Falling for Vermont

Needless to say in Vermont the winter is awesome for winter sports and being near the mountains, but you can never really get sick of Vermont in the fall. There is so much to do that, besides the ever popular and gorgeous foliage, it has to offer that makes the fall hands down my favorite part of the year (besides ski season of course). Okay I do sort of in a way have an obsession with pumpkin iced coffee...and yes I know I am quote on quote "basic" for it ,but it is one of the best things about fall! The pumpkin and apple flavors being offered everywhere, hiking, pumpkin picking and naturally apple picking season ! You can't not have fun apple picking, there is just really no way. If you can't, not sure your human.

I got to go to Shelburne Orchards twice this semester which is a good trip to take during the fall! Just a twenty minute drive from campus you cross over to the town of Shelburne, which is adorable in and of itself. It has crafted scarecrows all over and still has its old small town feel. I went to cover the Bee Here Now festival at the Orchard a few weeks ago as a live coverage assignment for my Multi-Media Reporting class. The people there were incredibly passionate about their work with bees and how much of a problem it is that their importance in the ecosystem is not more of a prominent issue than it should be. They had people from UVM professors to beekeepers to quilters all there at the festival. We took our roommate Kelsie who had never been to Shelburne Orchards before, so naturally we had to go on a tractor ride!

The second time I got to go to the orchard is when I took my boyfriend Tyler two weeks ago when he came to visit for the weekend. He also hadn't gone apple picking since he was little so we did the naturally cheesy fall couple date to the apple orchard where yes, I know what you are thinking but we did get the classic apple picking couple pictures. When its fall and you take your boyfriend apple picking, how could you not? We picked a bunch so we could both cook up some apple pie and he could take some home with him!

One of the goals I had set for the semester also was that I would try to hike as much as possible. There's so much to see in Vermont that on top of skiing there's so much to see. This past weekend my friend Keri and I took a quick morning hike up to Mount Philo which takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get to the top. A very family - oriented hike I heard it was a shorter hike with a wicked pretty view, and it did not fail to meet that that's for sure. Fall in Vermont I don't think will ever get old to me and but never has every time I came to Vermont growing up and even now. Its just a gorgeous state with gorgeous views to boot and you have to take it all in while you can!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
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SMC Open House!

With semester in full swing it is already almost that time yes for college applications. When I hear that my reactions comes down to either, "Aw they are such babies!" or the classic, "Oh my I am so old I'm not about this". It's true though! Being a senior in colleges is so different when you compare that to being a senior in high school. If you are applying to Saint Mike's I can imagine you have tons of questions and are wondering about so much that isn't just in the handed out (but super informative & creative by the way) handbook. Granted I can type and type on here about all the things I love about Saint Mike's but what would be even better and what would be my recommendation is that you come to a Saint Mike's Open House. There are tons of opportunities to take tours and visit the school but an open house is a wicked awesome day to come up to Vermont and visit! Here is the low down essentially:

Tour and More: In an Open House day at Saint Mike's you get a tour when you come, getting to see the academic buildings, residence halls and seeing the layout of the campus. The really interactive map on the school's website is awesome but trust me it doesn't do it justice as to how pretty the campus is There are both student and parent panels are available for the floor to really open up to questions you have on student life, classes, clubs etc.

Meeting People: With the campus being busy there is a great chance to talk with lots of people and get to know them! Its a great way to make connections and meet people who you might end up having classes with or are in clubs you are interested in!

One on One: I know people who were able to get in touch with certain majors and departments they were interested in which, if you are coming in as a freshman and know what major you want, is an awesome opportunity when visiting the school!

The Area: One thing I would personally recommend about a college visit is to make a weekend out of it if you can! Take some time to hang out on church street or go hiking! See the area and Saint Mike's has to offer!

The Gear: Also at Open House the school store is open so don't hesitate to pop in and get some SMC apparel! At my high school they had college sweatshirt days so I got the most comfortable sweatshirt from the school store that weekend to have! The school store has a large selection of stuff and something for everyone!

The Fit: I knew when I came to visit Saint Mike's it was a good fit for me. My cousin went to UVM and suggested that since I did not want a big school to look into Saint Mike's because she had heard a lot of good things about it. I booked a visit to both schools the same weekend. An open house visit at Saint Mike's reassured me I knew it was a better fit for me. If I did want a big school feel though UVM would definitely be on my list! Spending a day on campus rather than just the tour alone gives you and all around feel for the school and is a great opportunity to connect with everything on campus! Don't hesitate to ask question and see as much as you can because there is a lot Saint Mike's has to offer!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31

The One About College Throwbacks

In honor of Thursday and the ever trending #tbt, this post is dedicated to the years I have had at Saint Mike's. I can tell you right off the bat some of my best friends from Saint Mike's were from my floor freshman year. We were compiled of rugby players, field hockey players, soccer players, musicians and everything in between. There were groups of friends within the hall but I can tell you out of my four years at Saint Mike's my freshman and senior year were the best living situations. I remember the first day perfectly as my entire family and I went up to my room and as I opened the door, my roommate Colleen was there with her entire family too. Great minds think alike because that totaled 10 people trying to move two 18 year old girls into their first dorm room! From there we met the girls in our hall and our RA who was the most motherly and advice giving RA we could have asked for she was awesome! A lot of how our floor became so close definitely gets credited to her.

That time Macklemore performed at SMC

Sophomore year started as one of our friends from freshman year did not come back to Saint Mike's. She was from the Netherlands and was only in Vermont for freshman year. It was weird without her and I still wish she could come back to Saint Mike's. Sophomore year consisted of a lot of skiing and everyone trying to figure out their majors. Sophomore year is somewhat a more lull time in between the craziness of other years which was nice to have! One of my favorite memories sophomore year was getting to go with MOVE on an extended service trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. We worked with Habitat for Humanity along with volunteering at a local nursing home, Boys and Girls Club and a local soup kitchen. The experience was incredible and I wish I could still go back for a longer length of time!

Every Sunday or "Sunday Funday" we had family night with great friends!

I would have to say junior year is what shaped me the most at Saint Mike's. My classes that semester I learned the most from and had some of the best professors I have had in my career here (MJD department rocks that's all I can say!). I also fractured my leg which I will tell you I was not good at handling. I hated being so immobile and having to go to Alliot only when you had a friend to help you carry your plates turned out to be more frustrating that it sounded. I learned a lot about myself from that experience and  I was lucky enough the fracture was not worse than it was! But hey at least I cracked a bone playing rugby and having fun rather than having a silly accident tripping on the stairs or something! After that came going to Spain. If you read through all my posts from January through May, you will understand why it was one of the best experiences I have ever had and if you want to go abroad, GO. IF you are worried about anything I promise it is the best decision you will make!

From Saint Mike's roommates to roommates abroad!

Now four weeks into senior year, its crazy to believe my career at Saint Mike's is at this point. This morning I woke up, made breakfast in the kitchen and read some articles, finished making my coffee and walked out of my 300's townhouse and headed to class. Um...my house?! Yes I live in a townhouse. Our townhouse is awesome and since we have finished decorating it has become more like home! The past four weeks have been great so far and the townhouse life is pretty darn sweet. With all the great memories and times the past three years, I can't wait for what this year has to bring! Make the most of all the time you have at Saint Mike's because I promise you are going to blink and realize it flies by, cause you know times flies when you are having fun!

Facebook: Candice Kalil

Twitter: @CandiceLeeMary
Instagram: candicekalil31