It's Time to Move On

It's cliche to say that all good things must come to an end. I have a hard time looking back over the past ten months of my adventures and writing them off as simply "coming to an end." And though this will be my final blog post on this blog, this journal celebrating the trials and tribulations of my gap year, I cannot close with a sorrowful tone. Yes, the school year is over (congratulations to all of my friends who graduated last weekend), and yes, I am home from the third planned phase of my year off, but as I've raced around Williamstown the past week or so attempting to prepare for what lies ahead, I've experienced no feelings of letdown. My gap year may be over based on the calendar, but I don't feel as if anything has ended--I only feel more ready to move on to the next chapter.

Back home on Lake Champlain

Today, in a few hours, I will report to 126 Camp Dudley Road. I will walk through the main gates, give big hugs that say "I've missed you," and meander down to Williams Cabin, my home for Summer 2013. We'll all be busy. This stellar crew of leaders and staff gracing the Dudley campus today has ten days to prepare for the start of camp. I know we'll be ready when the campers arrive next Tuesday.

There will be time for reminiscing--time to collect all of our individual stories from the offseason and pool them together in joy of reconvened friendship. But sooner than I care to realize, my tales of adventure from my gap year will have to settle themselves in a small corner of my cabin. They will always be there for when I need them, but for now, they'll have to take a backseat to the new memories we'll create this summer. I do know, however, that I have a better place than a dark corner to keep my stories--I have this blog. 

And that's the cool part. How cool it's been that I got to live in Germany, tuning my soccer skills as I tuned my ears to the rough vernacular of a beautiful people. How cool it's been that I was able to visit Dudley friends at college campuses all over the east coast, rekindling the Dudley spirit far from the campus here on Lake Champlain. How cool it's been that I got to spend sunny spring days outside on the golf course--and get paid to do so! And how cool it's been that I woke up every morning and asked myself, "What do I want to do today?" 

Every day I think back to some segment of my year and remember something new. I've discovered so much for myself that as I look back, remembering forgotten instances is almost like seeing them for the first time. I'm always filled with excitement when I think about my adventures. I just attempted to sum up my year in four sentences, but I'm not concerned whether or not I hit on all of the right points. The coolest thing for me is knowing that in this blog, I have an encyclopedia of memories. Who knows what will come of these stories or what my gap year experiences will lead to, but I know that this year has changed me for the better. 

It's been exactly ten months since I boarded my plane to Germany. Start to finish, this year has been a little bit surreal for me. I was able to set off on my own and find success wherever I went. But I was never really alone. Before I say goodbye, I have to thank everyone who has helped my this year. Thank you to my wonderful hosts, the Jusdons and the Scobles, who in very different ways helped my to grow up. Thank you to my friends, new and old, who opened up their doors for a night so that I could stop and see somewhere new before continuing on my journey. Thank you to my grandparents, Mommom and Babo and Mimi and Papa, for providing so much love and support, and always caring whether I was thousands of miles away or staying with them for a week. And thank you to my family. Thank you for all of the emails, phone calls, bits of advice, and words of wisdom as I set off into the unknown, promising to return safely. Thank you for trusting me, and thank you for knowing that my favorite place will always be at home with the five of us together. I love you all. 

Celebrating An Extra-Special Book Release

Longtime Friend and Newly Published Author Dylan Dethier's 18 in America

I could've asked for a sneak peak. Many times this spring I considered inquiring about getting my hands on an early edition. Just for one day. I even held a copy as I watched college hoops at the Foehl's house while the author himself sat in the room. It would've been fun to be one of the select few to preview the book. 

Something inside, though, held me back. As much as I wanted to devour the stories from my friend Dylan Dethier's epic adventure--like I did while he was blogging about his trip four years ago--I also wanted to respect Dylan's incredible effort to create this product. 18 in America is certainly not about me; it's about the Williamstown native who was crazy enough to hatch this plan and brave enough to follow through with it. So I decided to wait like everyone else. I wanted to congratulate Dylan first before enjoying the book the right way. 

