Why I love Bergeron

St. Mikes has some great buildings on its campus, but hands down my favorite is Bergeron, the media studies building. That is where I have a majority of my classes and spend most of my time. Inside, there are two computer labs, a regular classroom, plus all of the professors offices right there! You get out of the lab, walk two feet, and then there is your professors office if you have any questions. To check out what the building looks like, here is a link to Nate's blog where he breaks down Bergeron.  It's so easy to talk to professors after class about projects or to borrow a lens from them if you need one. They're right there to help you out, and I think that really built a strong community for the MJD department.
Along with having access to the labs, we also get to use all the programs on the computers, like photoshop, bridge, illustrator, indesign, and audition. It's so helpful since you don't need to pay for the programs that you're going to need on a day to day basis. Plus, the building is close to all of the housing on campus, so when you need to do a lot of work late at night, you have to worry about walking far in the snow.
My Photojournalism class even gave us Canon cameras (with a bunch of lenses that you can check out in the library) to use. Here are some of the projects that we have been working on throughout the semester.

From our "People without People" assignment,

"A Day in the Life" following a fellow student in the class to capture a typical day

Above is a multimedia where we put together still pictures, natural sound, and interviews to make a video. This will also be how I make my final project about the costume crafts lab at St. Mikes. 

As you can see, there is so much that we get to do in our MJD classes, they give us so much equipment to use, professors right next to our work spaces to use as a resource, and a building that is so close to everything. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have such a great building and community in the department.

What I've learned from my 2+ years in college

There are a lot of things that you realize about yourself and the people around you when you enter into college, wherever you may go. You come to know yourself better, you change, you grow, and you become the person that, hopefully, you've always wanted to be. As I come to an end with my 5th semester at St. Mikes, prepare to go abroad, and think about how next year will be my last here, I contemplate the many different things that I have learned, both in and outside of the classroom, and I thought I would share.

• You will find some of your best friends in college, but that doesn't mean you find them right away. My first year, I lived on a great floor and met some amazing people, some of the nicest at St. Mikes, arguably. But as you enter into your second and even third year, you live in different places with different people, take new classes and just know more about the school and the people in it. My sophomore year, I met my two best friends, Callie and Lily, in our Media Revolutions class because we would always grab tea after class together. That class is also how I met my boyfriend, Paul. I actually first met Callie when I came to visit St. Mikes. We, along with our moms, sat down with a student here for lunch and both ended up coming. It's crazy to think we met then, not sure if we would ever see each other again, and now here we are, junior year, and I consider her one of the coolest people ever.
• No matter how much you may want to escape it, your home is your home. I was so excited to get out of California and explore something new, but I never thought about how much I would stand out at first. Being from California isn't the most common thing in Vermont, so a lot of people were curious as to why I was here. And still today, I get this question on my weekly tours, understandably so. I've come to realize how much I really do love my hometown, even though I wanted to escape it, it is also the one place that I know inside and out. There is something comforting about knowing so much about a place. So even if you think you'll never want to go back to your hometown, you'll realize that you have family, friends, and familiarity there.
• Professors can be friends, mentors, and connections. Your professors are here because they actually really care. I didn't realize this at first. I'm typically a very shy student, I don't like to speak up much because I'm nervous I'll say the wrong thing or something stupid. But professors value discussion and participation, as I've noticed. And as you take more and more classes in your major, you will most likely repeat teachers. For me, this made me feel at ease because I knew the teacher and felt more comfortable about speaking up in class. I have found, after a few years, talking with them about advice for your assignments or jobs can open a whole new world. They have so much experience, if you show them you are open to listen and learn, they want to help guide you to your goal. So talk to them during their office hours, learn from them, and who knows, you may end up going to their house for dinner (as many classes do!).
• You can do everything, but you also have to stay sane. I wanted to do it all, and starting off, I could. But with every year, I added more and more, so by the time I came into school this year, I was overwhelmed and bound to break at any moment. The things I loved to do caused me more stress than they did pleasure. That was the point that I realized I had to take a step back and think about what was most important and step down from what was too much. And know that it is ok to say you are too busy, it happens, and that is life. But know you may have the opportunity to pick it up later. The door isn't shut, it's left cracked open.
• Your Myers-Briggs type will change. What I mean by that is your changes could actually be tracked. One thing I wish I did was take a test at the beginning of every semester or year. You can see how you've changed throughout your time in college. I took one my first year and had a very high extrovert score, but it has slowly gone down over the semesters. I think I had a fear of being left out so I always wanted to be around people. Now that I have a solid group of friends, I'm not so afraid that I'll be left out.  
• You'll miss your parents/become more understanding of them. At the end of high school, I was so excited to be independent. But over my time away, I leaned how much I have in common with my mom and dad and how much I love spending time with them and value our daily routine. Whenever I'm overwhelmed with the fact that I have to start to be an adult, my mom is my go to person for counseling and telling me who to call. Sometimes, I just miss my parents because I love them so much! It was hard realizing I was missing events back home, like awards ceremonies or band performances of my little brother, but you get used to it and find another way to communicate. So keep up with the communication, your parents love to hear from you and you'll love it too.

