Summer Kickoff

Hey folks,

I'm currently holding down the fort at Stonehill working as a summer tour guide. I started the Monday after school got out after a brief respite in Washington D.C.

For the first two weeks, it was pretty quiet. Only a handful of kids were on campus. Oddly, enough two of those people lived int he same room: my roommate Tom and I. So there was little to do except make our weekly jaunts to Owen O'Leary's and get up at 7:30 for work. There is also no meal plan in the summer, so that means we are cooking for ourselves (ugh).

I went home for Memorial Day weekend on Friday. We had a lot going on that weekend, so I was able to see a lot of family. On Saturday, my family drove over to New York for my cousin-to-be Ashley's bridal shower. She and my cousin Eddie drove up from D.C. (just a few short weeks after getting a visit from yours truly). While the ladies went off to do whatever it is they do at those things, the guys picked up six feet of subs and sat out on the back deck.

It was great to see everybody in one place once again. Usually when I come home for a weekend, I'm rushing around trying to make sure I see as much family as I can. That day, we had family come up from Connecticut, New York, and Gettysburg, PA. Later on, as the weather got hotter, Ed and I took a dip in the pool.

The next day, my aunt and uncle had a little picnic. My cousin Dave, his wife, and kids came down for the weekend. It was my first official cookout of the summer! I got my little cousin Jackson a "bubble gun" and, as you can see, we were both very entertained... On Monday the cookouts continued as my family and I woke up early to catch our town's Memorial Day parade. Once back home, I fired up the grill for the first time this summer and ate some more cheeseburgers!

I had to get back on the road soon after, because...wait for it...we planned another BBQ at school. Memorial Day weekend was when we moved into our summer housing. So it was the time that all my friends that are doing SURE (Stonehill's Undergraduate Research) and, of course, my roommate Brian. We grilled up some more burgers, had some hot dogs and salad too. But again, since it was move-in day, I had to still move some stuff from my old house into my new one.

Once everything was all set in our new room Owen O'Leary's awaited!

That's it for now.

Take care!

Junior Year: Check

Hey folks,

I'm currently writing this aboard an Amtrak train bound for Washington D.C.. Finals are over and I made it home in one piece. More on why I'm heading to D.C. in a bit...

Overall, finals weren't too bad. It actually split up quite nicely: last week all of my papers were due, while this week I had all my exams.

Finals is an unusual time. While for most, it is the most stressful and sleep-deprived period in the semester, for some (including me) it can actually be quite relaxing. Once classes end, all day and night you can prepare for your exams or write those papers. I think all that free time actually contributes to the stress. Anyways, you get a lot of free time. It depends on your finals schedule and stress level what you do with it.

I look at this way: while it may be finals, it is also the last few days of the school year. So you might as well enjoy being around your friends, right? The school's beach volleyball court is right next to our house so we made sure to find time to get some games in. We also made MANY trips to the best ice cream place in the area: Flint Farm.

Steve and I were searching around campus last summer for ice cream. I was being led astray by my iPhone and on a side-street we saw a long line. Steve said a line that long could only mean one thing: ice cream! So we tried it and it's a staple of our spring and summer.

Thursday evening my last final was wrapped up and my parents picked me up at school to make the trek back home. It proved to be temporary--very temporary--however, because I got hired to be a summer Student Ambassador starting May 17th! So with my summer vacation shortened to a weekend, I decided to make a getaway to the nation's capital.

I only spent a night at home before waking up before dawn to make it to the train station. I plan on visiting some friends and staying with my cousin Ed before coming back (to both home and the working world) on Sunday. Should be fun.

Alright, that's it for me. I'll let you know how my return to D.C. fares...

Take care!

The One, The Only, Spring Weekend

Hey folks,

Well Spring Weekend has come and gone. Now we are well on our way to the drudgery and stress that are finals.

Now that I am done being knee-deep in papers, however, let me tell you about the magic and majesty that was Spring Weekend 2010.

It began modestly enough, I finished my intern hours up in Admissions and headed back to the room to see what everyone was up to. I decided to take quick nap because I was so tired and I knew that the rest of the weekend would not allow much time for sleep.

At the usual time, we went over to Roche Commons for dinner. We were all laughing and joking around. It got a little out of hand and let's just say some food left the plates and got onto each other. Mashed potatoes make a very nice accessory on a sweatshirt...

That night, we went over to the concert in the Sports Complex: State Radio and Girl Talk. State Radio was playing when we got there. They were really great. Brian and Eamon are big fans of them and I have to say, I may be converted too.

Girl Talk came on about a half an hour after State Radio left. Girl Talk mashes up songs and makes it into one giant beat. It was OK. I mean, the guy just pressed play and danced around. I wished it would have turned into a second mixer, but everyone tended to stay stationary. One of the highlights though was when my friend Conor popped one of the giant balloons they passed around. It was filled with confetti and when he burst it, it rained down us as we cheered like kids.

The next day we woke up early (like 11:30) and went to Back Bay Bagel for some breakfast. It was a rainy Saturday, so after eating my chicken salad on a bagel, Brian and I suited up to head to the carnival. Because of the rain, it was being held inside.

I actually gotta say, it was pretty cool. They had things you would get outdoors (mechanical bull, boxing, and free frisbies) as well as some cool things meant for indoors (mini golf and an inflatable obstacle course). I was pretty impressed. After the carnival, I tried to catch some z's during a midafternoon nap. Once I got up, me and a few guys went over to Mario's for some Italian food. It hit the spot and gave me the carbs I needed for the mixer.

Soon enough, we were at the mixer. It was a pretty fun night, all in all. It was, as always, made better the next day by swapping stories over brunch. It was actually pretty hard to believe spring weekend was over.

Well, at least there's next year...

Take care! I'm off to enjoy summer. More to come soon!

Final Exam Hiatus

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to drop you all a quick note explaining by brief break in posting. I've been up to my eyeballs in papers and exams lately. We are finishing up our semester here at The Hill right now, so you probably won't hear from me for at least a week. But soon after school ends, I'll tell you all about Spring Weekend, the end of the semester, and my plans for the summer!

Thanks for following. Talk to you soon.