
Checking Off My Winter Bucket List
This year, given all the memories we missed out on due to COVID-19, I decided to brainstorm a list of everything I wanted to do before leaving Dartmouth. Some were things I hadn't done before, like try snowboarding or the Polar Plunge, while others were experiences I enjoyed but usually did not indulge in too often, like board game nights and stargazing on the golf course.
But looking back at winter term, I also had a lot of fun memories with friends that did not involve any of these pre-planned activities on my list, like spontaneous trips off-campus to restaurants or the thrift store. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, winter was one of my favorite terms on-campus so far, and I still surprisingly made a lot of new friends. Without further ado, here are the five completed items on my winter bucket list:
- No. 1
Ice skating!
This was a pretty easy one to cross off, given that Dartmouth installed two new ice skating rinks right on the Green to encourage socialization in a safe way. I hope they keep these around in the next winters to come because they seemed to add a lot of life to the center of campus. Not only did I appreciate ice skating myself, but I also loved walking by on my way to get food or go to the library and being able to see people ice skating and enjoying themselves!
- No. 2
Reuniting with friends
This one was kind of vague, but one group of my friends had not been all together since junior fall (and we were still missing a few people!). On the first weekend out of quarantine, we went to a restaurant downtown to catch-up. It was so great to be around them again and talk about everything that’s happened since our last get-together more than a year ago - study abroad experiences, internships, and quarantine activities, to name a few.
- No. 3
Movie nights
One of my friends and I had regular weekly movie nights, which was so much fun and the perfect way to unwind. We watched Blades of Glory, the Notebook, and When Harry Met Sally, all of which I had not seen before!
- No. 4
Celebrate a birthday
It was one of my friend’s 22nd birthday around Valentine’s Day, so we had to celebrate! We originally planned on going to Lou’s (a Dartmouth classic with arguably the best breakfast options downtown), but unfortunately, the wait was so long that we decided to go to FoCo instead (one of the main dining halls). We are huge FoCo fans, so it wasn’t too big of a disappointment! Even with the new social distancing rules, we were able to grab a few tables at the back and spend a leisurely brunch together.
- No. 5
Collis trivia
Every Thursday, Collis Governing Board hosts Thursday night trivia, and early in the term, a few of my friends and I signed up to play! Last term, I was able to go in-person, but this time we did it over Zoom since one of our friends is off-campus. Although we did not win (or even get close, to be honest), it was still a great time. I miss the pre-pandemic events and programming as much as the next person, but I do have to give a shout-out to our amazing student organizers who plan so many virtual events that definitely help keep and build a sense of community.