Where we are in Florida, my parents bought a modest house in a dominantly senior community (HA!), but it's quiet and lovely. Internet, however, is only available at the Clubhouse. It's mighty inconvenient to have to walk over here just to check my e-mails and such, though it's also a blessing because I haven't read magazines, books, written, nor slept this much in months.
The Holi Festival is a Hindu celebration of spring, renewal and colors. All across the world it was celebrated on March 11th; in the North Country it was still winter, haha, so we saved our festivities for the last day of classes. It was a slightly chilly, yet still mamagnificent Friday afternoon. The ASIA club that I'm provided the powders and dyes. People came in their worn and tattered clothes, I wore an unblemished white, and basically we had a battle of colors! I'm fairly certain any onlookers thought we were maniacs (some people moved off the quad for fear of being sprayed with dye), but I had a blast. My t-shirt and overalls are now sufficiently colored, but I did throw my contacts away and scrub my teeth. If you want, look up Ke$ha's "Take It Off Video", they do a Holi reference in an empty swimming pool :).
On the last day of finals, my friends Annie and Elizabeth and I took advantage of the free Canoe shack and went on an adventure down the river. There were dozens of kids paddling under the pristine sky, savoring their end to exams and the semester as well. We sat and listened to the birds, and imagined what it would be like living in one of the small houses along the bank. I spotted a musk rat (I didn't know for sure, but I called it correctly!), and we found the park-beach that's a few miles down from our school! I had completely forgotten about it, so that was a thrilling discovery. We exorcised our inner children on the bright, old metal playground, undisturbed except for the Canadian geese on the far side of the lawn. We tumbled around in the beach for a bit and then paddled back to turn the canoe in on time. The poor worker there had to deal with drunken students putting boats in the water 15 minutes before close! At the same time, I couldn't blame them for wanting to be on the water for such a nice day.
I almost forgot that I was leaving the next morning, that we were all leaving next morning. Just for those solitary hours, I was able to row this twisted, distraught feeling aside.
Any pending ventures in your summer?
4 comments:
That would be annoying to have to walk to some other place to use the internet, but I guess that's also a good thing when you want to limit computer usage, haha. :P
The Holi Festival sounds so awesome! Especially getting to completely destroy your pristine white shirt with all of those awesome colors. :D Going canoeing sounds like a blast too. I don't think I've ever been... but this makes me want to! It looks so pretty there.
Here's to an adventurous summer! Mine shall involve working and cross country and AP homework and staying up super late... hehe.
Nicole,
I just want to say congratulations to you on finishing up your first year, mine is over too and I know that it is no small feat ;). My blogging has been sporadic too, but hopefully now that we're both out for summer we can achieve some consistencey, I see that you've already got a head start on me. I'm way jealous you're in Florida right now, I'm actually in Iowa visiting family--but I hope you're enjoying the sun and the beach down there! I love the Holi Festival pictures :), I think I'd like to celebrate that next year. Canoeing at college sounds like a lot of fun too.. Stuff like that makes me wonder if I should transfer to a less "city" style college, but Albany has its perks too. Just things to think about ;). No definite summer plans for me yet, but I'd love to do a spontaneous trip to the ocean..NH or Maine would be wonderful.. I hope everything is good with you in Florida, and I can't wait to hear more when you get the chance to blog again.
I love how we're on the college journey together ;). That's awesome how you're compiling a reference for your graduating friends--I don't have any real close friends graduating this year but I plan on implementing all of my college knowledge into Tom's younger brother John who's a junior. I know, I really want to keep learning and staying sharp through summer and definitely in sophomore year. No room for slacking anymore, highschool/senioritis is over :P. It sounds like you'll be very busy this summer, but with your trip to France---SOOOOO worth it!!! I admire you for getting it all set up to go already ;), I know I want to study abroad but I haven't done much research into it yet. That sounds like so much fun with other students you know burning their notes and hanging out drinking on your patio, sometimes I wish I went to a more remote kind of college for reasons like that. If anyone had a fire in UAlbany, it would not go un-noticed for long.. :/. I'm pretty pumped to go running in the woods, I just hope I'm in good enough shape, I've been running every day in Iowa, but it's not the same steep incline of the woods. I know you've been dealing with that stress fracture for awhile now, that's just awful.. if it isn't hard enough to fight the college weight already! Jeez :(. But from the pictures you post, you're still looking fabulous, so you must be doing something right!
That is so funny that you guys had a mini holi! Isn't it a blast? You should come to the one in utah next year! You'll have a place to stay, haha. Sounds like you're livin' it up in college. Its the best of times and the worst of times all wrapped in a bundle. The hard part is balancing the joys and the stresses. You're simply ravishing, dahling.
-joce
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