Semester All Wrapped Up

Its December! And you know what that means: Christmas time! So my last couple of blog posts I have made more informational and I am going to take this one to talk about my semester at Saint Mike's. I knew coming into my junior year I wanted to make the most of the semester because the scary fact is, after next week the next time I will be back on campus I will be a senior. Like.....WHAT?! The thought of that sends chills through my bones because time is going by so fast! I could not tell you where all the time went. I have spent this semester working at my classes, playing rugby, working at my internship for VYRA (Vermont Youth Rugby Association), and spending time with some pretty amazing people. It has been a fun semester that has flown by and next thing I know I will be on my way to Spain! But before then, I got some pretty cool assignments to do.

This is not the only blog I got to create and keep up with this semester. For my Marketing class, we were asked to keep up with recent marketing news and connect class topics into a nine-post blog. It was interesting to study companies like Apple, Crocs and other big brand names seeing how they got themselves on the market. To look more into it, check out the blog Marketing 2014 Fall 215 - B

Another blog I got to keep up with this semester too was on a large article I wrote for my Environmental Journalism class, My topic was in researching how Farmers Markets in Vermont are an Alternative Food Network, and the importance of supporting local farmers' and their businesses. I got to talk to a lot of great people for the article while keeping up with news both nationally and locally on the topic. To check it out, here is my blog Vermont's Alternative Food Network: Farmers Markets. Sadly both of these blogs are coming to an end as the semester is coming to a close. This blog I will continue into going abroad but these two will end next week.

As the semester closes too I have been working on multiple projects that are the final assignments for my classes. One of them is my final adventure film. My project partner and I decided to do ours on ski patrol. Having already interviewed a few people, we tried getting in contact with Smugglers Notch Resort Ski Patrol to talk with them about the job and what it means to have that role on the mountain.Now you will quickly learn that just by going to Saint Mike's, a lot of doors open for you. One of my professor's from last semester has connections to Smuggs since her husband works there and that they are from the area. She got us in contact with the ski patrol and the assistant director turned out to be a Saint Mike's alumni, who would've thought?!

We had the most unreal experience getting to shoot on the mountain that day. Not only did we get great shots as it was snowing, but a majority of the ski patrol on that day were "in training" so we were able to film them doing a practice simulation. Everyone at the mountain was super friendly and helpful while we were trying to capture everything. And before I explain the second half of the day, let me remind you that I am still in a cast (until tomorrow wahoo!) and on crutches.

They set us up with snow pants, let us come up on the chairlift (on crutches mind you), film the entire thing and the best part: We got to go down the mountain and film while sitting on RESCUE SLEDS. Hands down the coolest possible thing we could have done that day. We needed cool footage and they needed practice so in the end everyone won! It was an experience I will never forget and the craziest part was, it was all homework!

To watch t not only our final film The Patrol but all my films for Adventure Filmmaking, check out my YouTube Channel:

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Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
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Home Again Home Again... Until January

You do not realize how blissful a week at home is until you have it. After a semester full of homework, a packed schedule and a good amount of coffee, nothing is better than coming home for a break. For this Thanksgiving break we had an entire week off as opposed to a normal couple of days. This made for a lot more time relax and at least for me a lot more time to get organized. As I said earlier I am studying abroad in Spain next semester and I leave January 21st. EEEEEEPPPP! It’s coming up so fast and I am both excited but nervous! I've been to Europe for a trip in high school, but living in a foreign country for 4 months is another story. So in preparation for study abroad I had a few adventures this past break.

From what I learned this past week, take a bit from my experience! First off the biggest thing I can tell you is ALWAYS be on top of what you have to get together for study abroad and be organized about it. There is a good amount of paperwork that you need to get in such as passports, VISA's and medical forms (mine turned out to be interesting to send in because it had "fractured fibula" in probably the smallest handwriting possible at the very bottom, oops!). My mistake was not looking up my VISA information ahead of time and ended up getting to the Spanish Consulate in Boston later than I could of. All the paper work takes a bit to get together but in the end its all for a trip of a lifetime!

 Second....packing. I can't even begin to tell you how much I am not prepared to figure that one out. Granada has bit of a warmer climate than Vermont and Rhode Island but I am basically packing for every weather condition minus packing for frigid-cold weather. So far for packing AIFS (the program I am studying abroad through) provides a packing list which is helpful! Between that and talking with friends who have studied abroad in the past year or so I am starting to figure out what I do and do not need to bring.

A little warmer than New England, 50's are shorts weather here

 Over break I had to get all the paper work together and start putting together things for the trip. Since I have a month for Christmas break before I leave, I will have plenty of time to get everything else all set! The biggest thing for me is that I get a good amount of time at home before I go. I got to spend all Thanksgiving break with family and friends which was great!

And I can't even describe to you how full I still am from all the food, sweet goodness. For my family we have two Thanksgiving dinners in one day. The first we have with my Nana around lunch time and then we have Thanksgiving dinner with my cousins from the other side of the family. All the food the entire day was unreal and once we got to Thanksgiving dinner, we realized how much we had gotten ourselves into. My cousin Kimberlee thought, with leftovers in mind, that getting a 25 lbs. turkey for seven to eight people was a sweet deal. I can tell you first hand we did not even make a dent in the pan there was so much food, one of the best things about the holidays! I am unbelievably excited to be heading to Spain but with all the preparation needed to get done before I go over there, nothing was better than being home!

Facebook: Candice Kalil
Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
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