Rhode Trip to Rhode Island

In case anyone out there has wondered, like I did, the best city to visit around Halloween, I would like to offer up the suggestion of Providence, Rhode Island. With credit card points burning a hole in my pocket, and no solid plans for Halloween, I decided to do some investigating. After weeding out the hayrack rides and pumpkin patching, I stumbled upon Providence's annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. Each year, the Roger Williams Zoo decks out its paths with 5,000 intricately designed, magnificent jack-o-lanterns. This year's theme, "Jack-O-Lanterns from A-Z" was, as the name of the event implies, spectacular. Each letter was a different theme (C for Christmas, Q for Queen, etc...) and each theme had multiple pumpkins carved to fit. The music that played along the path changed with each theme, and that, along with the jaw-dropping designs, filled me with joy. I smiled the entire time I walked through, with the exception of the In Memorium section, which featured tributes to those lost this year (Robin Williams, Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou). It was beautifully done. And I am so thrilled I was able to go. Hopefully these pictures can do any semblance of justice to what I saw there. Remember: these are carved, not painted.

 

Christmas on Halloween??

Norman Rockwell: my favorite

For Napoleon Dynamite fans

No...this is my favorite

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."

Robert Frost...no, this is my favorite.
Ugh, I give up!

All of those lights are little pumpkins

Tributes to Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou

As is evident, it was impossible to say which carving moved me the most. It was absolutely breathtaking. If you ever find yourself in New England during the month of October (which you should do anyway), make your way over to the capital of our tiniest state. You will not be sorry you did.
*Side note: I went right when it opened at 6, so it was relatively uncrowded. The reviews I read beforehand warned of very deep crowds later in the night.

The rest of my trip to Rhode Island was quite enjoyable as well. I ate incredible food, went on yet ANOTHER haunted tour, and visited the exquisitely beautiful town of Newport just 40 minutes south of Providence. It rained the entire second day I was there, but with some warm coffee and a stop at a bookshop, my spirits could not be dampened (even if my shoes were).

The lobby of the gorgeous Biltmore Hotel

A haunted building on Brown's campus.
See any ghosts of Revolutionary War
soldiers? Apparently they make
an occasional appearance.

Brown during the day...far less creepy

When I told the bartender at AS220 that
it was my first time to Rhode Island, she
offered me this Narragansett on the house!

The bathroom at Julian's in the Federal
Hill district. The food was fantastic,
and the bathroom was the most
entertaining one I've ever seen.

Newport: Adorable, even in the rain

The famous Cliff Walk in Newport. I will
have to return when it's drier so I can actually
spent more time enjoying the view
instead of ducking for cover

One of many of Newport's mansions
along the coast

Storytelling: Not just for campfires

Looking back at pictures from this fall, I have noticed a recurring theme in how I spent much of my time: listening to stories. Storytelling has become my new favorite form of entertainment. From haunted tours, to storytelling events, to stories told through music, I have been captivated by a vast array of stories, ranging from the hilarious to the bone-chilling. As someone who happens to be an absolute debacler at storytelling (no it's not a word, but really, shouldn't it be?) I am easily engrossed in the stories told by others.

Pomerleau Real Estate Building

In mid-October, I was able to take a Haunted Ghost Tour of Burlington. I had no idea how many hauntings were happening just outside my own front door! Besides the various ghost sightings, I also found out that Burlington was once the home of America's first serial killer, H.H. Holmes, while he briefly attended medical school, and was a lengthy stop for Ted Bundy before he was arrested (interestingly, a young woman was murdered in her apartment during the duration of his stay, but her killer was never caught...). Some of the creepiest stories I heard from that night took place at this building, which I've passed many times. Between this and the multitude of haunted restaurants, I will definitely never look at/walk through/eat in Burlington the same way again.

Another far less creepy storytelling event took place the same weekend at Adam's Berry Farm in Charlotte, VT. A group of friends I know through my roommate host a storytelling event every few months. Inspired by the Moth, the format of these events basically entails delicious food followed by an evening of stories told my some of those in attendance. The stories at this event were hilarious, imaginative, inspiring, and just delightful. And the backdrop of this beautiful barn on this beautiful farm made the evening all the more magical.

