I've been away from home before during the summer: I went to sleep away camp for six years and I participated in Smith College's summer program the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of high school. But this year feels different. Last summer, I was home taking a class at a local university and playing backgammon with my mom every day (I got really good). This will be my first summer away from home after already being away for the semester AND I didn't go home for spring break. I won't be staying in a dorm; I'll be staying in my own apartment with friends. And even though I'll just be at school and could take the train home any weekend, it's still going to be weird not spending so much time at home.
This summer, I'll be working in the physics department doing some pretty neat research on galaxies detected by the Hubble Space Telescope. I'm excited to be able to hang out with other physics/astrophysics majors and explore Boston on the weekends without problem sets, projects, and essays to worry about. I'll get to experience a lot more freedom than I do during the school year. I know a bunch of friends who will also be at school, so it'll be fun to see what adventures we plan as well.
I'll also be moving into my apartment for the school year this summer. It will be exciting to finally transition from dining hall food (which, granted, is very good compared to other universities) to cooking for myself! I love cooking and baking and it's definitely something I've missed while living in a dorm. The kitchens in the dorms are... Okay. The bigger problem, was storing ingredients and pans and such in a room with not that much space. So, I'll finally have a nice kitchen to work in! I will try my best not to burn it down with whatever new recipes I try...
I can't wait to share my adventures, research triumphs (and struggles... Keepin' it real), and all of the new foods I attempt to cook with you!