so when soft in a whisper thou callest...
new england is special to me, filled with soft, quiet memories. i wonder how much things have changed since i last traveled that way seven years ago. i didn't grow up there, but because i spent so much time in my teens and twenties visiting boston, and then later going to college in massachusetts, i think of it as the place where i really came of age. it's hard to put into words. new england has this special charm that quietly envelopes you.
on the one hand, there's boston's cultural richness, and its deep true American history and tradition, and its stimulating, educated, liberal sophistication and urban bustle. and on the other hand, there's the charm of small town new england, in points west and north (and east) of boston. it�s like small-town new-england contains all these treasures that whisper out to you to be unlocked and discovered. there's the new england coast that can be sandy or rocky, with salty sea breezes. beaches up there have waves from the north atlantic that can either gently lick and lap at your ankles and toes like a cat's tongue, or roar in and smash up against the rocks at high tide as nature unleashes an untold and wild ferocity. and then, you have these small towns with covered red barn-like bridges and pumpkin patches. there are little worn white signs welcoming you as you pass through those towns in the blink of an eye, and they proudly display the year they became incorporated municipalities (typically in the 1600's and 1700's), like �welcome to granby�, and �welcome to athol�. there are small trickling streams, and there is lush verdent greenery that becomes brilliantly splendid and colorful in autumn. it�s so...so...very....well�it just evokes a lot of nostalgia for me.
i'd kind of like to go back to visit my undergraduate college alma mater, mt. holyoke college. it's hard to describe how much i loved that place, and how much i have probably come to appreciate it even more with time and perspective. i was 22 when i graduated in 1996, with my B. A. in English, and a newfound sense of articulate sophistication and awareness of my womanhood that maybe masked some of my lingering girlhood insecurities and still then undiscovered talents. looking back now, i smile and recognize that 22 year old woman was actually still in many ways a girl. the passage of time always nuances things, the way ocean waves can polish a rugged rock into a smooth stone. and so it will be interesting to set foot on campus and walk around, taking it all in as memories come flooding back. it will be quiet there, since it�s summer, but the peaceful quiet and green-ness and smells and sounds will probably draw me in again, like it always did. and i don�t know-- maybe it�ll be emotional for me.
i recently reconnected with an old college friend/hall mate on a certain well known social networking site that has been making me procrastinate too much for my own good since april. i last saw her 8 years ago but as it turns out, she lives a few blocks from our old college. so will i see her? will i have the time, because after all, i�m with my family this time around? or will i *make* time for her even if it�s just to grab coffee or a drink? it�s funny how shy you can suddenly feel after having not seen one of your friends for a long time, maybe it�s because you know that both of your lives have changed so much and you�ve been through a lot (life�s ups and downs) since you were last in close touch. isn�t it weird how that can unexpectedly give you the butterflies. but maybe when and if you meet up as adults, there�s less pretense and you�re a whole lot more laid back and can just laugh a lot.
oh my, i didn�t realize how long and flowery this entry was becoming. that probably means it�s time to get back to stuffing my suitcase (and unfortunately my laptop for school to use at the hotel(s). silly me�i can�t stop thinking about Herrell�s ice cream right now. ok....signing out. bye!
