most days during lunch) I put them to use. I may have walked to dinner thinking I wasn’t that hungry, but I ended up making a second sandwich after the first came out tasting so good. The homemade bread of the day was a sunflower seed bread, which I sliced and filled with feta, cheddar, red onion, baby spinach, jalapeños, and marinated basil tomato slices. I would’ve posted a picture, but I didn’t quite think to do so until I had already almost finished my second helping. Despite the climbing temperatures this week, I feel that it’s never a bad day for a souped-up grilled cheese.

This weekend I fell asleep in a car twice. Which means 1)I went on some pretty fun adventures  and 2)  I need to sleep more

The adventures started Thursday when a friend and I hiked sunset ledge. It was an easy 2 mile hike on part of the Long Trail, and the views were unbelievable. The picture doesn’t do it justice but I tried. This was the first time I fell asleep in the car.

Friday a bunch of friends and I made dinner (tabouli, watermelon & feta salad, potatos, roasted corn) then some of us went to a house in Leicester (15 minutes away). That house had a tree inside. I didnt know I needed that in my life unitl now. We swam in Fern Lake and looked at the stars. I fell asleep in the car on the way back.

Saturday I ran and sat a bunch afterwards. I let myself into my friends house to eat leftover tabouli (she was out berry picking) and watched two movies. Very relaxing.

Sunday I had to drive a friend to Burlington so we made an adventure out of the day. We got brunch at 3 squares cafe in Vergennes (mushroom truffle scrambled eggs 10/10) then wandered Burlington. We all got our ears pierced impulsively. I keep accidentally touching it, which hurts, but I think I look cool.

This past weekend not one, not two, but THREE of my friends had birthdays. So I spent a lot of time celebrating in a variety of ways (mainly eating). A bunch of recently graduated seniors also made the trek up to Middlebury for the weekend. Most of it was spent hanging around my house playing games and attempting to talk over the twenty people that were in one room (obviously). After a long day of doing nothing and also debating if we should go to Cookie Love or Silver Lake, we ended the day by going to the language school 1915 centennial ball. Not only was the band and food amazing (why isn’t every Middlebury event like this???), but there was also a photo booth!! It was difficult but we managed to fit everyone in the picture after moving the backdrop and sorority squatting.

We spent the rest of the evening singing along to the cover band in Nelson, watching fireworks, and then heading back to my house to hang out some more. By that night only ONE birthday was out of the way. On Sunday it was my friend Sophie’s birthday and we celebrated by going out to brunch with her family at the Waybury Inn. And of course taking lots of pictures.

I had amazing chocolate chip pancakes at brunch and there was a cheese plate, which are basically my two favorite things–cheese and chocolate. I finished off my weekend by having dinner at Mr. Ups on Monday to celebrate the third birthday of the weekend (cookie skillet included).

Fact: Vermont has more cheesemakers per capita than any other state.

Fact: When I am not tour guiding or working in the Admissions office, I am a cheesemonger.

What is that, you ask? At home, I work at a cheese shop, and as a result have more knowledge about cheeses than I know what to do with. With this cheese shop, last summer I came to experience the annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival for the first time, and came back for round two yesterday. On the gorgeous and expansive grounds of Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT, tents and tables abound with all the cheese samples you could ever dream of eating. For real. It’s all-you-can-eat, with much more than just cheese: artisan crackers, jams, bakeries, wineries and breweries, chocolatiers, charcuterie…all in one place. At the farm, I got to pet baby goats and sheep, watch a cow being milked, and see the cheddaring process for making cheese. Some personal favorite cheeses include: *drumroll*

• Cilantro and garlic chevre
• Sage Farm Goat Dairy’s wildflower chevre (Stowe, VT)
• Cheddar curds
• Vermont Creamery’s Cremont (Websterville, VT)

My 3 month old calf friend Betty

I also got to do a maple syrup tasting, and compare different syrups as they change over the course of the sugaring season. (I learned that I prefer the darker syrup that is produced later in the season.) Only in VT, am I right? I wish I could go back today and taste everything all over again.

Wednesday is an important day for many reasons. One, it’s “hump day,” which means the work week is almost over. Also, as every member of the Middlebury community does or should know, entrees are half-price at The Lobby. The Lobby is a restaurant on the water (Otter Creek) in downtown Middlebury, with an atmosphere between upscale and casual. Like most dining options in Middlebury (and VT at large), there is an emphasis on local ingredients for most menu items. It’s slightly on the pricey side, but well worth it considering the quality of the ingredients and dishes. Thus, this is why my friends and I chose last night to go out. Our dinners ranged from duck banh mi sandiwches to quinoa burgers to filet mignon. For 4 people, our meal cost under $50 total! It was my first time at The Lobby, and I saw enough on the menu to make me want to come back again soon. On a Wednesday, of course.

This past Saturday I went to Middlebury Bagel with Tabitha for breakfast. It was my first time eating anything other than doughnuts from there and it was totally worth it.

When we entered the restaurant both of us were a little bit confused as to how they operated but we figured it out. Everything on the menu looked really delicious but she chose a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, and I ordered the buttermilk pancake. I would to emphasize that it was ONE HUGE pancake. And this was the half order. If you ever venture in and are feeling hungry and brave enough, go for the full order.

The food, needless to say, was amazing. We left feeling very satisfied and enjoyed our leisurely walk back to campus.

Yesterday after work, my friends and I decided that we were going to treat ourselves to dinner. So after a quick workout at the gym, we all went back to shower and then get ready. We don’t get to wear dresses often (only on Formal Fridays really) so we saw this as a great chance to dress up a little. After finding a spider in the shower I was glad to get out of my house and head up to Vergennes for dinner. Unfortunately I have no pictures because I forgot to charge my phone. BUT dinner was great and it was very nice to get off campus for a bit. The radio station on the way back was even playing the best songs from the 2000’s (my middle school era) and we jammed out on our way to campus. Dinner at Park Squeeze in Vergennes was a nice end to a long week. 🙂

I almost forgot. I WENT TO COOKIE LOVE FOR THE FIRST TIME. The woman behind the counter seemed a little weirded out by me asking if they could microwave my cookie, but I think she was the weird one because who doesn’t like warm cookies and milk? Cookies are my favorite meal and other than the one trillion mosquitoes that were everywhere my dessert was amazing.

PS. 13 Days until Taylor Swift