Those are some of the main points that I'm reflecting on now, as I sit with Lily and Callie listening to music. Lily is typing a paper and Callie has a huge drawing sprawled across the table that she is working on for her class. This is exactly where I want to be, in a place I love, with amazing people. 

TEDx Bella's Performance!

This past weekend, the Acabella's took a little road trip to Manchester, NH to perform at TEDx on the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) campus. We piled into two big St. Mike's vans at 8 am on Saturday and made the trek, which was about 2 1/2 hour drive. Though early, we definitely enjoyed the ride, practicing our songs and stopping halfway to grab food at Panera.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by Gabbi Hall, who was an Alto 2 in the Bella's just a few years ago! She helped to bring us to TEDx because she volunteers with them. She also happens to be my alumni mentor, so it was my first time being able to meet her!

The Bella's have arrived!

On our way to the venue

The Bella's and our biggest fan's, Danny and Julia

The Bella's doing what we do best, singing

It was such an amazing experience! We were able to perform on live stream and had the highest viewing all day! We had an amazing day and we could not have done it without Gabbi Hall giving us the opportunity to perform and our lovely friends Danny and Julia. We needed another driver, so Julia stepped up and her/our friend Danny joined in the adventure. Without them, we couldn't have done it. Thank you and I can't wait for more performance to come!

Film Festival Friday

The Venue

This past Friday, I went to the Telluride Film Festival that was hosted at the Davis Center at the University of Vermont. I went because we had to attend one of two film festivals for my Nature and Outdoor writing class, which is awesome! The films ranged in length from 2 minutes to 20.
I went with my friend Jack and we each brought our significant others, which was great! It was like a double date for a class.
The film festival was so interesting! We were able to see a bunch of films that covered a variety of topics. There was one that looked at a surfer, one that looked at ranchers, and another that followed ice climbers. It was so cool to be able to see different aspects of the world and where people go to seek adventure or make a livelihood.
After seeing the films, we are doing a write up about two films that we saw. I want to focus on the ice climbing and ranchers. They are very different, one looks at a lifestyle and the other looks at a hobby. Both were really well shot, it makes me want to look into making videos more. Hopefully I can produce a short film as good as the ones I saw at the festival for my senior project.

My Crazy Week and Wonderful Professors

Right now, I am having one of the best semesters ever! I am taking all MJD classes and absolutely loving every second of it. I am learning more than I ever have and I know that I've chosen the right major for me!
But I also have to admit, MJD is tough. The major is mostly focused around final articles or photo projects, which I love (I'm a horrible test taker) but around this time of year, everything starts to pile up. This week, I had to juggle classes, writing an article for the Defender, finishing my multimedia project for photojournalism (basically a slide show of photos with sound and interviews), write a natural history piece for nature and outdoor writing, revise an old paper for that class, start my photojournalism final project, and eat and sleep. It has been my busiest week yet.
But today, two of my professors were able to help me make my life a little easier. That is something I've always found at St. Mike's, professors are super helpful and willing to talk with you about any issues you may be having.
When I was going to take photos for my final project in photojournalism, I wanted to check out a 50mm lens from the library (they give us a camera for the class and then we can check out different lenses depending on the projects we are doing). Unfortunately, they didn't have it. But my professor was standing right next to me as I was looking at the lenses they did have and said, "Why don't you just stop by my office in a few minutes and I can give you the 50mm lens to use until someone else needs it?" Yes please! It was great, now I have the lens to finish my project and it has helped a lot of my photos!
And then, just a few minutes ago, I was sitting in my Nature and Outdoor Writing class thinking, "I've done all my work, I'm not stressed anymore, this is great!" Until I heard her ask for the revisions that were due. Oh no! But I didn't panic, I knew I would just have to explain what was happening and why I forgot. After class, I told her I had full intention of doing the revision, it was just the one thing that slipped my mind this crazy week. She was so understanding and said to slide the revision under her door when I was finished, which I am planning to do right after dinner tonight. How awesome is that?
I just thought that before I forget, I need to acknowledge the awesome professors of St. Mikes. Special shout outs to Professor Swope and Professor Sultze for helping me with my work, but also to the rest of the professors here. Today, Professor Cleary brought in a reporter from a local paper who broke some amazing stories for our reporting class, which was amazing! And on Tuesday, Professor Sultze is having someone come in and bring raptors to our class! How cool is that? You won't find as awesome professors anywhere else.
And in case you wanted to see, here is my multimedia about the Quidditch Tournaments we have on campus! I may make some edits based off of what Professor Swope said, but this is version 1.

