To many, the word "retreat" may evoke thoughts of weakness, of turning your back on the enemy and running for safety. Well, run I did! After the wedding in Vermont, I hightailed it over to Maine after spending the night in Derry, NH to break the drive up. On Monday the 21st I drove with Sarah (www.sarahmastersbrown.blogspot.com) to Portland where we hooked up with my dad and rode to camp in his car.
Once at camp, I immediately began to clear my mind. Being 30 feet from the shores of one of Maine's quintessential cold, deep water lakes was the perfect way to recharge my batteries. This is my 23rd summer at the lake and, like a fine wine, it only gets better with age. Sarah stayed until Wednesday when she went back to Portland with my dad, who had to go to a conference for work. I can honestly say that having Sarah with me at camp only enriched my experience. After she left on Wednesday I soon felt an empty space develop in my heart. Camp is great and is something I love very much but it begins to lose its appeal if my partner in crime is not there to experience it with me.
After Sarah left, I spent some quality time with my mum. I spent half a day with her clearing the yard of brush, mowing the lawn, and planting a new garden. Most of my days were spent in the kayak drifting with the rhythm of the lake, lobbing home-tied flies under the docks of our neighbors, trying to spark the interest of a small mouth bass. I fished at least 3 hours every day and the fishing was spectacular! The bass have already spawned this spring but it was still early enough in the summer so they haven't left their nests yet. I caught a small mouth under nearly every dock. On Thursday I was able to hook into and land a small mouth in the 14 inch range and close to 2 pounds! It was a great looking fish and took me nearly 3 minutes to bring into the boat.
This is how I passed my days. I awoke early with my mum and dined on a hearty "camp" breakfast. I fished into the early evening, as the sun began to cast a vast twilight on the lake. It was beautiful, really, to sit on the shores with a heady micro-brew after a day of fishing and relinquish all stress and negative thoughts, letting them pass in the wind.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Vacation!!!
Respite. Retreat. Freedom. Chill time. Hang out. Be cool, be cool. These phrases come to my mind early and often as I descend into the bliss and harmony that surrounds what I consider to be one of the most beautiful creations known to man kind: vacation.
I started my vacation on Saturday, June 19th. It was a glorious Saturday complete with a crisp blue sky and temperatures in the upper 70s. I left Providence around 8 AM and headed north to Derry, New Hampshire. There, I picked up the love of my life, Sarah Coghlan (www.sarahmastersbrown.blogspot.com) and together we drove to Burlington, Vermont.
Earlier this year we were invited to the wedding of some dear friends from Saint Michael's College. Both a year ahead of us, they have been dating since high school and have finally tied the knot. I know the groom from the fly fishing club. Sarah was one of the bride's roommates Junior year after returning from Spain. We arrived in Burlington around 2 PM and after some light shopping on Church Street, we checked into the GGT Tibet Inn and prepared for the wedding ceremony.
The ceremony took place at Saint Michael's College Chapel at 4:00 PM. It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony. The groom is not Catholic, however the ceremony was officiated by an Edmundite and, to me at least, was very similar to a Catholic wedding ceremony except for the absence of Communion. Nevertheless, the ceremony was wonderful, with a procession complete with a bagpiper. Afterwards, I retreated to the motel room with Sarah for a short rest before the reception.
At the reception, which had all the goodies of a traditional reception- open bar for the first hour, a nice meal, great toasts, and endless dancing- I was able to connect with and converse with a professor I had at Saint Michael's. I had the privilege of taking 2 Psychology courses and 1 Gender Studies course with this man. He is an unbelievable teacher and inspired, and continues to inspire, me to be a better person in and out of the classroom. He has the uncanny ability to speak with men and women of countless backgrounds and instill in them a desire to learn. Although he was not my formal advisor and I did not participate in any research with him, I consider him to be my academic mentor at Saint Michael's College. At this wedding, I was blessed to share his company as a friend and witness the love and friendship that was before us.
While sitting and talking at the reception, this man spoke with me about his table and how the men and women who were at it have been friends not for years, but for decades. He shared his experience of sharing dinner with these people once a month and how blessed he was to be a part of their lives. He spoke with me about the bride and groom and how they invited people who were able to share an authentic acknowledgment of their love for one another. As we looked around the room, this great man explained how everyone in the room was able to share love and friendship for the bride and groom. This, to me, seemed very special. Thinking back on this night, I can't help but think of great food, fellowship, and dancing that occurred throughout the evening. And yet, what was most special for me was being able to sit with this man, my mentor, and, as if we were in a classroom at Saint Michael's, he forced me to think critically about an experience and, in the end I became a better person for it. As I looked around the room I saw the opportunity for people to come together in the name of love and share friendship for two people beginning a life together. I don't think I would have thought about this if I didn't speak with this man.
I started my vacation on Saturday, June 19th. It was a glorious Saturday complete with a crisp blue sky and temperatures in the upper 70s. I left Providence around 8 AM and headed north to Derry, New Hampshire. There, I picked up the love of my life, Sarah Coghlan (www.sarahmastersbrown.blogspot.com) and together we drove to Burlington, Vermont.
Earlier this year we were invited to the wedding of some dear friends from Saint Michael's College. Both a year ahead of us, they have been dating since high school and have finally tied the knot. I know the groom from the fly fishing club. Sarah was one of the bride's roommates Junior year after returning from Spain. We arrived in Burlington around 2 PM and after some light shopping on Church Street, we checked into the GGT Tibet Inn and prepared for the wedding ceremony.
The ceremony took place at Saint Michael's College Chapel at 4:00 PM. It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony. The groom is not Catholic, however the ceremony was officiated by an Edmundite and, to me at least, was very similar to a Catholic wedding ceremony except for the absence of Communion. Nevertheless, the ceremony was wonderful, with a procession complete with a bagpiper. Afterwards, I retreated to the motel room with Sarah for a short rest before the reception.
