Since being at Chewonki, one of my favorite things to do is go on walks with my friends or by myself, and it is something I never thought I would do so much. Whether I have twenty minutes or two hours, exploring what is around us is always an option. All you have to do is sign out and you can go anywhere on the huge Chewonki peninsula. 

The first day I got here, one of the math teachers took a group of new nervous semester students, including myself, to her favorite point to watch the sunset. We walked through the untouched and bright snow and we arrived at Clubs Point. Clubs Point, looks out on the entire ocean and it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. 

I have gone back to Clubs Point so many times for sunset. My friends and I sit on the rocks, walk or run around near the mud flats at low tide. It is so peaceful.

On Saturday nights, after the fun activity a dish crew plans, it is routine for a group to gather and go stargazing. We all make our way over to the waterfront and just sit looking at the stars. The longer you look at the sky, the more appear. 

On the weekends, a couple of my friends and I make it a priority to go on a walk. Despite usually having a lot of homework and things to get done, we make sure to see the ocean at some point during the day. Last weekend, five of my friends and I walked to Osprey Point, another point on Chewonki Neck. We talked and laughed until our stomachs ached the whole way there, and instantly the stress I carried about the work I had to get done that day was gone. Once we got there, the sun was shining on the water and making everything around us sparkle. We laid down on the rocks and soaked in the sun. I did some homework on the rock and then just relaxed. It was only an hour out of my day, but it was definitely the highlight.

These are only some examples of the dozens of times I have gotten to just take in everything around me at Chewonki.

At home in Portland, Maine, I have access to so many beautiful places to go to, but I always feel too busy. I get so caught up in homework and all the other activities I do, and I often just get absorbed by school and other work I do. I was constantly stressed and overwhelmed, and although I have such a lovely life at home, I wasn’t present. 

Whether it is watching the sunrise during farm chores, at field lab for science class, a simple walk, stargazing, having class outside, polar plunges, or the view outside your cabin at sunset, at Chewonki I have become the most free, happy, and present version of myself. 

Lucinda Hirschkorn, Waynflete School
Portland, Maine