The Perfect Fall Weekend

What better way to spend your fall weekend than doing the typical fall activities? For me, fall is a completely new season (and so is winter, really). Seeing the leaves change is absolutely amazing in Vermont, and this year is especially beautiful. The other weekend, I was in White River Junction, Vt. with my boyfriend, Paul, and we just had to bake a pie, pick raspberries, and go to a corn maze!
This was my first corn maze. Really! I have been to a hay maze once, but going apple picking and to corn mazes isn't super popular back home. But I absolutely loved it! I really like doing puzzles, so weaving through all the tall corn stalks and trying to find my way out!

Entering into the maze!

Paul leading the way!

Finally made it out!

 After, we decided to go to the raspberry field and picked some beautiful berries!

Paul starting to pick the kiwi gold raspberries

Our picks!

The leaves in the surrounding trees were the most amazing, vibrant colors and it was the perfect cool fall day. If you are able to get out and really experience fall in Vermont, I highly suggest doing it all!

And here is a video of Paul following me in the corn maze! He was very excited to use the different video features on his new phone.

My First Article!

For my Reporting for the Media class, we work with St. Mike's school newspaper, The Defender, to create stories. This semester was my first time ever writing for a newspaper, and it was a really cool experience!
First, on Thursday we went to the "Pitch Pick-Up" where you go  to hear the different stories that they have and choose which one you want. This can be competitive sometimes, but I luckily got my first choice in articles. Mine focused on a student run concert venue on campus called Turtle Underground, located in the bottom of Purtill Hall (mostly sophomore and junior dorms) on our North Campus. Turtle has equipment for student bands to use and perform with so they can continue their passion for music while here at St. Mikes.
After picking up my pitch on Thursday, I had until Wednesday to interview my sources and write my first draft. Though it is a short amount of time, I was lucky enough to get all my interviews finished in time. When I met with my editor, we went over my article to see what I did well, what I could add, and making style adjustments. It was super helpful!

My questions for my interviews

My first edit after meeting with my editor

Once my changes were made, I sent it to my editor at 12:00 pm that Friday, and the following week, I found my article in the Defender!

My final article!

I really enjoyed my experience writing my first article and working with my editor and look forward to contributing more to the Defender! And if you want to check it out, here is the link!

Nature and Outdoor Writing

This semester, I am absolutely obsessed with all my classes. As you can see under my schedule tab, I have a lot going on, and all of my classes are MJD, which I love! But my Nature and Outdoor writing class is extremely fun, and I will tell you why!
We talk about a bunch of things in this class that are really interesting, it is almost a mix between a writing class, nature class, and some journalism sprinkled in there. We have a book that breaks down the months in New England and talks about the plants and animals that you would see during those times. To take advantage of the good weather that we have and also to really be able to check out the outdoors around us, my class went to Local Motion in Burlington by the waterfront to learn about their initiatives to improve biking ability in the area, but also to rent out some bikes so that we could ride along the waterfront.

The class and our bikes overlooking the water around us

My friend McKenna and I started off on the tandem bike, which was a lot more difficult than it seems! I was on the front at first, which handles almost everything, steering, pace, and most importantly, making sure that we don't fall over! Which I thought was surely going to happen! We rode for about 2 hours and it was amazing!
 We also went to the Woodside Loop, a walking trail around our North Campus. We were out to spot different animals and plants that were in our book, and it went pretty successfully!

