Shake was wonderful! It was glorious! It was every adjective you can think of that are analogous to these. The people I met there will be life-long friends, and the experiences I had will stay with me forever! I went sailing a number of times, saw a few concerts/shows, took numerous strolls down to the most beautiful oceanside setting you can imagine, and did a lot of hanging out and bonding. I also got tons of great bodywork (i.e. massage, rolfing, pt, ot, yoga, strength & conditioning, meditation, aquatics...). Not only did I perfect a transfer out of my chair and into bed, but I also figured out a way to get back in my chair independently! It was different than the past 3 years I had gone because it was my first year in the 5-week Adult program, but it was just as much of a peak experience!

Now reality is quickly setting in. At the same time I'm dealing with my re-entry into realtime, I am also recovering from having all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted this morning. Luckily, it went very smoothly (No swelling and very little pain.) But the fact that we set sail for Berkeley just 2 weeks from today is even harsher. We're driving out there, and orientation starts on August 13. We're leaving Montpelier on August 6, and we're taking 5-7 days to make stops and arrive in the Bay Area. My parents will stay a few weeks (perhaps through my birthday), and then drive home one Chater short of a family. We are planning on buying many college necessities in California as only one minivan is making the trek.

I'm in the middle of crazy times that are just going to keep getting crazier for the next 4+ years! The anticipation is just about over, and now there is no way for me to live my life other than in the moment. In the words of an excellent Phish song, "This has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way!" It seems like a wild attitude to have to adopt (to sum it all up as 'this' and 'wonderful'), but it would be impossible to verbalize what 'this' really has been and everything it has meant, and it would also be maximally mentally taxing and utterly pointless to try to do.

I don't do 'goodbyes'. The best anyone ever gets out of me is 'see ya'. I am always reachable (the most accurate contact info I have is below). I don't promise to be perfect about keeping up with e-mail, but I do promise to keep in touch with all of you on some level. So, be well, keep smiling, and get your tickets to California ASAP!

Love,
~Ben