 

Living in Vermont has inspired many 'first's for me: first quinoa, first hike up a mountain, first apple picking. But one of the most memorable firsts took place this Halloween season when Martine and I, along with one of her friends visiting from NY, went to a burlesque show called Ghouls and Dolls. The costumes were creative, the music was entertaining, and the show itself was completely and utterly spectacular. The women were all shapes and sizes, and their stories they told through the music and their dance was just as captivating as one telling a story with words. The most memorable one by far took place right after this picture was taken: a story told to the tune of Lana Del Rey's version of Once Upon a Dream. It was totally haunting.

Roomies/Partners in Crime

A photo of the Emcee before the show

The final storytelling event of the season (so far!) was the monthly Moth storytelling that takes place here in Burlington.  The theme changes every month, and this month's theme, Rivals, inspired stories with topics that ranged from deranged squirrels, to political cutthroating, to post offices. The stories were terrific and the setting, the Skinny Pancake, was unbeatable. I can't believe it took so long to go, and can't wait to turn this event into a monthly tradition.

One last look at summer

I think I finally feel ready to say goodbye to summer. At least that's what I'm telling myself. And honestly, this summer was so beautiful and eventful that my wanting it to be longer feels sort of greedy, like asking for a third scoop of ice cream when you know you should stop at two (but if you're already having two, what really is the point of stopping?). So of course it's natural to scroll through photos of the summer, reliving all of its wonderful moments. And though it was filled with classes and moving (twice), I feel like I was still able to make the most of what Vermont had to offer. I can basically summarize my summer with three words: 'work', hiking, and water.

'Work':

As I've alluded to on Facebook and on my previous blog post, I feel dishonest about calling my job 'work'. I was able to meet students from all over the world and take them to the Ben and Jerry's factory, two festivals in downtown Burlington, the theater to see 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' on a dance cruise on Lake Champlain, and on day trips to Montreal and Boston. It was the perfect summer job that wasn't really a job. 

Yes, Montreal is exactly as adorable as you'd imagine

A hike up Mount Royal (Montreal's name sake)
was totally worth it

The highlight of my trip to Boston was seeing
this great girl, a dear friend I met in Belgium

Teaching students the moves to the Cupid Shuffle. Still my
very favorite memory from this silly job

The top of Mt. Philo in Charlotte. This
hike would give me the harmful
over-confidence to hike Camel's Hump,
Vermont's third highest mountain

Hiking:

This summer I learned something about myself: I am a hiker. I think it's always something I knew deep down, but this summer, probably mostly because of Norm, I've been especially motivated to explore and to and to truly challenge myself physically. It also can't go without saying that Vermont's reputation for beauty and mountains and foliage is not one that was earned unjustifiably. From our relatively flat hikes through the forest, to the absurd 3.1 mile hike up a mountain, this summer definitely became one filled with walking shoes and unbeatable views.

The view from Mt. Philo

The beautiful Niquette Bay, my favorite spot
of the summer

The view from Ethan Allen Park

A girl and her dog. Somehow we made it to the top of
Camel's Hump, 4000 feet in elevation

It was much easier to appreciate the beauty of the mountain
on the walk down...

Swimming hole in Richmond, my personal
favorite swimming spot of the summer. It may
have been Norm's, too.

Water:

There is no question that, despite my love of all things maple and leafy and cheesy and mountainy, my undisputed favorite thing about Vermont is being near water. Any water at all. It might have something to do with growing up surrounded by vast farmland, devoid of significant (non-manmade) bodies of water. But being near water here never ceases to be anything but calming. So naturally I was there every chance I had. Having a dog that is more addicted water than I am certainly didn't hurt either. In addition to Lake Champlain, Burlington is close to countless swimming holes and other lakes that made our swimming opportunities seemingly endless.

