As I lie in bed I can hear the soft melody of salsa music coming from the living room. I always strain to hear what song is playing and it’s almost always Marc Anthony or Celia Cruz. A slight smile comes to my face because I can already see what my mom is doing. She is getting a head start for the long day tomorrow. From my bedroom, I can smell the plump, whole chicken and pork awaiting their seasonings. She skins the chicken so all we have to work with is the tender meat. She adds a sofrito to Read More

This week our community was hit with shocking news. We found out that Maddie, the 3-year-old daughter of our farm manager, Brad, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Right after we found out was when I was asked to do a blog entry for this week, so naturally I completely forgot until I was reminded this morning. While everyone including myself was still reeling from the news, we sprang into action. Our weekly school meeting this Wednesday was devoted to brainstorming and Read More

It’s hard to believe that it’s already November. It finally feels like fall: the weather is brisk, the wood stoves are in full swing, the leaves are falling, and the sun sets far earlier than it used to. Everyone took advantage of the fall weather this past weekend during our solos on the neck. Classes ended early on Friday and afterwards we gathered on the quad to make final solo preparations. We made our way through the dining hall, picking up food rations of G.O.R.P., crackers, cheese, Read More

Do you ever truly grow out of something? It doesn’t seem so at Chewonki. A Halloween here was probably the most I’ve celebrated since elementary school. The idea of spending countless hours thinking about and making a costume and getting sticky pumpkin pulp on my skin stopped sounding appealing after the sixth grade. I would be the one handing out the candy to my friends. However, here, those childhood memories come to life. Although I still did not dress up, I realized that despite my Read More

Weekend rituals consist of a brunch crew, a dinner crew and best of all, the farm crew. The two of us frequently are first to jut our hands into the air in efforts to be chosen for the role as farm hands. We value this experience because it brings us closer to the agricultural component of the semester, which we wish we could see more of. Meanwhile, weekends are laden with heavy homework assignments, and an hour spent at the farm is the perfect relief. As soon as 4:00 pm rolls around on Read More

A long day of preparation has finally given way to the moment of reckoning. To venture off into the wild, as master and faithful squire, young Richard and I discuss what grizzly beasts and wild moors our clandestine crusade will undoubtedly bring to us. As the sun glints most gloriously off the hilt of my sword I am suddenly reminded of Don Quixote from who's mind sprung the wild and idealistic thoughts that inspire our day's adventure. We load the packsaddles and secure tightly my aged Read More

Sierra the Wild Thing Schuyler, Alice, & Wyatt Rachel Read More

The time in the semester has come for all MCS students to begin using the much-awaited wood stoves. This past week here in Maine has been extremely chilly, the temperature inside some of the cabins feeling cooler than the outside air. After about three days of waking up in a state of utter frigidness, a few of us felt tempted to wear our winter jackets and mittens to bed. Rolling out from under the covers had become a nearly impossible feat of strength. So, we impatiently whined to the staff Read More

The Outdoor Classroom Encampment was last weekend. We talk with, eat meals with, and play sports with (during OAP) the OC staff, on weekends, but before the Encampment we didn’t know where they disappeared to during the weekdays. I was at Pinky Point, with Ben and Kim and the rest of team “Chillsesh.” Pinky Point, being the easternmost point on the Neck, is a prime spot to watch the sunrise. I, in the three nights I camped there, witnessed the three most beautiful sunrises I’ve seen in all my Read More

Bad days always come as a shock to me at MCS, and though they’re hard to come by, they always serve as a reminder that this magical place we’ve incorporated ourselves into has become our normal. It’s very difficult for me to make sense of this. My “old normal” so to speak, or my life before MCS, that was something flooded with bad days. I’ve had to realize and help other MCSers realize over and over again that our community isn’t a vacation; we’re not exempt from bad days. But there’s something Read More