My new "home sweet home"

This past Saturday, Mike, being his absolutely gracious and helpful self, accompanied me on my trip to New Hampshire to hunt for an apartment in which I will spend my next two years as a graduate student! 

With an abrupt awakening and quick departure 6 minutes later at 7:00 am (an hour later that planned due to a faulty alarm), we were on our way through southern Vermont into New Hampshire. The 3 1/2 hour drive was beautiful as we rode through the Green Mountains and across the border. Arriving at a quarter after 10, we viewed a cute studio apartment in a quaint condominium complex in Dover followed by a gorgeous apartment in Newmarket, followed by some less gorgeous apartments in Newmarket, and some fabulous lunch in a cute cafe there, as well. After a hummus wrap (Mike) and a tuna melt on a jalapeno bagel (me) with a fresh spinach and strawberry side salad, we were back to Dover to look at a couple more apartments. We had a lull in the apartment hunting around 3:00 pm and decided to head to the University to take some pictures and remind myself of the great place I'll be going to school in a mere couple months. A stroll around campus and a gigantic ice cream cone at the Dairy Bar later, we were back to Dover to view the last and final apartment. 

Driving in, the house looked promising; cute, in a quiet neighborhood, close to the bus stop, and near downtown. After a showing, I was torn. It ended up coming down to a choice between the great apartment in Newmarket with nice big windows, lovely kitchen, and view of the Lamprey River and the cozy, green and yellow studio apartment with heat, hot water, and internet included, graduate-student and professional-occupied, with a small yard in back. In the end, the apartment in Dover won out. I will be living in a great town where I can walk to several points of interest in just a short amount of time and I can surely visit Newmarket and Portsmouth on a relatively quick bus ride away, too. Maybe I can even convince the landlord to let me maintain a small garden plot in the backyard!

Here are the pictures! My small abode welcomes you. 

Freshly painted yellow. 

The top shows a view from the kitchen (yellow) to the "larger" studio-style room (green) beyond. The middle and last photos are sunny pictures of the two rooms separately.  

In the Green Mountain National Forest!

Two weeks down in the Green Mountain National Forest working with LANDS, my land stewardship internship for the summer. 

Summer in Vermont

Why, hello, again! 

It's been some time and I feel as though this blog idea has gone terribly downhill. My past three weeks of summer have been absolutely chock-full of activity and I've been back and forth across New York and Vermont since. I will attempt to think back and fill everyone in on my fun adventures and will then hopefully have an easier time keeping this updated from now on

My first week of summer was spent at home where I had a wonderful time before starting my internship in Vermont. Among other fun things, I attended the Memorial Day parade in Unionville for the 10th year in a row to watch Andreas play in the marching band and listen to the same songs and speeches as I have since I was a trumpet-playing seventh grader.

I saw a whole slew of old friends and later went to the ol' Colonial Diner and Andrew's. It was great to catch up and see what fun adventures are awaiting all of us! In addition, I went to "Charlotte's Tea Shop" with Mike in quaint Warwick, NY where we shared  a lovely pot of Chinese Flower tea and a whole slew of tea sandwiches, scones, and desserts for two (highly recommended).

5K4 Caitlin was also held the night before I left for Vermont and so, I partook in my yearly duty of walking together with Mike, Josephine, my mom, and Ms. B, along with Will and Terez, which was also a fantastic time in a beautiful location with a view of the mountains. 

After my short week home, I was off to Burlington, Vermont where I have now been for over two weeks. I live in an awesome house with some really great eccentric people and I have certainly become quite smitten with Vermont already. I will post updates as soon as possible, though likely not soon enough! 

Here is the first view of my "home for the summer" from the ferry from Essex, NY to Charlotte, VT. Perhaps you can understand my new found love?