One of my favorite parts of my (infrequent) visits to BiHall is taking a minute to view my home through one of the many massive windows that span the back wall of the building. Beyond the glass panes lies one of the most beautiful and unique views I’ve ever seen of upstate New York.
My small hometown is just under an hour from the Adirondacks. The park is often one of the destinations I’ve used as a reference when describing where I live to others. I’ve recited the phrase “I live in between Saratoga and Lake George” many times in the last four years. Every now and again I’m forced to throw in “like, near the Adirondacks.”
I’ve never really considered myself an outdoorsy person, but nonetheless, the view of these mountains from BiHall has always provided me with a comforting sense of home.
Although I grew up with these beautiful mountains just a short drive away, it might be surprising to hear that I’ve only hiked a single small mountain in the park; and that hike came well after I began college. Nobody in my family hikes. Not only did I not know how to hike growing up, I had no time — I spent most of my weekends in high school playing soccer and studying.
Because of my easy access to the outdoors but seeming lack of engagement (and, frankly, disinterest), I had myself strictly categorized as an indoors-person. I hate bugs — except for bees and butterflies — grass makes me itchy and I don’t have much of a desire to camp.
However, while self-categorizing like this, I never considered the many passive ways that I was appreciating nature each and every day. A shining sun sending its rays to be by my side always brings some levity to my day, I am particularly passionate about a blue sky completely void of clouds and my book somehow always becomes better if I’m sitting in some grass.
In the past three and a bit years since I arrived at Midd, I’ve expanded my idea of what it means to be an “outdoors person.” This has allowed me to understand my own relationship with nature better, enjoy the natural beauty that Middlebury has to offer and even discover new outdoor interests.
Some of my favorite and most relaxing moments at Middlebury have occurred while sitting on a blanket on one of the many expansive green lawns, reading, writing or working.
Before last spring, I had never considered that a large part of the pleasure of each of these moments came from the fact that I was outside. I eventually realized it wasn’t only the book in my hands, the sentences that needed structuring or the activity at bay that was bringing me joy. It was always those first few springtime rays of sunshine, the sporadic hot spring days and the feeling of being enveloped by fresh air that were pulling me outside at Middlebury.
Was it possible that my enjoyment of these simple moments made me an outdoors person?
Most certainly. I’ve realized that being an outdoors person can look like more than one thing. Maybe you like hiking but not camping, biking but not kayaking. I like reading outdoors but am not too keen on the idea of sleeping there and have yet to pursue any day long hikes. But I am enjoying working up to that, with climbs up Chipman Hill and Snake Mountain.
This realization opened me up to a whole new host of possibilities for how I could spend my time. By the end of last semester, my picnic blanket had become an everyday necessity. Summertime saw me walking to work in Middlebury. And this semester, I’ve been appreciating the access to nature and solitude at the Knoll.
I’ve discovered a deep love for the swimming spots that are scattered around Middlebury. Not just Lake Dunmore, but some of the slightly smaller and more hidden spots, like the Gorge or Three Mile Bridge.
The reality is, I have always engaged with nature in a meaningful way. And my realization of this has been one of my most fulfilling Middlebury experiences. That my connection to nature has always and will always be there, no matter how I find myself interacting with it, has certainly been one of the most valuable discoveries I’ve made here. I’ll carry this understanding of myself wherever I go.
However, it took me a little while to come to this understanding of myself. I thought that in order to be an “outdoors” person, I had to pursue more extreme experiences like camping, backpacking or mountain biking. It’s no secret that many Middlebeury students pursue all of these activities with a passion that I simply am still not sure I have for the outdoors.
The fervor with which many approach nature at Middlebury made me feel like the ways I engaged just weren’t enough.
Even if I wanted to pursue these activities, I had no idea how I could possibly catch up to my peers in all-things-outdoors. However, I’ve come to the realization that however I engage, it is enough. And it doesn’t make me any less of an “outdoors” person.
Our community might even benefit from expanding its collective understanding of what it means to be an “outdoors” person. It could make our community both more welcoming and provide our campus community an opportunity to feel more connected. If we break ourselves out of this limited understanding notion, we may find a way for our entire community to become more closely connected.
After all, during our four years at Middlebury, we all share the incredible views, plentiful walking trails and the Knoll — all of which are accessible from right here on campus.
Maybe it means you like reading outside. Maybe it means you enjoy walking along flat trails like the TAM, but not hiking massive mountains. Or maybe you even just enjoy the view of the Adirondacks from the big BiHall windows.
When it comes to the outdoors, it certainly doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It doesn’t have to be biking and hiking and camping. It could be all of those things, some of those things or none at all.
The next hike that I’m planning is the snowbowl. But I’ll certainly continue to enjoy the leisurely moments sitting outdoors in an Adirondack chair.