Last Thursday, I was home from Connecticut to do just that. Thanks to the generosity of the Costleys and the effort of the Foehls and many others, we gathered high above Bulkley Street to celebrate the book release. The crowd began to roll in, and it was an hour before I got to see my friend Luke--home from his gap year out west--because he was busy shuttling people up the hill. As I greeted friends, many of whom I hadn't seen since Christmas or even last summer, I saw Dylan pulling stacks of books out of a cardboard box. It was real. Here in Williamstown, we had the chance to get our hands on the first copies of an incredible story that will find its way to coffee tables and bookshelves around the world. 

Soon Dylan was asked to read, and so it began. He shared the brief prologue, which in only a few pages captured everything that waited in the upcoming chapters. How an idea can take someone with a strong sense of adventure and a lot to learn from the peaceful solace of Williamstown to the dangers of Las Vegas. How being alone is all relative, until you're stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing but your head and your hands to turn to. How the most diverse people from this diverse country all feel the need to help out an eighteen-year-old with a slightly crazy dream. And how golf is much more of a unifier than it's made out to be. 

My story is different than Dylan's. He inspired me, of course, and his book will inspire many more. Without Dylan, I doubt I would've had the courage to plan a four-month stay in Germany or set off for a road trip down to Florida and back. The only part of Dylan's journey that I set out to recreate was his sense of adventure--the willingness to throw oneself into something completely foreign and make it out with stories to tell. These stories are impossible to discover in Berkshire County, or even at a NESCAC college like Williams or Middlebury. 

I finished the book within twelve hours of receiving my signed copy. It wasn't the fact that Dylan was the author that kept me up until four in the morning. That would've kept me up until midnight, or one at the latest. To stay up till four meant that it went above and beyond. Dylan described the book on an NPR interview as "a collection of stories that just happens to have [himself] at the center." I think that fits the book well, because each story from Dylan's stops across America is enticing and memorable. In a way, this description also fits the writing I've been doing on this blog. I've had the opportunity of the last nine-and-a-half months to discover stories for myself and stockpile them here. It's not so much about what I've accomplished or how I've learned and changed, but rather the memories I've created by simply throwing myself out there. 

For now, Dylan has his book and I have my blog. I'm proud to call the author of 18 in America my friend, and even though it's still early, I can't help but see Dylan and his story go a long way. Who knows? It would make a pretty good movie. 

Rooting for Dyl at the NESCAC Golf Championship

And Some Thoughts on the Gap Year

It seems like I spend the majority of my waking hours involved with the game of golf. Friday, I caddied during the morning and later slipped out of the house for five holes at sunset. Today, I arrived at the club at 7:00 AM for another loop. Though it was a gorgeous morning out at New Haven, I had a different golf course on my mind. I did everything in my power to speed our group's pace of play, because I knew that the sooner we finished, the sooner I could jump in the car to go see my friend Dylan Dethier tee it up in the NESCAC Championship. 

This spring Trinity hosts the tournament since they were the top qualifier in the fall. Hamden isn't far from Hartford, and Trinity plays at a course fifteen minutes south of the city--even better for me. At 12:05 the final putt dropped for my group, and after hastily pocketing a two fifty dollar bills from Mr. Early and Mr. Garcia, I raced out of the parking lot--off to my second golf course of the day. 

I've mentioned Dylan on this blog many times for many reasons. I've known him since we were at Mt. Greylock together, and though he's already a junior at Williams, I often saw him around town or out on Taconic. Last winter, when I officially decided to take a gap year, Dyl was one of the first people I reached out to. I remember sitting in his dorm room in maybe March of last year, talking about all of my plans as we relived many of his successes and failures during his gap year. Though I wouldn't be on the road all year long like he was during his forty-eight state golfing escapade, I knew he was an invaluable source of information. He went through a year of solo travel and blogged the entire way, and these were two things around which I structured my year. I followed his blog religiously during his gap year, and his stories inspired me to seek similar adventures. Without Dylan, I doubt I would've planned any type of road trip. Now I've lived through six weeks on the road. I can definitely relate to what he experienced, and that makes me all the more excited for his book, 18 in America, which comes out on May 21. 

The last time I watched Dyl play golf was exactly a year ago, when Williams hosted the NESCAC tourney at Taconic. I was enjoying senior year, preparing for prom and graduation, and somewhat glad that I didn't have to start worrying about college quite yet. I had other worries, of course, but it's safe to say that those plans turned out better than I ever could've imagined. When you plan a big adventure, you focus on the big things, but when you experience that big adventure, it's the little things that stand out the most. It was impossible for me to foresee things like morning bike rides, hours spent passing the time on train rides, runs on the beach, or a quick five-hole loop at sunset. But I can't imagine my year without these little bits of happiness that I discovered for myself.

