
Running!!! (...away from my problem sets)
I've discovered more about the Hanover area than I ever this spring have thanks to one new activity: running.

At first, I jogged around the familiar parts of campus -- around the Green, down to the River, through that one trail around the North Park apartments... but familiar sights can quickly get old when you have to pass them every day drenched in sweat. A friend suggested I try running around Occom Pond.
I was hooked.

But even Occom can get old, especially if you're like me and are not an innate runner.
Thankfully, Dartmouth is located at the intersection of many trails. Incidentally, I learned about many of these trails from Professor Skinner -- my public economics professor -- during an office hour. I took his suggestion and tried the four-mile Quinn and River trail loop with a friend (whom I had previously convinced to take up running with me this spring). It didn't disappoint. The trail runs under shady forest foliage, through the Mink Brook Nature Reserve, and finally along the Connecticut River.
It's stunning.

Running has helped me better appreciate one of the things that attracted me most to Dartmouth in the first place: the location. Dartmouth gives me no excuse to be lazy when there are so many scenic trails that run right through campus. Besides, a short run is a great study break and a perfect way to literally run away from my problem sets... (Yes, I definitely wrote that so that the title made sense.)