We're still getting some warm days, but the mornings are starting to feel crisper and crisper when I wake up; you can feel that New England fall is just around the corner. I can’t believe summer’s waning to a close already. Boots, foliage, and crunchy leaves will be here soon enough, so I’m resolved to soak in every last drop of summer before it’s gone. Weeks have been filled with work, and the evenings have been spent on friends’ couches, having wine nights, or dining at local restaurants (the new tapas restaurant in Hanover, Candela, has been a favorite since it opened this summer). I’ve also finally found time for tennis lessons, which I’ve done one night/week this month. And I’ve been away every weekend!
Weekend of August 3-4: Girls weekend in Saratoga, for a TP friend who’s marrying her Tuckie next weekend! This was also the weekend Will moved from Denver to D.C. to start his second internship.
A TP’14 friend and I headed to Saratoga to celebrate
another TP’14’s upcoming wedding!
Weekend of August 10-11: Visited Will in D.C.! It was so easy to fly in and out directly from Manchester to Reagan National Airport. Together we visited the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. We also saw the Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of the American Indian. We stopped in the National Botanic Garden on our way to the Capitol. And, Will showed me his office! That part is always a highlight: to see where he spends his days while we’re apart. Sunday morning we had a delicious breakfast with some other T’14s in town at Le Diplomate, after partying with them in Logan Circle the night before. We fit a lot in for just 2 days!
Weekend of August 17-20: I took a few days from work to make this into a long weekend – long enough that we could be together on our wedding anniversary. Will’s parents were also in town this weekend from Chicago; it was great to visit them after Will’s long summer. We revisited some of the war monuments with them, plus added the Korean War Memorial to our list. We drove out to the Jefferson Memorial and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, too. Went to Arlington National Cemetery—such a peaceful, powerful, and sobering place (where we also reveled at the precision of the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier). On our way back we stopped at the Iwo Jima (Marine Corps) Memorial. And, enjoyed such delicious dinners together.
There is so much to do and see (and be inspired by), in our nation’s capital. We stopped in the National Archives to see our nation’s founding documents. We absolutely loved the Newseum that was just across the street (my favorite exhibit was the News History Gallery, which had historic front pages covering hallmark events relating to the U.S. dating back to the early 1400s! Including coverage of the Boston Tea Party, Battle of Bunker Hill, discovery of gold in California, the Titanic’s maiden voyage, and the end of prohibition… all the way through modern day).
While Will worked on Monday and Tuesday, I spent the days with my mother-in-law; we visited the National Gallery of Art, Phillips Art Collection, American History, and Air & Space museums. We also spent some time strolling the streets in beautiful Georgetown (where we picked up cupcakes from the famed Georgetown Cupcakes, for Will and I to enjoy for our anniversary dinner). It was a really special trip.
Weekend of August 24-25: I headed to a Tomato Tasting Festival at Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford,VT, with some Upper Valley friends. We tasted salsa, soup, and bruschetta appetizers made for us by the farm’s kitchen staff, plus sampled 15+ varieties of locally grown organic tomatoes (way more than you could ever hope find in the grocery store produce section! More tasty, too!).
We tasted varieties of tomato such as Green Zebra,
Chocolate Cherry, Striped German, Black Zebra,
and of course Brandywines.
Sitting on the Connecticut River, enjoying the festival.
I went with another TP’14, her friend visiting from out of town,
a Med school partner, and a faculty member’s spouse
(all live in my neighborhood in Sachem Village).
Weather was perfect in the high 70s!
Saturday night I headed over to the T’15 Welcome BBQ at Tuck to meet some of the new students for whom orientation is just kicking off. It was a bittersweet moment—realizing that they’re just about to start this amazing journey, and we’re on the back half of the experience. But, having that perspective gives me more determination to enjoy every opportunity as much as possible.
Student orientation kicking off means that partner orientation started this weekend as well! There are 3+ events each day this week to help partners meet each other, experience the Upper Valley, and connect them with resources so they, too, can make the most of their Tuck experiences. That’s for my next post!