My favorite thing about studying at Hebron Academy is the view I get to see once I wake up and leave my dorm.
Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day.
Since I haven’t seen most of my friends before study hall, breakfast is the perfect time to catch up and start the day with a smile (and waffles)!
10:10 School meeting time!
We sit with our advisory, get updated every day about what activities are happening and which clubs are meeting that day!
Also, all seniors are presenting their “Last Word” during the school meeting. It is an amazing opportunity to learn more about our classmates.
1:30 After school activities!
Every student has an after school activity they choose (soccer, field hockey, mountain biking, music, art, etc.) My activity is After-School Art.
7:30 Study hall time!
Every boarding student needs to be in their room at 7:30 ready to study! My plans were to read my book and write my next assignments for the week in my planner 🙂
Birds chirping, sun shining, and a cool, crisp breeze gently blowing through my room. No hustle and bustle of cars to be heard. No rumble of a train running through town.
This is my life, every day, morning and night, growing up in rural Maine.
For my entire 17 years of life, I have lived in a small town called Casco.
Nearby are the towns of Naples, Bridgton, and Sebago, and much alike to Casco, they are small but full of life. Living here, everyone knows everyone and everything about everyone. There are no secrets to be kept. The kids here come from families who have been in this area for at least 4 generations, and the families have some of the most amazing stories to tell.
Living here is quite different than living in a city. First off, the biggest city that is actually close to me is Portland, which is still about an hour away. In comparison to New York or Boston, it’s decently smaller. Uber, Lyft, and even subway systems aren’t really a thing here. If you want to go somewhere you either call your friends or drive yourself.
Second, we really don’t have major sports teams in our area. Don’t get me wrong though, there are some of the most passionate Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics fans up through here, but we don’t quite have the easy access of being able to walk to The Garden or Fenway whenever there’s a game.
Despite the differences, there are so many wonderful experiences that I wouldn’t trade the world for, that I’ve had because of the area I live in. I live in one of the most beautiful places in Maine, with lakes surrounding the area all over. There are large, popular lakes, like Sebago and Long Lake that have some of the most beautiful views you could ever see. There are also quiet gems like Pleasant Pond, right in the middle of my town, that are perfect for taking the kayak or canoe out for a relaxing paddle.
Not only do we have the gorgeous lakes surrounding us, but we also have small, but still mighty mountains in the area to hike.
Bayleigh P. and Ainsley K. enjoying the serene calmness after a challenging hike
There is a particular mountain called Rattlesnake Mountain near me, which is a challenging hike, but extremely fun. There’s also There is no better feeling than hiking a mountain, and enjoying the view from the peak.
Though it is cool to hear about “big city life” and hear about the developments and furthering of technology and everything in cities, I still much rather prefer my quiet, small Maine town life. I wouldn’t trade the world for experiences I’ve had and memories I’ve made in the town I live in, and I very much agree with the statement “Maine: the way life should be!” I love this beautiful state, and everything it comes with. As the sign says as you’re entering Maine on the highway, “Welcome Home”, and welcome to my home.
“Why would you want to do that and waste your summer?” is probably what goes through every kid’s mind when they find out that one of their friends tells them that they have a summer job or their parents suggest that they should look for a summer job. At least that’s what went through mine, but now I’m an employee of two years at Taber’s Restaurant and Mini-Golf and couldn’t be happier with my decision.
But really, why would I waste my summer, working? Personally, I love to shop, – who doesn’t? – but I can’t really shop without money so that’s where having a job comes in handy because it supplies me with the money that I would need to purchase unnecessary things. All jokes aside, having a little extra money in my back pocket is pretty great. Not only does the shopping feel great, but getting the check, and knowing that you worked hard for the money instills work ethic into our young minds. Pretty soon we’ll be graduating and we’ll be thrown out into the real world and we need things to prepare us for that. We need to know that nothing is just given to us, it’s earned through hard work.
