Welcome to the transition diary from a big, cold Brazilian city to a small, very cold American town! I fell in love with Dartmouth, and I'm sure my first term will expand my love, as there is a lot to enjoy here in the woods: majors and minors, extracurriculars and clubs, many new open doors to a curious mind like mine! This was written to lofi hiphop, which I could listen to all day if I could, so come to me if you want some nice music to study or relax to. Hope you guys like the content!
Snow is what you make of it. I spent last Friday night up in the mountains, jammin' in a cabin with the Cabin and Trail club, one of the many things that make Winter term the best time of the year!
CnT, as we call the club, is part of the Dartmouth Outing Club. They organize weekly meetings to discuss their planned trips for the week. Ranging from 9.7-mile hikes near the Skiway to chill sleepovers in one of Dartmouth's numerous cabins, there's something available for both seasoned and fresh hikers. I, as the freshest hiker there is, chose a Friday sleepover as my first club activity.
Playing the Bells at low light... Nothing beats it!
My adventurous spirit soared as I waited behind Robo (Robinson Hall), my Bells resting on my lap. We were encouraged to bring musical instruments to this hike, to make this a real Jamfest® in the woods. Our group of nine soon got together, and we drove to the side of the Appalachian Trail, instruments resting on our laps. Led by a student leader, we spiked up our boots and started our ~0.75 hike up the snowy mountain, heading for our cabin.
It was quite the climb: wind in our faces, darkness all around, and quite an inclination to overcome. We, however, pressed on. Past the highway, past the snow, and even past the skiway. Soon, we were at the doorstep of our home for the night: Nunnemacher cabin.
Built in 1957, Nunnemmacher is one of the ~20 cabins Dartmouth students may rent for personal use during the year. The cabin itself has three rooms: a kitchen, a living room, and an attic. It can house up to 20 people, and heating comes from the wood stove in the kitchen. As soon as we got in, we were treated to a beautiful view of the woods around us. Basking in it, we started the fire and soon we were jammin' our many guitars (and glockenspiel). Eating snacks and snuggling up to escape the severe cold outside, we all knew we made the best Friday night plans ever.
After a lot of fun, the night got the better of us and we went to sleep around the fire. It kept us warm, and I had an amazing night of rest. In the morning, we packed up and made our way back down the trail, through the snow, and to the parking lot. Our van was waiting for us - a little bit frozen, of course. After dealing with this minor detail, we were on our way back to campus. Our wilderness escapade went from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., allowing everyone to get on with their Saturday activities.
I came back wanting more. Few things are prettier than the New Hampshire wilderness, and having the DOC to offer everyone the chance to see it for basically free (my trip was $1!) is more than unique. I hope that soon I can have another experience with people as amazing as the ones that went up to Nunnemmacher with me. Not even the cold could keep me from it!
Watch as I endure a few falls as I learn to ice skate. Look out: I am now set to become the best Brazilian ice-skater-hockey-player-SUPERSTAR this side of Occom Pond!
In a poem sent from [email protected] to the entire campus, “Dr. Seuss” invited challenged us all to a snowball fight, asking in the subject line: “Would you, could you, in the snow?”
