In my time at UF, I have been one of the fortunate few to never have finals during finals week. Most of mine are either in class the last few days of classes, essays, or take home. This past semester was no exception and so I booked a flight to Boston to spend my birthday with my best friend Kathryn, because my birthday always falls in the middle of finals week.
The most stressful part of my trip was getting to Boston in the first place. Specifically, getting to the Jacksonville airport. I had driven from Gainesville to Jacksonville very late Wednesday night for my 6 AM flight and I hadn't packed anything. I accidentally overslept and missed my alarm by almost an hour. So when I finally woke up, I was rushed and panicked, throwing random things in my suitcase and hurrying out the door. In such a rush, I forgot my purse and camera at home, so my mother had to drive to bring it to me at the airport. To pick it up from her, I had to go through airport security again and as a result, I was the absolute last person to go through the gate, which they closed less than two minutes later. I also realized that my dress was somewhat see-through and I had remnants of a Sharpie moustache still on my face from the birthday party I had attended the night before. Why I always let my friend Bevin draw on my face, I don't know but she has done this to me numerous times. I also lost my boarding pass and was lucky that the airlines are all electronic and they could just find me.
Getting into Boston and to Wellesley, on the other hand, was a piece of cake. I met my aunt in the town of Wellesley for lunch at a Greek restaurant we stumbled upon. The next morning, Kathryn and I headed to New York. Kathryn had never been to NYC before and I think the copious amounts of people startled her somewhat. I had never been around Christmas time, but the shops along Fifth and Madison were 5 times as packed. I wanted to go to FAO Schwarz to get a present for my nephew but after seeing the line wrap around the block, I decided against it. We ventured into Times Square, a dangerous territory in my opinion. I tend to avoid it like the plague but I thought Kathryn would appreciate it. We also went to Rockefeller Center to see the tree and the ice rink. Over the course of the next few days, we went all over the city. We went into the East Village and around NYU, visiting Nathan and hanging out with his friends at their dorm. We also went to the Guggenheim Museum, which had an exhibit on Pablo Picasso, and we unintentionally went through a majority of Central Park, including the boat pond, the Jackie O reservoir, and Belvedere Castle.
Back in Boston, I spent my birthday with Kathryn in the city. We spent most of our time together wandering around the city in our usual spots. I also did some Christmas shopping for my family. In addition, while I was in Boston, I visited my brother's sister-in-law, Kellye. I went to her office and met her for dinner in South Boston, near the Financial District. I hadn't spent much time there before, so it was interesting to walk around, especially near the water and the museums/aquarium. Kathryn and I also met Chloe for dinner near Harvard, another good restaurant called Daedalus. I appreciated the reference to Greek mythology, though I don't think it dawned on either of them. My last night in Massachusetts, I stayed with Kellye and her dad, Peter, at their house just outside of Boston. I'm very close to their family and it was nice to see them both and spend time with them. I flew home the next morning, only to turn around and head out on my next OAR adventure.
Events occurred: December 6-14, 2012
Following a new tradition, I returned to Boston for another Veteran's Day weekend. This time, I brought along my friend Johnny, a fellow UF student and Heritage Greece alum. Rather than staying with Kathryn, we stayed with Chloe from Heritage Greece. Our first day we spent exploring the Harvard campus. Then, Chloe went to lacrosse practice, so Johnny and I ventured across Cambridge to MIT. Chris gave us a brief tour of his dorm and we climbed the archway above the entrance to it. After that, Johnny and I headed across my favorite bridge, Mass Ave, and casually strolled down Newbury Street. We stopped in to one of the buildings near Newbury to get something to drink. As Johnny was paying for his Gatorade, the woman behind the counter asked us where we were from. We said Florida, but she asked again, this time asking specifically about our families. We told her that we were Greek and she responded that she could tell, she just knew it. She was a quarter Greek and recognized that we were Greek too.
