Day 1: Arriving to the Grant
I didn’t know how beautiful fall could be until going to Dartmouth's Second College Grant (the Grant) for the weekend. After a three-hour drive from Dartmouth Campus, we arrived as night fell. The ten of us stepped out of the van. One-by-one we gaped in awe as our feet hit the grass and our heads tilted toward the sky. The stars shimmered like diamonds scattered across the night sky. The air was crisp, and the quiet wilderness surrounded us, cocooned by the distant whisper of the trees. Pine tree silhouettes decorated my peripheral vision.
The Grant
We’d made it to the Grant; 27,000 acres of woodland owned by Dartmouth since 1789. Some student dorms have beautiful wooden furniture made from sugar maples harvested at the Grant. It’s otherwise used recreationally, such as Dartmouth students and alumni booking the cabins.
We headed into the cabin and settled in. A few hours later, we returned outside intending to stargaze but the sky had blurred.
Day 2: Exploring the Grant
Monahan's Bathtub
This morning, we drove to Monahan’s Bathtub where I put on a pair of waders and joined a handful of Biology 16 students walking through the river. The rest of our group explored the forest nearby.
Squelching through the mud felt like walking through mashed potatoes. We kicked the mud and used nets to catch aquatic invertebrates. The disturbed brown water would swirl like an unmixed latte swirling in a mug. Later, we examined the invertebrates - such as stoneflies and leeches - under microscopes and identified them with a book. We’d seen frogs and fish along the way too.
Afterwards, I wandered the forest area alone, crossing the river’s bridge then following a road encompassed by trees and forest on either side. I’d been warned to make sound to scare off potential bears. Initially, I played music aloud, but step-by-step I sunk into sights that surrounded me. The smell of damp earth and decaying leaves filled the air. A rainbow of fall colours painted the landscape around me, with hues of amber, crimson, and gold. With every wave of wind, leaves rained down in the distance. You’d also spot lone leaves fluttering down. The morning sun hit the trees perfectly, illuminating the colours and creating this magical, bright feeling.
Normally music adds ambiance to an experience, but here, it felt out of place. The only soundtrack I needed was the crunch of leaves beneath my feet, the distant murmur of the river, and the occasional birdsong. I kicked up the leaves like a kid splashing in puddles. I started to run down the road and felt butterflies in my stomach from the beauty. Nature had never given me butterflies.
The Canyon
After exploring the forest and watching the aquatic invertebrate discoveries be presented to Dartmouth faculty, we returned to the van and drove another fifteen minutes to a canyon viewpoint spot. Driving through the fall felt like a scene that would open a wholesome coming-of-age film, with the sun filtering through the trees and casting a golden hue on the winding road.
Some of us lay on the river rocks at the Canyon like lizards. Some took off shoes and walked through the cool water. I wandered again and stumbled across a pebbled beach further up the river.
Sunset
Around golden hour, we went for a short trek through the forest and reached a viewpoint. I felt like I was looking at Bob Ross’ rendition of fall. The trees brushed across the valley in all shades of yellow, red, orange, and green. Every five minutes, the sun would hit the valley just right, creating a warm glow that endeared us.
Stargazing
After dinner we splayed ourselves across the grass and in rocking wooden chairs wearing our sleeping bags and watched the sky. The stars were shimmering again. At first, I was easily distracted by the desire to sip my hot cocoa, to readjust my sleeping bag, or to glance at my friends beside me. I might retreat into the thoughts swirling in my head. But as I breathed and relaxed, I began to melt into the sky.
Staring at the sky, it felt as if it flattened above me, like a ceiling in a house. We attempted to comprehend the scope of the stars - how could it be that we are sitting here on a wet patch of grass staring at dots in the sky that are thousands of light-years away? We processed our insignificance.
There were also a series of shooting stars and I gasped in excitement at seeing my first ever one.
After forty-five minutes or so, the clouds shifted over half the sky, muting the stars. It got colder and we shuffled inside.
In our evening down time, we spread across the dining table, studying, sewing, or playing cards.
Day 3: Leaving the Grant
The next day, we embarked on the ride home. We “oooed” and “aaahed” at the waves of gold, red, and yellow trees flashing by, and the intermittent ponds of water with trees reflecting off the surface. The beauty tempted our urge to close our eyes and sleep after such an exhausting weekend.
Bird-watching
We stopped at another forest where we walked through the trees holding tiny pieces of bread and cute black-capped chickadees landed on our hands. They even landed on some people’s empty hands. One did pop onto my hand for half a second and pecked the bread, although I’m not sure it was worth the other 29 minutes and 59 seconds spent holding my arm up. We also spotted a bluejay bouncing around the branches.
American Shopping
We made a final stop at a store that felt like a slice of Americana. The first floor had clothing and quirky items, while the second floor displayed an array of hunting gear. The shopkeepers and customers, mostly dressed in plaid, embodied traditional values that felt foreign to me.
Arriving Back at Campus
Returning to campus, the familiar buildings and streets felt strange, the colors muted. People hustled past us, their hurried footsteps echoing on the pavement. They were completely unaware of the serenity and wonder that had imprinted itself in our minds just two hours earlier. The weekend had reminded me of the beauty that exists beyond the hustle and bustle - the radiant colors, the river’s whispers, and the awe of a starlit sky. These are the moments I continue to search for on campus. Paddling on the river, watching the stars at the golf course, running through the forest... Our chaotic daily lives are driven by our purpose and our need to achieve, yet every now and then, we must seek moments of stillness.
As I lugged my bag toward my dorm, a wave of comfort washed over me. In just three weeks, this campus already felt like home.
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