As the first post of the official summer, I'm happy to report that I had the chance to partake in some wonderful, summertime activities this past weekend. After a long week in the Department of Environmental Conservation in Albany, I had the chance to travel to a small town about an hour south of Albany (to a school one of my good friends teaches at). There, I was the guest speaker at a terrific arts reception for 7-12 graders, and spoke about the importance of keeping arts in one's life, regardless of what path you choose to pursue. If you had 10 minutes, I could tell you why, but hopefully you know already!
I spent the much of the remainder of this weekend in Vermont. Home base was Burlington (where my girlfriend, Charlotte, is living for the summer). However, side trips included locations such as Shelburne Farms, which is an astoundingly gorgeous organic farm; a hike up a scenic mountain overlooking Lake Champlain; a morning exploration of Montpelier, VT, the smallest capital city in the United States; a tour of the Ben & Jerry's ice-cream factory and an award-winning cider mill in Waterbury, VT; and a lunchtime jaunt through scenic Stowe, VT (which is in the shadow of enormous Mt. Mansfield). I also got to enjoy smaller things, like eating dinner at a wood-fired pizzeria; cooking yet another dinner using food bought at a great co-op in Burlington; observing various quirky people all throughout Vermont; and discovering the grave (aka giant monument) of General Ethan Allen just a couple blocks away from Charlotte's home. And did I forget to mention the composting toilet that's enclosed by a shower curtain and adjoins a noisy ballfield? Yes, I suppose I did...
After traveling to Vermont a mere 5 times so far, if you asked me why I've fallen very much in love with the state already, I'd definitely attribute it to the unexpected. Every time you turn the corner, there is something unique, wonderful, and, very often, stunningly gorgeous. Case in point-this photo, which was simply taken from the deck of the commuter ferry which links Essex, NY to Charlotte, VT. And now, with that beauty fresh in mind, it's back to cubicle-land!
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