Today I found myself walking the front nine of Shuttle Meadow Golf Club in reverse, passing four groups of college golfers before meeting Dyl's foursome on the seventh green. The weather was perfect for golf; only the occasional flower petal fell from the sky in the soft spring breeze. I quickly found Dylan's mom, who was thrilled and a little surprised to see me. It took a few minutes of explaining how and why I came to be living in Hamden, but I was happy to explain my situation and talk about the previous phases of my gap year. Soon I was introduced to other parents--a couple living in Middlebury whose son went to Hamilton, and a Middlebury mom who had one son playing and another set to join me in the Class of 2017. Our small crowd followed the group through the turn and onwards to the back nine. These were the top golfers on their respective teams (Williams, Middlebury, Hamilton, and Trinity) and though they all struggled with consistency at times, they were all capable of pulling off incredible shots. Dyl carded an even-par 37 on the front and scrambled his was to a solid back nine score. On sixteen, he skied a short-iron that just cleared the top of a tree before landing pin-high on the back of the green. On eighteen, after driving right into the the tenth fairway, Dyl hit a high hooking three-wood from 270 to twenty feet, reaching the par five in two. After tapping in a birdie putt, he finished the day at one-over 72. Williams carded a team total of 292, but Trinity used its home-course advantage to shoot a 290. In team play, two shots is certainly not a safe lead, and hopefully by tomorrow afternoon, Williams will walk off the course as NESCAC Champions and earn an NCAA bid. (I'd love it if Middlebury made a run at it, too, but they're much farther off the lead). 

I've known the NESCAC for as long as I can remember. It's far and away the best DIII conference, and competition is always close. I'm only months away now from my first NESCAC game (September 7 at Amherst, if anyone wants to mark the calendar that far in advance), and I can't wait to finally be a part of the action that I've loved as a fan for so long. Still, I'm not quite ready to be done with this gap year. Maybe I never will be. As I do almost every time I'm out on a golf course, today I reflected on my year and my adventures. Every time I meet someone new and tell them my story, I'm happy that I've had the chance to do this. Dylan was in my shoes three years ago, and his college career has turned out just fine. I know that I'm on the same path. Four months from now I'll be moving in at Middlebury, and I couldn't be more excited. For now, I'm going to enjoy each beautiful spring day and make the most out the final stages of this year. It's been a lot of fun, and following Dylan around today on the course was no exception. 

Time To Catch Up

Just like that, my Germany adventure is over. I tried to refrain from making a grand exit. I wanted to enjoy the things that I have cherished over the past four months. Nobody is “good” at saying goodbye; we simply take each situation as it comes. In this circumstance, I could only say goodbye with a smile and a hug. Why should I feel sad when I’ve just completed the greatest adventure of my life? There are so many things that I’ll miss, and I know that I’ll cover these in future blog posts. There are people whom I may never see again, and places that will change just as I change. But I know that I’ve found a home in Germany and it will be tough to keep me from coming back. I want to share this country that I know and love with others—go back and recount experiences, see faces and places, and reflect on my irreplaceable autumn of 2012.

With Sebastian and Luc at the Eintract Frankfurt staduim

On that note, I’m happy to be home. I flew over Edinburgh—a last glimpse of Scotland, at least until I return there. I made it safely to New York and felt that true sense of home as I returned to the Berkshires and Williamstown.

My blog certainly does not stop here. I have several posts still to about my final week in Germany, and I’m sure once I settle in here I’ll try to find a way to sum up the whole experience. I need to catch up a bit, just like I look forward to catching up with everyone here at home. I know I’ll be writing about Germany for the next few weeks, and I’ll certainly relate my next adventures to my time across the Atlantic. I’m stuck with these memories for the rest of my life, and they’ll continue to appear in my thoughts, conversations, writing, and my dreams.

For now, a brief thank you to all of those who made my gap year and trip to Germany possible, and to all who reached out to me while I was abroad. It was incredible, and it would’ve been nothing without the old friends and new friends I met along the way.

A final photo from my last snowy day in Bad Homburg