The beginning of the Woodside Loop

Our class looking at the different birds and trees

This class has been one of my favorites because we get to go out of the classroom and try to spot birds or frogs, it almost makes me like a kid again!

Three in a Row!

The Acabella's, my other half and amazing all female acapella group on campus, had quite a busy week to say the least. We welcomed 4 new members to our group (all of which are absolutely amazing!) and started off the year with a bang!

On Thursday, we had an amazing time at the Multiple Scler dinner. Saint Michael's College is a huge supporter, so we were approached about singing along with Mike Check, the all male acapella group, to come out and sing for the lovely people at the dinner. It was such an amazing time! We sang Zombies by the Cranberries, Little Talks with Mike Check, and then they sang Hallelujah. We sounded pretty good, if I do say so myself. They were also very generous and gave us dinner along with our performance, which was amazing!

Aisling (the new Alto 2) and I at the dinner

Liz and Casey (also Alto 2) at our table

The event space at the Sheraton

Our table!

After this performance, we jumped right into the next one! Friday Knight Dry is a night that is full of activities and entertainment for everyone on campus. Every dorm and suite building has different activities going on where you can earn tickets, and then you put them in a raffle to win different prizes. They also have the acapella groups perform at this. We jumped up on stage first, being the first group there and ready to go, and performed a great set!

The Girls, being our typical goofy selves

And finally, we ended off the three day performance streak with a Fall Academic Preview Day performance for the parents and students who were visiting. Later that morning, I gave a tour and the families said they loved our performance! It was a busy few days for the group, but I think that we are sounding fantastic, especially with the new girls! I cannot wait for what the year has in store for the Bella's!

Welcome Back!!!!

As you know, school began just a little while ago with classes starting on September 1, 2014. But before everything started, we had to welcome in the Class of 2018 and transfer students!
Orientation, for me, was one of the best weekends. I was able to meet so many new people and have a lot of fun doing different activities that all the Orientation Leaders work so hard to make awesome. This year, I had the honor of being an Orientation Leader with some amazing people.

My Orientation Partner, Ethan, and I on a boat cruse around Lake Champlain

Some of the wonderful Orientation gals

The very first day welcoming people on the street!

 After the first years move in, we break up into groups with the first years and transfer students to do introduction games and get to know each other better. From then on, we are a power team that goes to the different activities set up for us, like speakers and dances! Grabbing food, hanging out, and really getting prepared for the classes that are only a short ways away, Orientation Leaders hope to guide everyone to a smooth first year. My group contained some amazing people, and I can only hope that Ethan and I, along with the other leaders, helped to make their first weekend here fun and welcoming!

The Art of Packing

Packing is a skill. Many people are good at it, and there are also plenty (me) who can struggle at times. Going to college is so exciting because you get to buy new bedding, posters, and really make this space cool and your own. Shopping is one of my favorite things to do, but I'll admit it, I can go a bit overboard. Sparkles, organization bins, and lights all distract me from what I really need, and I may have entered school a bit over prepared. Don't get me wrong, you definitely need a bunch of stuff to live with and make your room special, but there is a method to the madness that is packing that I will share with you.

Will you wear this?
If you are even thinking that, leave it in your room at home. Your first semester you don't have to bring everything in your closet (mistake #1 for me). Know that it is ok to leave behind some sweaters and boots because the best way to know if you are going to need it is if you are at school and think, "oh wow, how great would it be to have ___ right now?" That is the tell tale sign that you will actually use it.

Lights, Camera, Decorations!
Nobody loves decorations and personalizing a room more than I do, but you have to realize the space you have. Posters and tapestries are great because they make the room feel more homey and Christmas lights create a warm glow in the room that isn't as harsh as the normal light, but realize the space in your room. You don't want to buy 12 posters to hang on a wall that could only fit 4. Bringing a few to get started is nice and then you can always build it from there. Just because you didn't have it to start off with doesn't mean you can't go out and buy one if you want.

The Freshman 15 Food Factor
I'll be real with you right now, it is an actual thing, especially here. Since St. Mike's has the unlimited meal plan for almost everyone (sorry seniors!) you really don't need much as far as food goes in your room to make it by. Having a mini fridge and microwave is great in case you go out and have leftovers or for making a quick snack. I recommend bringing (or getting while you are here) just a basic set of utensils and a bowl and plate, it makes snacking so much easier. Your first year, you don't need too much heavy cooking equipment, so keep it light.

