My great-aunt taught me how to knit when I was younger, but I’d long since forgotten. She’s the crafty type, with a whole room dedicated to all things art – it can get quite messy. She taught me how to arm-knit, cross-stitch, you name it. Even before I came to Maine Coast Semester, I had seen that knitting is the thing to do at Chewonki. I was super excited to re-learn and can remember watching closely as Leyla, whose bed was next to mine in Gordy, knit her chunky salt-and-pepper hat. I was Read More

One foot in front of the other, quietly padding through the forest. The chickadees and cardinals call through the canopy as the snow drifts through the air landing on my face. Our laughter carries through the trees and up into the sky, carefree and purely joyful. We talk for hours wandering over the land we have come to call home. The eastern hemlocks and red spruce frame the path as we run with joy over Chewonki Neck. Although our time at Chewonki was shortened, there was no shortage of Read More

When I heard the news that Maine Coast Semester was going virtual, I was afraid we would lose the experiential learning that makes a Chewonki education so valuable. I had a sinking realization that the integral parts of our semester school experience would vanish in a virtual setting. I wondered, how can we possibly transfer our curriculum involving the natural world to the Zoom classroom? How will we be able to continue to grow as a community when we’re all scattered across the country? Read More

Dear Semester 64, Allison here! Yes, the same Allison who wore shorts and a duck onesie to dinner because she needed to do laundry. And yes, the same Allison who insisted on doing almost every polar bear swim possible, even if she regretted it afterwards. I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. And if this statement confuses you, I invite you to read on.  Upon receiving the email from Susan, telling us the news that we will not be returning to campus this semester, I cried. I’m not Read More

Of all the wonderful aspects of Chewonki that make it truly special, the delicious home cooked meals are what I value most. Meals are a shared experience that set Chewonki apart from anywhere else, and I have missed them dearly since coming home. Every day the entire community congregates in the Wallace to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meals are taken very seriously at Chewonki, and there are many traditions involved in the dining experience that create a sense of unity and promote community Read More

Every morning when I wake up, as the sun beams carry the 47 degree breeze through my cracked window, the first thing I notice is the fresh green leaves of the tree outside my window. Over the past few weeks, I have lost visibility of the house across the street as the small green leaves grow bigger and bigger. At Chewonki there was a Staghorn Sumac tree outside my window, but I only ever saw its bare gray branches. Had we gone back after spring break, I would have witnessed the growing green hue Read More