Monday was an eventful day, even though it was a day off from work. I'd just finished caddying forty-five holes in two days as well as a busy Sunday night at Park Central. Though I didn't have any work commitments I had a much more important appointment to prepare for.
Last year I applied for the Valley Press Memorial Scholarship, but because I decided to take a gap year, I was told to wait a year and apply again when I was closer to my freshman year at Middlebury. I'm glad they made me wait. Though I resubmitted last year's application, I was able to update it with several more examples of my journalistic work in the form of blog posts. If I were on the scholarship committee, my ears would certainly perk up when I started reading about European travels, and for this reason, I'm glad I got to share my favorite blog posts with the committee.
Apparently they were interested. I was invited as a "finalist" to interview in Springfield on Monday. Despite some car troubles, I made it to the Mercy Medical Center with time to spare. Before I could even sit down, I heard several comments from the committee of five women along the lines of "We can't wait to hear about your gap year!" I recognized that I've been talking and writing about my gap year for months now, and that the interview would be no different. When I was asked to say a little bit about myself, I was able to start with then end of my senior year of high school and go from there. I feel like the story of my gap year alone gives me a leg up on the typical contestant who goes to such-and-such high school, is the editor of his or her school newspaper, and will be graduating in a few weeks. At the very least, my story is fun. As I talked, I was able to tell stories. And at its core, that's what journalism is all about. I find out in two weeks or so whether I am selected as a scholarship recipient, but leaving the interview, I couldn't have felt better about my chances.
Though I needed no cheering up, stepping out of the meeting room to find my parents waiting put an even bigger smile on my face. We had agreed to meet for dinner, and they arrived just as I was finishing my interview. Even though they didn't have to cross any state borders, it was still a significantly longer drive from Williamstown than it was from Hamden. Soon we found ourselves out in the warm sun of downtown Springfield. It was nice enough to spend the rest of the evening outdoors, but Springfield isn't exactly the place for that. Fortunately, my dad had scoped out a nearby dinner spot--Theodore's BBQ. It was a restaurant with plenty of character, and as I began to read through my dinner options, I was glad to see a completely different lineup than what we offer at Park Central.
I've gone away three times this year; leaving has certainly become easier, but seeing family after a long stretch of separation has remained special each time we join together again. Of course, my parents meeting me for dinner in Springfield isn't quite the same as when they arrived in Germany for a week of adventures, but I appreciate any spending time with them--any time, any place. Dinner was fun. I shared thorough details about jobs at the restaurant and golf course and listened to stories from Williamstown, especially what it's been like welcoming Cindy into the Dils household. My favorite dish of the evening was the jalapeño corn fritter appetizer; my favorite moment was when my mom pulled a hard copy of the photo-book I'd created about my time in Germany with the Judsons. Earlier that day I'd sent a happy birthday email to Sebastian, who is now eight years old. I know that all of the Judson kids have grown so much since I left, but for now, I can only remember them as the nine, seven, four, and three-year-olds on the cover of the book.
The days are noticeably longer now, and as I drove back to Hamden in the setting sun, I realized how close I am to the end of my adventures. I'm so incredibly excited to return to Camp Dudley, but summers on the shore of Lake Champlain are something that I've known my entire life. This year, however, has been new to me, and because I've tried so many different things, it's remained new through to the end. It's only a week-and-a-half until I see my family again, this time with Sam and Miranda along for the ride, as everyone will visit Hamden next weekend. And after that, it's only another two weeks until I'm home for good--well, at least home long enough to pack up for Dudley and Middlebury. I think I'll have time for a few rounds at Taconic, too.
Though I needed no cheering up, stepping out of the meeting room to find my parents waiting put an even bigger smile on my face. We had agreed to meet for dinner, and they arrived just as I was finishing my interview. Even though they didn't have to cross any state borders, it was still a significantly longer drive from Williamstown than it was from Hamden. Soon we found ourselves out in the warm sun of downtown Springfield. It was nice enough to spend the rest of the evening outdoors, but Springfield isn't exactly the place for that. Fortunately, my dad had scoped out a nearby dinner spot--Theodore's BBQ. It was a restaurant with plenty of character, and as I began to read through my dinner options, I was glad to see a completely different lineup than what we offer at Park Central.
I've gone away three times this year; leaving has certainly become easier, but seeing family after a long stretch of separation has remained special each time we join together again. Of course, my parents meeting me for dinner in Springfield isn't quite the same as when they arrived in Germany for a week of adventures, but I appreciate any spending time with them--any time, any place. Dinner was fun. I shared thorough details about jobs at the restaurant and golf course and listened to stories from Williamstown, especially what it's been like welcoming Cindy into the Dils household. My favorite dish of the evening was the jalapeño corn fritter appetizer; my favorite moment was when my mom pulled a hard copy of the photo-book I'd created about my time in Germany with the Judsons. Earlier that day I'd sent a happy birthday email to Sebastian, who is now eight years old. I know that all of the Judson kids have grown so much since I left, but for now, I can only remember them as the nine, seven, four, and three-year-olds on the cover of the book.
The days are noticeably longer now, and as I drove back to Hamden in the setting sun, I realized how close I am to the end of my adventures. I'm so incredibly excited to return to Camp Dudley, but summers on the shore of Lake Champlain are something that I've known my entire life. This year, however, has been new to me, and because I've tried so many different things, it's remained new through to the end. It's only a week-and-a-half until I see my family again, this time with Sam and Miranda along for the ride, as everyone will visit Hamden next weekend. And after that, it's only another two weeks until I'm home for good--well, at least home long enough to pack up for Dudley and Middlebury. I think I'll have time for a few rounds at Taconic, too.
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