A little sunset sail

Bristol Falls swimming hole

We had to travel out of state for this, but Lake George in
New York is absolutely stunning

It took a few tries, but we finally found the perfect beach to
enjoy the Lake George in Ticonderoga

One of dozens Norm swimming in the lake pictures

Why we go to the lake, in a nutshell

So with all of these amazing things that I was able to do this summer (and this is not including seeing my very favorite senator Elizabeth Warren speak, moving into a new beautiful apartment with a new beautiful roommate, seeing one of my very favorite bands Nickel Creek, plus traveling to Maryland, Pennsylvania and North Carolina to see family), I really feel greedy asking for more. It's time to switch out the maple creemees for apple crisp and pumpkin beer. I'm ready for you, fall.

One Year Vermontiversary

It was exactly one year ago today (almost to the minute!) that I arrived in this Green Mountain state that I now call home. A lot has happened and changed in this last year, and though this next year will have some pretty major differences, I know that it will still have many good things in store.

New Home, New Roommates
For those who don't know (and probably anyone reading this already knows) Clint has moved back to Iowa to start a new job at KDSM FOX 17 in a similar position he had before moving to Vermont. Vermont, or at least Burlington, is not known for its abundant jobs, and he had been feeling pretty disconnected from a work environment that would utilize his media talents, so this is a really positive professional change for him.

So Norm and I are taking on Vermont 'solo'. We are in a new apartment, have two new roommates, and are doing tons of exploring. Of course it's difficult without Clint, but we are making the most of our new little home.

New Job


Students from Columbia

Students from Tokyo, Japan

Sometimes in life everything aligns in such a way that you sort of find yourself asking, "How am I able to do this again?" That's how I feel about my new job at St. Michael's as a Student Assistant. My role is to welcome and acclimate our school's abundant international student population to both the school and to Vermont. The summer at St. Mike's is an excellent opportunity for students all over the world to come to study and perfect their English.

Getting paid to go to Ben and Jerry's? Yes please!

And as part of my job description, I get to take students on a:
-Tour of the Ben and Jerry's factory
-Dance cruise on Lake Champlain
-Day trip to Boston
-Day trip to Montreal
Not to mention all the fun things we get to do on campus and around Burlington. For me, it has definitely become a job that makes me constantly ask, "And I'm getting PAID to do this??"

In addition to the very best summer job, I also have new plans for the fall. My position as an ELL teacher changed at the end of this spring, so I needed to find a new job for the fall. And, similar to my St. Mike's job, a new one sort of fell into my lap. Last fall I was able to sub a few times at Mater Christi, a Catholic school in Burlington, and I always enjoyed my time there, probably because its warm and supportive environment reminded me so much of my last school, St. Francis. As it so happened, one of the teachers I subbed for is due to have a baby September 1st, and apparently I was the teacher's first choice for a long-term sub. I accepted with excitement and relief, and can't wait to get started. I will be teaching fourth and fifth grade language arts, and I can't wait to impart all of my new grammar and literary nerdiness I have been building on as a grad student.

New Classes
In addition to working on campus this summer, I am also taking two classes. The classes and work keep me pretty busy, but I am so happy with my switch to this new program that the busy-ness is welcomed (though clearly, as the rest of the pictures will show, I still find plenty of free time as well). My classmates are awesome and my coursework is challenging and interesting--pretty much all I was hoping for in a grad school experience. At the end of this summer, I will officially be halfway done with my program (!) with plans to graduate next May.

New Adventures
Since this is most likely going to be my last summer in Vermont, I have been making an effort to try something new every week. So far I have been able to:

Listen to Senator Elizabeth Warren, and become reminded again of why I admired her in the first place

Have a wine, cheese, and bread picnic on the lake

Pick strawberries for the first time

Take Norm to the beach...multiple times

Watch the Fourth of July fireworks in Stowe, Vermont, rated one of the top ten best places in the country to celebrate Independence Day

And this is just the beginning! I am still hoping to explore new towns, go sailing, hike a mountain or two, and soak up all of Vermont that I can.
It's been an exciting year, Vermont. Here's to another one!