Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The Uniform

SMC kids wear an unnatural amount of school apparel - and that causes people to constantly have chance meetings with alums all over the world, all because of an SMC shirt. I been called out all over the place for my SMC apparel, including most recently in Arizona! SMC alums are all over the place, and they continue their constant wearing of SMC clothing, no matter where they are!

Here are a few examples from my own life...

My (now roommate) Heather (SMC '10) and I in Kentucky back in 2008 sporting our SMC gear

SMC in the Dominican Republic in 2009!

SMC shirt AND sweats in Baltimore, MD on a service trip in 2010
(we were showing off our break dancing skills in case you couldn't tell)

My sister, Emily (SMC '12) and I running the Hinesburg Hilly Hobble over the 4th of July

Once an SMCer, always an SMCer...with LOTS of t-shirts to prove it!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Perspective

This is me sitting on the rim of the Grand Canyon - a really perspective-filled and very humbling moment captured by my good friend Amy.

I've been thinking a lot today about perspective. Mostly about how much each of our lives are impacted by our perspective on the situations that were are put in.

What does this have to do with anything?

I was personally relating it to my own life and a variety of things that seem overwhelming at this exact moment (Leaving for travel at 5:30 AM tomorrow! A fall travel season to plan! Interns to manage! Cupboard moths in our apartment!), but then I remembered how I was feeling exactly seven years ago when I was an incoming first year at St. Mike's. I was about to embark on a huge journey through the next four years, and I had no idea what to expect. Would I make friends? Would I find food that I liked to eat? Would I be able to keep up in my classes? Would I ever choose a major? Now, looking back on some of the most transformative and amazing years of my life, I wish I could go back to myself seven years ago and calm that poor girl down! I have so much added perspective now, and I know that perspective will only continue to grow.

So next week when the travel is done and I'm rested, the cupboard moths have been cleaned away and my travel is even more planned than it is now, I'll look back on these moments of feeling overwhelmed and just say "Relax. It all will work out." Because it always does.

If you are an incoming first year to SMC, relax. Harder than it sounds, I know, but trust the process. Trust the people around you, and allow yourself to be open to what's about to come. And look at that picture back up at the top of the post.

Remember that the Grand Canyon will always be there, no matter where you are and what is happening in your life. It is the work of millions of years of nature, and serves as a reminder to me that things happen over time - things become clearer after millions of years (or maybe, in our case, weeks or months). 5 million years ago that place in northern Arizona was just a desert, not one of the seven wonders of the world. Even in 6 months your life will be so changed that you will hardly recognize your thoughts right now.

So, take a deep breath, smile, and let the world run its course.


Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Desiderata - Max Ehrmann


Thursday, July 5, 2012

Oh the Places You'll Go...

My last post focused on the fun activities on the books for this summer in Burlington, but I also have a variety of travel planned for the rest of the summer. Here are a few of the highlights!

1. Bridgewater Corners, VT - Not your typical Vermont hotbed, but my good friends Mallory and Andrew relocated to this rural town in central Vermont near Killington last summer. This weekend they are hosting a 4th of July/summer party with their families and a variety of different SMC friends. I'm looking forward to it!

2. New York City - one of my favorite places on earth...and I'll be visiting yet again next weekend! This time it will be with my mom and my sister, Emily, as well as our good family friends Linda and Brittany. We've got a hotel booked in Manhattan, are planning to see a show and will help Brittany move into her new apartment in Queens on Sunday. It will be a great trip!

3. Old Orchard Beach, ME - my family's annual summer vacation to Maine will be happening yet again this summer. I'm looking forward to time on the beach with lots of relaxation!

Do you have any big summer plans?