Traveling from far away
I'm from California, so I brought 2 large suitcases and a duffel full of my personal stuff/clothing from home and picked everything else up here. That worked out great, but I over estimated what I needed. A trash can when we already have one in the room, too many storage bins, and a lot of extra stuff ended up in my room. Luckily, our rooms are pretty big so I could fit everything fairly well, but I also had to keep my winter jackets and summer clothes with me all year round since it is hard to travel with them. Though I am envious of those whose rooms lack much "extra" and everything seems very clean, I realize that I also have probably double the clothes because I have to be prepared for that. If you are traveling from far away, you just have to know that you'll have to keep your suitcases and bins in your room, there isn't the option to take it home. Though it can take up extra space, it also works as extra storage, so try to utilize it as much as you can!

Pack well, don't stress, and we can't wait to have you here with us Class of 2018!
And make sure to check out our video to help you pack smart!
If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to comment! (If you are thinking it, most likely someone else is too!)

4th of July Weekend

This past 4th of July weekend, I headed down to White River Junction area to visit Paul for the long weekend. Paul had Thursday off, so we headed over to Montshire Museum to check out Sue! Sue is the T-Rex that the museum is displaying all summer along with some extra exhibits about dinosaurs. But before we headed inside the museum, we went out looking for Paul's brother, Noah, who was working at a camp there. Since he works there, we could get in free...with his pass. So our Montshire day began with the search for Noah. We tried using GPS coordinates, but those ultimately didn't seem to help. After looking around one trail, we started on the next. We walked around for about 30 minutes until we took a break by the water that was there.

Trying to find Noah*

A break by the water, it was a hot day!

Paul capturing the moment and beautiful scenery

 Finally, we heard the small children voices and followed to find Noah and the group as they were headed back towards the museum. We grabbed the pass and hiked back, passing through the water portion of the museum outside and cooling off in the mist. Finally inside the magnificent air conditioning, we found Sue!

The Three Musketeers! Paul, Sue and I*

The top floor view*

Playing with the fog!*

It was an awesome day! I felt like a kid again getting to play with all the different science games they had. For the rest of the weekend, Paul was cooking at Dana's (the restaurant he works at) in the morning, but in the afternoon we got to go to beaches, eat ice cream and enjoy the weather. Though we didn't get to see any fireworks ourselves, we did watch this awesome video of a drone in the middle of a firework show, check it out!

 

 

side note: all photos with a * are from Paul's Flickr

The Perfect Summer Birthday

This past Saturday was my birthday, so to celebrate I thought what better way than to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather than go to the farmers market and strawberry picking. I had never gone before, but how cute does it sound to go strawberry picking with friends?
As I've talked about before, I love the Burlington farmers market. I tried a new stand and got a delicious breakfast wrap. After, I couldn't help but finish off the meal with maple cotton candy!

L to R: Amanda, Lily, myself, Catherine, and Michelle at the farmers market

Afterwards, we headed to Sam Mazza's farm for strawberry picking! Most of us had never been before, so it was an adventure for all! We went out into the fields and were encouraged to pick and sample to our hearts desire!

Sam Mazza's pay station

My picks from the day

Amanda with her perfect strawberry

The girls out in the fields

Lily and I with our berries!



 

When we got back, we cooled off in the room for a bit and then went to North Beach and to Ben and Jerrys (they give you a free scoop on your birthday!) to end the day. Quite perfect if you ask me!

Friday Night Food Trucks

In Burlington during the summer, every Friday night they have a food truck extravaganza! Food trucks from restaurants or just individuals come together and gather in Burlington to sell to the huge groups of people. During the Friday night festivities, there is also music playing and plenty of people walking around. Lily and I went for the first time this past Friday, and it will not be the last time! Upon arrival, we were surprised at how big it was and the variety of trucks. Long lines wrapped around trucks, people hoping that they won't sell out before they make it to the front. After checking out our options, we found a truck that struck our fancy.

The cart we chose

Waiting for our food

Lily with her pulled pork. I stole a taste and it was one of the best I've ever had!

The people and trucks

 While waiting in line, the band that was playing came over in the midst of all the people and began playing a tune and dancing through the people. It was so cool!

My delicious crab cake sandwich

An ice cream cart

The building it was next to

 I've heard that it was good, but I had no idea that it would be that delicious!! It was constantly hopping with people and there were so many options, we will definitely be heading back soon to get more and try all the carts. If you are in Burlington on a Friday night, this is a must eat!

