Aloha to the page of a wanderlusting writer juggling college life and several other hobbies into an eternally-short 24-hour day. I hope to shed light on the Dartmouth experience as I explore the brave new world of Hanover, NH and everything going to college here has to offer. In my free time, you can find me trying to learn a new language or building the perfect Spotify playlist (alternative/indie, anyone?). I hope you enjoy!
You haven't lived until you've been canoeing with your friends on an expansive New Hampshire pond during golden hour, watching the sun set over a skyline of auburn and crimson. The silence is beautiful, broken only by soft paddling as you pursue the perfect fishing spot, weaving around miniature islands and dodging slumbering trees just below the water's surface. This singular serenity is a flavor of perfection — even a place as diverse as Dartmouth would agree.
I'm almost sad that I forgot to bring my phone.
Almost.
Golden hour at Grafton Pond - so glad we had at least one phone on the boat!
I admit, I didn't have location at the top of my list of priorities when I applied to colleges, and I definitely didn't properly weigh the geographical advantages of going to a school like Dartmouth enough. Whereas a city puts you in close proximity with people and performance, the landscape here places mountains and meadows into arm's reach; you can go out marching to the music of the Dartmouth Outing Club (oldest of its kind in the nation, by the way) that's always eager for another adventure.
The opportunities afforded by being in Hanover are plentiful, and almost every time I emerge from FoCo I'm greeted by a charming minibus, often loaded with renegade woodsmen or aspiring adventurers waiting to be whisked off into the lush New Hampshire wilderness for a climbing trip or a chance to hike the nearby Appalachian Trail. For all Dartmouth students, these frequent excursions can be a welcome escape from weekday classes or finals, and I can see myself being even more involved as the term progresses.
My two experiences so far are based in the Bait and Bullet Club and the Archery Club. So far, I've been on one fishing trip to Grafton Pond about forty minutes east from campus as part of Bait and Bullet, and two separate practices with the Archery Club, a quick four minute drive from campus. I've met inclusive upperclassmen and thoroughly enjoyed myself multiple times already, and I'm only two weeks into the term.
The Bait and Bullet Club is involved predominantly with fishing and hunting, but you may be surprised to know I don't fish or hunt. I didn't know how to canoe either, but that didn't stop myself and two of my friends as we hopped in and started paddling. Funnily enough, twenty seconds after I passed the pole to my friend Pete (in the back of the canoe below), he reels in a big bass — which was totally won by our collective group effort and not his years of experience.
Somehow managed to take this without dropping Az's phone...
The Archery Club has been a fantastic way for me to maintain my favorite summer hobby. The instructors are experienced, knowledgable about the sport, and maximize our safety on the range. I've lived in a lot of suburban places where finding room to shoot can be very difficult, but that problem is nonexistent here.
It's a beautiful thing to be able to hop on a bus and shoot targets for a couple hours between an essay writing session, or to go on an impromptu canoe fishing trip with my friends (even if I still can't cast a good line). I'm already planning my next time on the water, and so dear reader, rest assured: I'll be back.
No matter what course you imagine your studies will take, Dartmouth's graduation requirements will likely nudge you to explore areas of study you'd decided weren't in the cards.
There are so many things that come to mind when I ask myself what I miss about campus. The smiles as you pass classmates on the Green, the satisfaction of finishing a paper in the Baker Berry tower room, the sweet taste of a FOCO cookie.
Choosing which three classes you are going to take can be a scary process. A great place to start is by considering what you came to Dartmouth to study.
Given the global pandemic, and the amount of time I've had to just lay around the house, I've had a lot of time to think in the past few months. I've been thinking a lot about what makes me happy, and lately, that's been getting outside.
Before I know it, it's already time to say goodbye to a somewhat unconventional freshmen year. The memories are here to stay, though. Here are some of my favorite snapshots of my freshmen year!
While many of us may not be on campus to sing and dance and toast to you, we remain so very excited for your joining the Dartmouth community, wonderful class of 2024!
