Hey there! My name is Paulina (but I usually go by Pau), and I am from Nicaragua, where I have lived for most of my life. At Dartmouth, I plan to study Geography with a minor in Economics. I have an undying passion for eating fruit, discovering new study spots, watching sunrises/sunsets, and relishing in warm weather (Hanover will be an adjustment). Feel free to ask me any and all questions as I discover the new world of Dartmouth! Go Big Green!
What better way to spend Spring Break than training with the Triathlon team in Florida?
Many student groups at Dartmouth organize trips during the break in-between terms. From white river rafting trips organized by the Ledyard Canoe Club to hiking trips led by the DOC, there are many trips and activities that one can choose from. This year, my friend Tina, a '24 from Puerto Rico, just participated in just one such break trip with the Triathlon team over Springterim. I thought I'd share her fun experiences!
The Triathlon team at Dartmouth is a club sport and is open to everyone. Members essentially choose how involved they want to be and get to decide how many practices they attend. It has a very open community where everyone takes it as seriously as they want to. There are practices every day, but members are not required to go to all of them.
The trip took place in Orlando, Florida where members essentially got to bike, run, and swim constantly. Almost 20 Dartmouth students from the Triathlon team participated in this trip and all lived together in a huge house they rented for a couple of days. Being in the home of Disney World, the house they rented had rooms with different themes. From Frozen, to Minecraft, members funnily got to sleep in any child's dream room.
Their daily schedule looked something like swimming every morning and then supplementing that with biking and running around nature trails. By midday they had already completed their training and had time to relax and bond. There was a lot of down time on the trip which really felt relaxing for those who participated. Afternoons were spent playing volleyball in parks, watching TV, or cooking dinner for everyone. Members took turns cooking for the entire house in small groups.
One of the best parts of the trip? It was entirely paid for. Everything from food, lodging, and transportation once in Orlando was covered by club funds. The only thing that members had to pay for was their own transportation from Hanover (or wherever they were) to Orlando and back.
Overall, I've heard amazing things about break trips in that they are widely available and are amazing experiences to get to know other people. Clubs such as the Dartmouth Outing Club and Ledyard always have break trips available that are amazing opportunities and highly enriching as they allow members to get more involved with nature and be active over break. If you are thinking about coming to Dartmouth, know that these trips are widely available and something that you should definitely watch out for!
Memorial Day weekend held so many memories for me as the term begins to wrap up. One of those was DOC formal, a dance put on by the biggest club at Dartmouth!
I wanted to make my last blog post for this academic year about the places in the Dartmouth community that I will deeply miss and have made amazing memories with the wonderful members of this community.
Honestly, I cannot wait to be home. Although Dartmouth has been a home for me for the past nine months, the college experience is made of many ups and downs. Come check my first year wrap-up!
