I look forward to every weekend. School is engaging and interesting, but you can’t beat the amazing activities Maine Coast Semester has planned for the weekends. Every Friday night we have a guest speaker. Speakers vary from authors to photographers to musicians. Contrary to the name, many speakers share interesting pictures and initiate fun activities. On Saturdays, we have an activity before lunch. We usually learn outdoor skills, like how to use a compass, or discuss our next adventure into the wilderness, whether it be for solos, wilderness trips, or outdoor leadership weekend. Afterward, we have the rest of the day free, but no access to the internet, so it’s a great time to hang out with your friends. Usually I play basketball with my cabinmates, go exploring, go fishing, or snuggle up with a few friends in front of the fire. We have Saturday night activities after dinner that are run by dish crews – these range from dance competitions to talent shows. Check-in isn’t until 11:00 pm on Saturdays, so we always cuddle under the stars or play fun games. Watching the full moon one Saturday night with my friends at the waterfront was an incredibly wholesome experience. 

My favorite weekend, however, was last weekend. On Friday night, the Oshima Brothers came. They are a band on tour. For some context, we lost power that day from a recent windstorm; the dining hall was illuminated by candles and sound vibrated off the walls. We were all gathered in the “Flintstones,” a lounging area with comfortable couches. The music was amazing. “Getting hype” to the music and dancing with all my best friends was a blast. I lay across my friends singing along. I felt infinite in the moment. I was so moved that I bought a T-shirt to commemorate the experience.

The fun didn’t stop there. The next night, for our Saturday evening activity, we played a thrilling game of broomball. Broomball is basically indoor hockey with a broom and a ball. We split into dish crews, rearranged the dining hall into an arena, and prepared to face off. It got so competitive! We cheered on teams from the sidelines. When we played, we slid across the dining hall floor, brooms in hand, desperately swatting at the ball. My cabin mate even snapped his broom on a face-off! Everyone had a great time.

I love the weekends. 

Andrew Lee, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA