The Long Weekend: Keeping Yourself Relaxed AND Busy

This weekend, we finally got our first day off from classes at Saint Mike's! Though the academic calendar refers to it as "October Break", all I could keep telling myself this week was "Long weekend! Long weekend!" Needless to say, it was a much needed and long awaited break, and we definitely made the most of it once it finally came around.
But before I unveil how to have a relaxing break without turning it into a complete bum-fest, here are a few shots from my week:

Earlier this week, Alliot had a guest chef from Germany come in to make both meals and desserts throughout the day. For dinner, we had beef, potatoes, brussels sprouts with bacon, and pumpernickel bread. This was my first ever brussels sprouts experience, but how can you be intimidated by anything that's covered with bacon? You can't. And they were sensational. Best of all, dessert included a smoothie-esque strawberry cream, and a sour fruit jelly with blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Different, but delicious!

 This shot does not do this sunset justice. But isn't that always the way?

Got this blast from the past in a Snapchat from my cousin, who'd clearly been strolling down memory lane, photo album in hand. What a pick-me-up that was. Classic!

Anyway, it seems like the shortest weeks take the longest, just because you're at the edge of your seat waiting for them to end. But that didn't stop any of us from having a productive week! 

However, just as the weekend kicked off, I'd need to squeeze out one final burst of productivity. Probably more than I had available to squeeze. This week was my week to pick up a story-pitch from The Defender, Saint Mike's' school newspaper, for my Reporting for Media class. Luckily, I was able to claim a great topic that corresponds perfectly with my current study abroad plans. I won't give any more away, because I want you all to keep an eye out for my story in the upcoming edition (link to the paper above).

Regardless, my anxious search for sources to interview made a pretty big impact on my Thursday, but I got very lucky and was able to set up five interviews by the end of the day. With the toughest part of writing a story out of the way, the long weekend commenced!

After a relaxing Thursday night watching Bad Grandpa and munching on pizza, our Friday-off began with another trip to Shelburne Orchards, where we were told from the get-go that we probably wouldn't find any more apples that day.

But since it was such a nice day in such a beautiful place, we took a stroll through the Orchard anyway. And sure enough...

...apples would make an appearance after all! Though some intense branch-shaking, reaching, and lifting were required, we found the perfect apple amongst all the little baby ones up top (and the rotting ones on the ground, of course).

A gorgeous day at the Orchard ended with a gorgeous donut (maybe six)...you just can't beat a Cider Donut from Shelburne Orchards. And speaking of donuts...

I captured him!!! Mr. "Don't Feed Me Donuts" himself. He was scouring the ground at a pretty good pace, so I couldn't even get his face, much less his "Don't Feed Me Donuts" bandana. But he's been documented nonetheless! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, get the story on this adorable Shelburne Orchards regular here.

Sadly, something tells me that was the last time we'll be able to make it out to Shelburne Orchards this year, and it'll definitely be missed. But I can say with confidence that we'll be back as soon as possible! 

After lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings and a trip to Walmart to find the silliest game to spend the rest of our afternoon with, we made it back to campus with Left for Dead, a zombie-slaying video game. (Just to get nice and amped for tonight's new Walking Dead episode!!!)

I'm far from a video game expert, so it took me a little while to get the hang of things. Though my avatar did die eventually (it was only a matter of time), I did manage to slay a few zombies on the way. It was truly the best I could ask for.

Although we didn't make it out of the Orchard that day with any apples, we still had two leftover from our first trip a few weeks back. So, we made the best of what we had left of those and our leftover crust...

Dorm-baked beauty! At what was no more than a five inch diameter, this pie was by far my cutest creation yet. (The basket weave and fork-detail were cute-factor essentials.) Between this and our pizza leftovers from Thursday night, we quickly became completely done with food for the day.

Saturday brought the rain. I swear it's a curse. Regardless, we made the best of it, as always! We made it to the gym for a workout and the library for homework (yup, we're superheroes), and saved the fun-stuff for that night. Before that, however, I snagged a shot of the biggest, brightest rainbow I have ever seen!

 

Still no justice done. I literally ran to get this before it faded. Sorry to anyone I likely creeped out along the way.

Long after the rainbow faded and the night came around, we made our first trip to Majestic 10 Cinema, and after sneaking in a few gas-station-snacks, we sat down in a packed theater to watch Gone Girl. A quality production and a creative, edge-of-your-seat plot for sure...but I wouldn't recommend it to the faint-hearted or weak-stomached. Or anybody with a soul, for that matter. Deeply unsettling to say the least. Won't be forgetting it any time soon, I'll give it that. 

Now that Sunday has rolled around (along with a shocking burst of cold), the long weekend has come to an end. 

Thankfully, there are so many places to discover and adventures to be had around here, that it's impossible to ever have a boring break. I'll say it now and I'll say it again...always make it a point to relax, explore, and get things done. Now that's a break worth your while! 

Stay tuned next Sunday the 26th for more!