ack

          One of the most exciting and expensive things I did over the summer was go to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard with Klaudia. Though we travelled on the cheap, it was still pricey for us. Our original plan was to stay on Nantucket at the youth hostel for three nights, but that was before we arrived and learned that the hostel, though on a lovely, quiet oceanfront property, is in the middle of nowhere and all bus service stops at 5:30 pm. We only had bikes for the second day, so the first night we decided to try our luck on foot, thinking we would grab dinner at the first place we came to. 

          After walking in a straight line for half an hour, the sun was going down and I was ready to liven things up. Clearly, our only option was to rely on the kindness of strangers, so I stuck my thumb out and we were picked up in thirty seconds flat. Our new friend was a little creepy for my liking, but he brought us to a populated area and we thanked him profusely. (The look on my mother’s face when I told her this story was worth every second of the creepiness Klaudia and I endured.) We found a pizza place, spent all of our money so we couldn’t take a bus partway back, and set off on foot once again. We walked two miles in the wrong direction on a dimly lit road, but eventually made it back to the hostel an hour later. Always an adventure.

bestie on the island ferry

beautiful nantucket

en route to edgartown

The next day at the beach, we rethought our itinerary. We enjoyed two full days on Nantucket, shopping, eating, enjoying the general “waspy” atmosphere and wishing we had more money, before deciding to go back to the mainland and stay at the hostel in Hyannis. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Nantucket, but I need to wait until I’m a little wealthier before I go back. We bid adieu to the hostel, which really was lovely, especially the outdoor shower at sunset, and caught the last bus into town. 

The hostel in Hyannis was an adorable, renovated Victorian era house with small guest rooms--Klaudia and I shared ours with just one other girl, who was from China and didn’t speak English. We went for a late night swim and got some fried seafood before going to bed. The next day, we enjoyed downtown Hyannis, which is much more affordable and a little less snobby. But we got bored quickly and debated how we should spend our last night of vacation. On a whim, I checked the ferry schedule to Martha’s Vineyard, and discovered that we could make it to Woods Hole in time. We agreed, booking the hostel there, and hit the road again. 

biking is definitely the best way to get around

          

         

            The Vineyard is kind of a happy medium between the Cape and Nantucket. The ferry was $8 versus the $17 we paid for Nantucket, and we were able to get our own meals rather than share one. We got there mid afternoon, and spent the next two days shopping and exploring. 

Though our plans changed, being able to take care of ourselves made me feel really independent and confident that I can go places without my parents. Granted, we were in really safe places all three nights, but it was a nice taste of adventure, and I can’t wait to plan another trip for next summer.

downtown edgartown 

we found the lilly jeep!

sweet sweet summertime

          Summer after senior year was the sweetest of them all, and I wished it would never end. Although I worked 20+ dreary hours every week at Market Basket, I spent a lot of time with friends and enjoyed the freedom, late nights, and later mornings. Summertime was filled with graduation and birthday parties, walks through Maudslay, trips to Little Neck, Salisbury, and Hampton beaches (and of course my beach, Plum Islans), adventures to Boston, and lots of ridiculously good food from Las Olas, Abe’s, and Riverview. I also feel like we spent a lot of time at Friendly’s, solely because it’s open until midnight.

          More than anything, this summer made me realize how much I love and appreciate my friends, and I have no idea how I’m functioning without them. We spread out across the U.S. and the globe, and I can’t wait to see most of them at Thanksgiving. 

Danielle with Becca at her graduation party

Klaudia and Gretchen on Plum Island for Gretch's birthday party

Gretchen's graduation party

Becca and I

boston adventures  

Keane concert at the House of Blues, Boston

Klaudia, Old Town Hill, Newbury, MA

Kennebunkport, ME

car rides to nowhere in particular

my beautiful sister

nora and klaudia

L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, ME

sunset at the artichoke

so long, newburyport high

          High School graduation was one of the most bittersweet days of my life. I was thrilled to be done with pre-calc and homework and waking up at 6:00 every morning, but realizing that I wouldn’t see my friends everyday at school the next year was a rude awakening. The weather on June 3, 2012 perfectly described my mixed feelings of delight and sadness. In the morning, it was raining, and continued on and off for the whole afternoon. When it was time to walk into the stadium, it seemed to clear up, though the sky was overcast and windy enough that I had to hold onto my cap. The skies opened up and the rain really began as soon as we sang the last line of our Alma Mater. 

          Receiving my diploma was definitely a high point in my life; I feel like I deserved it, and I am proud to be a graduate of Newburyport High. I’m endlessly grateful to my high school for being excellent enough to give me a choice of colleges, and for the wonderful teachers I had. Leading up to graduation, we had senior week, which consisted of various activities like Vespers (a somber ceremony), the black tie banquet and yearbook signing, Ivy Day, senior sing-out, promenade, and senior celebration. It was great to bond with everyone in my class during our final week together, and I made a lot of great memories with my friends.

senior prom 

senior celebration

klaudia and i, senior celebration

vespers with charter kids

sister+best friend

parents

wyoming

          I feel like I haven’t written in so long, and so much has happened over the summer months. I can't believe it's almost Fall! There are so many things to write about, so I'll try to keep things in chronological order. In April, I came downstairs one morning to find one of my dad’s characteristic long-winded letters sitting on my placemat. Bottom line, he had written that I should seriously consider enrolling at the University of Wyoming, to make college even more of an adventure than it already is and to continue my pursuit of rugged individualism. I had always joked to my friends that I would end up there, and my dad’s letter really got me thinking. 

          At this point, I was wait-listed at a few schools, but I had a pretty clear idea of where I was going to deposit. I called my dad and told him I would consider it if we could visit campus to take a tour, and learn a little more about the programs they have for my major. Nearing the end of Spring break, we quickly booked two tickets to Denver, rented a car, and spent three nights in Wyoming. It was the most random thing I have ever done in my life, but the trip was well worth it. We left on a Friday, but our tour wasn’t until Monday, so we had a weekend to kill. I suggested we go to Cody, WY, since we had a great time there on one of our western vacations two summers earlier. It was a five hour drive, but we took turns, loving the 75 mph speed limit, lack of traffic, and wide open spaces. 

downtown Cody, Wyoming

a real cowboy (he travels all over the U.S. with three horses)

dad at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody

we love the wide open spaces

          






















          





          

          First of all, Cody in April is nothing like Cody in July. Like Newburyport, business booms in the summer months, and the rest of the year, it is much like a ghost town. Still, we managed to keep ourselves occupied, poking around downtown, visiting the Buffalo Bill museum, and going to the movies. If nothing else, it was great to spend quality time with my dad in one of our favorite places. 

          On Sunday, we began the haul back to Laramie, home of the university. It’s actually a decent sized city, with plenty of restaurants and shopping centers, wild horses grazing in parking lots and old Ford pick ups on every corner. During our tour the next day, I was surprised by everything I learned about the college; it’s the only 4-year school in the state, so they have a ton of funding and tuition is insanely affordable. Though I applied because of my love for Wyoming, it was my super safety school because their acceptance rate is almost 95%. 

          I brewed things over in my head for a long time, but I ended up deciding that UW was not for me. I hate flying, and the thought of having to buy a ticket and go through TSA whenever I wanted to go home was less than appealing. Plus, my mother pointed out that if I’m bored in Newburyport, I’ll be even more bored in Wyoming. And as usual, she was probably right. Even though I chose to continue my education elsewhere, Wyoming is still one of my favorite places in the world, and I can’t wait to go back.