The D-Spot

Author: Dina Magaril

I'm in no rush to get out of here for the December holidays. In fact, I'll probably stay in Vermont right up till Hanukkah (I've got to be home in time for the eight crazy nights of gelt and dreidel contests), basking in the warmth of my apartment and the absence of pestering questions about my future that ate away at my sanity over Thanksgiving break. For the first time in four years, I spent November break feeling homesick for Middlebury. As we went around the dinner table stating what each of us were thankful for (my 6-year-old nephew was thankful for dinosaurs, my parents were thankful that they had sent in their last college check), I thought about all the things that I really like about Middlebury. I've been told that my columns this semester have been a bit pessimistic, so I will dedicate this column, in the spirit of the upcoming holidays, to all of my favorite things about Middlebury, and just for fun, I'll list them in alphabetical order. Here goes.

Afternoons at Carol's Hungry Mind.

The Bowl: for allowing me to entertain the thought that I can become an avid skier and tell people that my school owns its own mountain at dinner parties.

'Curry in a Hurry' at the Co-op. And obviously, the Co-op.

Dyer block - for the cooking and counseling of apartment 5, the boxed set of 21 Jump Street in apartment 7 and driver extraordinaire in apartment 2. You my girls.

Editors who accept articles at 1 a.m.

Fridays at Flatbread.

G-chat - We're never really taking lecture notes.

Hot Apple Cider on a crisp fall day.

International students - accents are always sexy.

J-term - one more month to work on that thesis.

Kafka senior seminar. You think you have issues?

Lazy Lady cheese. That woman is a blending genius.

Mill parties with decipherable themes.

Neat Repeats Halloween costumes.

Otter Creek Bakery. 'Nuff said.

Professors who understand that sometimes you just had something else to do.

Queen-sized beds and other joys of living off-campus.

My Roommate - our shared affinity for late night tea and cookie parties, romantic comedies, and experimentations in the kitchen.

'Soprano' sandwich at Costello's - Prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, what more can you want?

Thursdays at Two Brothers.

Unexpected good grades. You may have thought it was a shitty paper, but luckily your opinion doesn't really matter.

Visiting parents who love to brunch.

Winter in Vermont. Yes we complain, but we're gonna miss the view.

Xander. One day we'll be together.

Yelling across campus to someone you think is your friend only to find out - surprise - total stranger.

Zappos.com. Free shipping both ways!

And the list goes on. So I guess it's not so bad attending an elite liberal arts college on an idyllic campus set in the remote green mountains of Vermont. I have no idea what I've been complaining about all this time. I'm sorry. Life is really great. Maybe it's time Middlebury thought about adding more graduate programs.