A brisk Saturday morning starts with excitement all around. “Good morning South Hall!” I announce as I lay out my outfit for the day. On the bottom: long underwear, fleece pants, snow pants, 2 pairs of wool socks, and toe warmers. On the top: 2 thermal shirts, a wool fleece, a handy Chewonki Buff, and a ski jacket. A pair of gloves and a beanie top off the outfit. My cabin mates and I practically skip to breakfast, ready to fuel up for a day full of winter activities. We scarf down our eggs benedict and sit patiently for announcements. Katie reads out the group lists for the snowshoeing and cross-country skiing that would begin right after breakfast. My cabin and I cheer with enthusiasm for our groups. We head back to the cabin to suit up. 

After the long process of finding the right snowshoes and feeling them out a bit in the two-day old snow, we finally head out to Blueberry Hill. I walk alongside Kiera and Thomas and we chat about our favorite meals and how we like our cabins. It strikes me that I only just met them a week ago, and I become immensely excited for the next four months. The wind picks up, blowing snow in our faces and covering the ground like white paint. When we arrive at the epic Blueberry Hill, the view is gloomy but somehow still amazing. Although it mostly consists of swirling snow and clouds, the paper white sky is unlike anything we’ve seen. On the way back, at least half of us were carrying our snowshoes in our hands, tired from the new and unfamiliar activity. 

That night, the Wallace smells like toast and is littered with empty mugs. As the soreness kicks in, we rest in the Flintstones and consider a late-night snow party in the 2 feet of fluffy snow. Otis drags us outside and starts pelting us with snowballs, bringing out everyone’s inner child. My night ends with snow-covered boots and one last cup of vanilla chai tea. 

Carly Buck, Arlington High School, Arlington, MA