TBT: My first visit to St. Mikes

Working in Admissions and giving tours all summer has made me think back to when I was visiting colleges the summer before my senior year of high school. My mom and I did a lot of research about schools that fit my criteria: small, liberal arts, strong academics. I didn't have a major decided at the time, so I was trying to look for a school that had everything else. St. Mike's was actually a last minute addition to our visit, I was going to Vermont to visit another school anyways, so it made sense to stop by.
On my way to Vermont, the airline I took managed to leave my bag in San Francisco so after flying for 7 hours, I lacked all my clothes and toiletries. Luckily, my mom and I could share clothes and I was able to put together some outfits for the two days I would be without my luggage. That morning, I visited the other school, which was nice, but I quickly learned that it didn't appeal to me. It was way too small (800 students. Total.) and I had a great tour guide, but saw that I couldn't see myself there. After, we hopped in a car and drove about 2 hours to St. Mikes and were able to pick up my luggage on the way after having to deal with rude attendants. But finally, after all that I made it to St. Mikes.
When I stepped into the Hoehl Welcome Center, I remember that there were a few other families there and I put down my luggage behind where we have the coffee machine. Then before I knew it, Jeremy came over and introduced himself and lead me to an interview room with Aislinn, who was at the time shadowing interviews. After talking with Jeremy, discussing what I wanted in a school, and whipping out my binder full of questions I had for each school (it was my turn to interview them, this is not a one way street!) Jeremy said that I was the perfect student for St. Mikes. Then I thought it was just a compliment, but now I see how much truth that statement held.
Once I had finished the interview and informational session, I went on a tour of campus. Lucky for me, it had rained when I was in the interview and we were afraid it was going to rain again, so I got to sport the lovely St. Mike's poncho. Even though I had a rough first few days in Vermont, when I got to St. Mikes, everything fell into place. The campus was beautiful, the people were friendly, and most importantly, they could see me here as much as I could. I knew St. Mikes was one of my top schools then and there. I later applied and was accepted. St. Mike's was my first admitance letter and, I'm not going to lie, I cried when I saw it. I was washing my car, ran inside when my mom told me it came, cried, and went back to washing my car. It was perfect.

My first tour in the lovely poncho

Summer Adventures in Vermont: Camping

This past weekend, Paul and I decided to take advantage of his free campground pass (from his internship in the Vermont State Parks) and go camping! Truth be told, I have only been camping once before. I believe it was in the 3rd grade with my family. But I remember really enjoying it and I was excited to try camping here in Vermont.
We visited Silver Lake in Barnard Vermont, which is close to Woodstock. At the park, there was also a beach, playground, and concessions stand. We lucked out with the weather and had a beautiful weekend of camping. Though Paul and I had never set up tents in the past, we decided it would be easy and didn't read the instructions. We managed to get the tent up, but had one pole left that we could not figure out where it went. Reluctantly, we looked at the instructions and found it went in the rain guard on the top of the tent. After that, we unrolled the sleeping bags and called it home sweet home.

The Tent! (and the gigantic trees!)

Paul taking photos around the campsite

Once the set up was finished, we headed to the beach so Paul could take more photos and so that we could swim in the water and enjoy the weather. After setting up our beach chairs and lounging for a bit, we headed to the dock to take the plunge. Kids were swimming and jumping in, but I wasn't convinced that it was going to be pleasant. To quote a girl there "It's 5 billion degrees in the water!". So Paul and I jumped in, only to find that it was 5 billion degrees...below zero. It quickly woke us up, but that was enough swimming for me.

Paul and I after jumping in

 

Paul with all his photography and beach gear

We then cleaned up and went to Simon Pearce restaurant, which was amazing and absolutely beautiful! And while walking back to the car after a filling meal, we stumbled upon two hot air balloons about to take off! So naturally we stuck around to watch.

What we first saw, I wasn't sure if they were just landing or taking off

The crew, and check out that fire!

The takeoff!

I had never been so close to hot air balloons before, it was crazy! After watching them sail away, we went to the camp site to forrage for wood and build a fire.

Paul chopping the wood with an ax

Enjoying the fire

A great end to a wonderful day

 I loved camping, and if you get the chance to go out on your own to explore Vermont or with the Wilderness Program here at St. Mikes, I highly suggest taking that opportunity. How many more will you get to try something totally cool in Vermont?