The Green Mountain State

Most teenagers do not wake up early on the weekends. It’s just a known fact. I know if someone happens to shake me out of my slumber before 9 A.M., they are surely met with unkind words and grunts of disappointment and irritation. I usually throw something in their direction and proceed to turn away from them, drifting back off into the solitude of sleep. Last weekend, I woke up at 4 A.M. 4 A.M. I slumped out of bed, beginning my prep for the day. As I washed my face, I hummed little tunes to myself, lifting my mood. I threw on the comfiest pair of clothes I could find and hustled out to the car. That morning, I would be going to Vermont. Vermont borders Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Out of the four, it is the most rural. Most towns in Vermont contain only a gas station, a church, and a general store. To get groceries, you have to drive at least 45 minutes away from your home. To many, Vermont is a desolate wasteland with absolutely nothing to do. For me, however, it’s almost like home. The drive up was a ruthless 6 hour crawl. Driving in the morning is the absolute worst, since you often get mixed in with the mass of commuters on their way to work. Usually, I would complain about the crowds. I’m a very impatient person. Yet, on that morning, I felt a calm wave wash over me. I wasn’t in a rush to get there. I just wanted to enjoy the ride. I plugged in my headphones and spent almost the whole commute meditating. I felt extremely peaceful watching the city streets turn into country roads. When we finally arrived, I jumped out of the car into the Vermont air. The atmosphere was quiet and soothing. You could hear nothing but the sounds of birds and nearby rushing water. Pine and spruce and the smell of other evergreens filled my lungs. I was completely present in the moment.

Later that night, my family took me and my sister out to a fancy dinner at Simon Pearce. Simon Pearce is commercially a company known for their handmade glasses. In addition, the company also owns a nice restaurant out in Quechee, Vermont. That night, we sat out on the patio overlooking the waterfall. We were presented with a variety of dishes, my favorite being the Callebaut Chocolate Cake. It was exquisitely presented alongside an organic vanilla ice cream scoop drizzled with a housemade salted caramel sauce. The flavors left a delectably sweet taste in my mouth, one that I still crave today.

Before bed, I sat on the couch in my family’s home. I chatted with my grandparents, people which I never get a chance to be with. We chatted about my life, my hopes and dreams. It made me realize how much I miss simply talking to others. Yes, you can communicate over the phone. But nothing will beat the precious moments where you get to vent about the things closest to you, face-to-face with humans that you care about. I had no trouble falling asleep after that. I was at peace for the first time in a long time.

The next morning, I woke with a start. At 8 A.M., I wandered out onto my family’s porch. It overlooked the forest, a big green landmass with many hills and dips. To my right, a tiny stream was flowing into a big pond. Frogs sat on the edge of the water, looking up at me. Birds peered up from their morning meals to watch what I was doing. I simply sat there and meditated, taking in what I was seeing. Something like that could never happen in New Jersey. We found ourselves wandering back to Quechee around 1 P.M. My dad, my sister, and I walked over a bridge to peer down at the Quechee Gorge. I was absolutely amazed. The gorge stretched hundreds, maybe even thousands, of feet below my feet. Wind whipped at my face as I looked down at the rock formations. I had never seen something so beautifully natural before.

The trip to the bottom was half a mile. On our way, we stopped to take in the plant life growing around the nature trail. My favorites were the ferns. We don’t have many by where I live, so seeing them was very satisfying. When we got there, we walked along the sharp edges of the gorge. My sister swam in the freshwater, while I took some photos for the blog. When I look back on that day, I smile. Being in the nature of Vermont was tranquil and definitely memorable.

I didn’t want the trip to end. But as with all things, it came. We packed up our stuff and loaded it away. I sadly waved to my grandparents who I would be leaving behind. As we merged back onto the highway, I watched the sunset duck below the mountains. I followed the sun until it disappeared into the night. By Kat Lytkowski

#Vermont #Nature #Vacation #Quechee #Gorge