Time of the Season

Well, school impends in a few days, and the summer is very nearly over. I'm fighting off mother nature and some allergies currently, but am very excited for the new year to start! My sophomore year kicks off with my participation in FOCUS on New Haven, a service project orientation for rising sophomores and transfer students. I can't wait to start it; it looks like a lot of fun and a good way for me to explore New Haven better.

There's a lot to say for the Yale Bubble; it keeps us safe and well supplied with coffee shops and thai restaurants, but it also prevents us from really experiencing New Haven for New Haven. It's a lovely city, with a farmer's market and several parks, and yet I haven't really explored it at all. I'm hoping that FOCUS will help with this.

Haiku

Sunglasses many,
Five dollars each? I think not.
Bargaining is fun.

I see seashells by the seashore.

I recently returned from Cape May, NJ, for a week down the shore. Not at the beach, down the shore. It's a peculiarity of the New Jersey dialect that we say this, but this is the way things are said. And we wait on line, thank you.

It's been a busy week; the other day my cousin and I went to the New York Renaissance Faire, where we frolicked about in costume for a day, showing off our shoddy british accents. I had a ball, there, as I always do, because being a history nerd and a lover of fun clothing, RenFaires (as they are known) combine all that I love in the world. In fact I wrote an essay or two about the experience.

The next day, cuz and I drove down to Cape May and began the beach extravaganza. It was nice out for the first few days, with beautiful sunsets and great sunshine. Cape May is lovely because it has so much history (it was like America's first resort) and it isn't as sketchy as other bits of the shore, like, say, Seaside Heights. I also enjoy Cape May because it has an old fashioned boardwalk and is a throwback to the romanticized mental images of a true shore vacation.

The best part of my trip, though, was PARASAILING. We went through East Coast Parasail and my cousins and I were brought aloft. It's amazing how quiet it is when one is up there; it's like there's nothing at all around, 350 feet up. At one point, a dolphin was sighted underneath us, meandering its way, oblivious to the two girls suspended high above.

And now I shall go collapse and start packing for school tomorrow!

Parasailing: as awesome as it looks.

Adventures in Windsurfing

The last few days have been very very hectic, so I'm a bit behind...

Later on in the week I was in the Adirondacks, I discovered that my grandparents have a "Windglider," which is a sort of cross between a life raft with no sides and a windsurfer. Now, having taken a sailing course and being theoretically red cross certified in basic sailing, I figured that windsurfing would be a piece of cake. The result:

After several falls and a blow to the head, I decided that Mother Nature had the upper hand and didn't try anymore. However, my blaze of glory did involve 20 feet without falling, which was fun.

The loon: most difficult animal to photograph ever.

Other such adventures in the Woods included the "cruise and dine" on Raquette Lake and going to "Frankie's Taste of Italy," which involved mediocre Italian cuisine under the backdrop of Godfather posters.

After a long ride home, we made it back to NJ, eventually.

Rain and a Tribute

Today, a smooth jazz combo referenced this.

It was a good day, despite the pouring rain. Ping pong has never been so entertaining.

America on Vacation, or, the Road Trip examined

Today I went to the Adirondacks in New York. The process of going involves roughly a six hour drive, and this drive is always full of entertainment. This year, in particular, is especially good, mostly because it seems that all of America is on vacation. Whether this is due to the abysmal economy or because it's a nice weekend I do not know, but what I do know is that traffic was fun and rest stops more so.

For, as one pulls off the NY State Thruway, one sees a sea of cars in a parking lot. RVs, pickups, minivans, convertibles, and sedans are all mingled, cars from every walk of life, not to mention the motorcycles that range from choppers to motortrikes. The people get out, and scurry with panicked looks on their faces towards the bathroom, completely oblivious to the car that had to stop short to pick them. There are families, couples, tour groups, truckers, and singles in the rest stop, all together for a time to prevent blood clots in their legs from forming. It's an amazing experience in diversity and makes you appreciate how different the american landscape is.

People come from all across the nation, and their dress, ease, and bearing shows this; east coasters and midwesterners all have different standards of travel wear, and I can tell you that what some people wear is fascinating.

We eat, and go to the bathroom (the nerve center of a rest area) and walk slowly back to our cars, never to intersect with these people again. I cast an eye to the dog walk area, and see the family pooch being let out to play and do other things for a moment; today, I saw a baby bulldog and nearly died of cute-overdose.

As we drive on, into the Adirondacks, the signs become more rustic, and cartoon bear and moose are everywhere. Kayaks are common roof adornments, and the air becomes cooler and more lush with the breath that pine trees and mountains give. Your car is a gateway to amazing places, formerly inaccessible, and though you may not have leg room, the trip is always worth it.

More on the Adirondacks soon.