At the reception, which had all the goodies of a traditional reception- open bar for the first hour, a nice meal, great toasts, and endless dancing- I was able to connect with and converse with a professor I had at Saint Michael's. I had the privilege of taking 2 Psychology courses and 1 Gender Studies course with this man. He is an unbelievable teacher and inspired, and continues to inspire, me to be a better person in and out of the classroom. He has the uncanny ability to speak with men and women of countless backgrounds and instill in them a desire to learn. Although he was not my formal advisor and I did not participate in any research with him, I consider him to be my academic mentor at Saint Michael's College. At this wedding, I was blessed to share his company as a friend and witness the love and friendship that was before us.
While sitting and talking at the reception, this man spoke with me about his table and how the men and women who were at it have been friends not for years, but for decades. He shared his experience of sharing dinner with these people once a month and how blessed he was to be a part of their lives. He spoke with me about the bride and groom and how they invited people who were able to share an authentic acknowledgment of their love for one another. As we looked around the room, this great man explained how everyone in the room was able to share love and friendship for the bride and groom. This, to me, seemed very special. Thinking back on this night, I can't help but think of great food, fellowship, and dancing that occurred throughout the evening. And yet, what was most special for me was being able to sit with this man, my mentor, and, as if we were in a classroom at Saint Michael's, he forced me to think critically about an experience and, in the end I became a better person for it. As I looked around the room I saw the opportunity for people to come together in the name of love and share friendship for two people beginning a life together. I don't think I would have thought about this if I didn't speak with this man.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Summer is here!
Yes, it is indeed here. Not because yesterday was Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor those who have sacrificed their lives for our country, and not because the heat and humidity have finally descended upon us leaving my shirt to cling to my back in a moist grip. No, summer has finally arrived because this past weekend marked my first trip to my family's summer camp in Central Maine.
The camp has been in my mom's family for many years. After my grandparents passed away, they left to camp to my mom and my uncle Tony. Together, they sold the camp and bought a new property that is right on the water of a deep, clean, spring fed lake. I was born in April of 1987 and in June of that year I started coming to camp. This is a such an important part of my life and it holds a special place in my heart. I will be posting quite a bit about my adventures in this great land for the next few months.
I went to camp this past Saturday with my dad and my sister. My mom was in Michigan with her Odyssey of the Mind team and was unable to come. We arrived around 6 PM Saturday evening. After unloading the groceries and helping my dad and my sister unload their bags and settle into the camp, I set forth with one of my favorite hobbies- fishing.
I used the canoe to paddle out from our shore about 20 feet. The water was quite calm, with scattered clouds and little wind. I paddled to our neighbor's dock (ours isn't in the water yet), and faced their dock from about 20 feet away. With a home-tied black wooly bugger, I began casting right in front of their dock. While slowly stripping in the line, after 5 or 6 casts, whack! A really nice small mouth bass, maybe 10 inches long. Great, healthy looking fish. I started to drift to another neighbor's dock and after no more than 5 casts- whack!- I had another fish on! This one fought for about a minute. It turned out to be another small mouth bass. It was probably in the 12 to 14 inch range and was probably 2 pounds. What a great fish!! Great girth and it had a nice, healthy color.
It was beginning to get dark so I paddled in and called it a night. Two fish on the first night! It was a great start to the summer!! Meghan made a great spaghetti pie which the three of us heartily ate. I shared a micro-brew with my dad- Shipyard's summer ale. It was a great wheat ale with a nice malt body and just the slightest hint of lemon- a great way to enjoy the sun setting on the lake and the yodeling of the loons echoing off the water.
Although a short trip, it was worth every mile. Rain or shine, this is my favorite place in the world. I love being up there, knowing the history of the camp and the memories I have from spending time with family and friends.
The camp has been in my mom's family for many years. After my grandparents passed away, they left to camp to my mom and my uncle Tony. Together, they sold the camp and bought a new property that is right on the water of a deep, clean, spring fed lake. I was born in April of 1987 and in June of that year I started coming to camp. This is a such an important part of my life and it holds a special place in my heart. I will be posting quite a bit about my adventures in this great land for the next few months.
I went to camp this past Saturday with my dad and my sister. My mom was in Michigan with her Odyssey of the Mind team and was unable to come. We arrived around 6 PM Saturday evening. After unloading the groceries and helping my dad and my sister unload their bags and settle into the camp, I set forth with one of my favorite hobbies- fishing.
I used the canoe to paddle out from our shore about 20 feet. The water was quite calm, with scattered clouds and little wind. I paddled to our neighbor's dock (ours isn't in the water yet), and faced their dock from about 20 feet away. With a home-tied black wooly bugger, I began casting right in front of their dock. While slowly stripping in the line, after 5 or 6 casts, whack! A really nice small mouth bass, maybe 10 inches long. Great, healthy looking fish. I started to drift to another neighbor's dock and after no more than 5 casts- whack!- I had another fish on! This one fought for about a minute. It turned out to be another small mouth bass. It was probably in the 12 to 14 inch range and was probably 2 pounds. What a great fish!! Great girth and it had a nice, healthy color.
It was beginning to get dark so I paddled in and called it a night. Two fish on the first night! It was a great start to the summer!! Meghan made a great spaghetti pie which the three of us heartily ate. I shared a micro-brew with my dad- Shipyard's summer ale. It was a great wheat ale with a nice malt body and just the slightest hint of lemon- a great way to enjoy the sun setting on the lake and the yodeling of the loons echoing off the water.
Although a short trip, it was worth every mile. Rain or shine, this is my favorite place in the world. I love being up there, knowing the history of the camp and the memories I have from spending time with family and friends.
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