When we returned to Harvard, Chloe took us to a Harvard hockey game. We cheered on the guys but I honestly had no idea what was going on. The injuries in hockey seem especially brutal and this game was full of them. Afterwards, we met up with Elena, another HG student in Boston, and the four of us had dinner at a random pizza place in Cambridge. Looking for some adventure, we headed over to MIT. I introduced the Greeks to Chris, another Greek friend. We didn't stay long, however, and continued to search for entertainment. Insert karaoke here. Chloe led us to a karaoke seafood restaurant owned by local Greeks. Obviously, we fully embraced our Greek roots, recapturing the essence of our summer escapades abroad.
The next afternoon, after eating breakfast and spending the morning with Chloe and Johnny, I headed out to meet Kathryn for lunch. We spent the rest of our afternoon relaxing around Boston and Cambridge, even splurging for s'mores at Cosi in Kendall Square. The s'mores were delicious and it's one of the coolest restaurant concepts I have ever encountered. They bring you a mini stove fire with marshmallows that we could roast to our own liking as well as chocolate and graham crackers. That night, we went out with some of her friends from Wellesley, ending up at MIT like usual. Since the T stops running at 12, I ended up staying at MIT and going to brunch with Chris in the morning.
I know I tend to get excited about restaurants but Cafe Luna was legitimately one of the best brunches I have ever had the pleasure of eating, and I have a ton of brunch experience. You're probably thinking to yourself "wow, that sounds amazing. Do they have a website?" Yes, yes they do.
http://cafeluna-centralsq.com/
I highly recommend this place though I will admit the wait for a table is lengthy. However, the owner is extremely friendly and the wait to sit outside (which is way better than inside in my opinion, particularly on a sunny Boston day) is significantly shorter than the wait for an inside table. Our waitress was also very friendly and expedient with everything.
When I returned to Harvard, we headed back out into the city, exploring the North End. In the North End, my food advocacy is aimed toward Mike's Pastry. Cash only with lines out the door, but still I have never regretted a visit there. We wasted the rest of the day running around Boston before heading back to Cambridge again. The next day I spent by myself, wandering up and down Mass Ave from Harvard to Newbury while Chloe and Johnny went to Fenway and the Fens. I said good bye to my favorite city, knowing that I would be returning less than a month later.
Events occurred: November 9-12, 2012
I was anxious to return to Mount Yonah, realizing that the first time I had been had been somewhat wasted on someone so ignorant about rock climbing. When we pulled into the parking lot, I bounded ahead, leading the charge up the mountain. I still don't understand why I like this particular hike so much, nor why I find it so easy compared to other people's perceptions, especially since I tend to be an average speed hiker. Regardless, I sprinted to the top, waiting several times for the group behind me to catch up. The weather was nice, cold with a slight wind. I decided to forgo the tent and slept outside with my sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and new fleece liner. The liner was fantastic and I slept like a baby both nights.
The next morning, I headed for the climbing wall and was one of the first to climb. I tried a few different routes, most of them easy and below my usual climbing grade but on average it's hard for me to find something at my perfect level. Typically outdoor routes seem to be either really easy or really difficult, at least at Mount Yonah and for my level of climbing experience. I enjoyed the views and the company, watching much better climbers than me impressively tackle some very hard routes. I was pleased to actually have my own shoes, unlike the last trip to Yonah when I had used the worn out club shoes. I also actually understood the route gradings and could better assess my own skill level comparable to the routes, which made it much more fun for me than just blindly climbing without any idea of what I was doing.
The next day, we headed down to the lowers, which has several climbing walls. We went to a different wall than I had been to the year before and it seemed to be hard to me, especially since everyone was taking turns leading two 5.10+ routes. Someone set up a top rope on both of these, and I tried them. It took a lot of encouragement and time, but I managed to reach the top of both and also of a route nearby that was chossy and mossy at the top, increasing the difficulty of the route and increasing my struggles. By the end of the day, I was sore and tired but I felt accomplished and returned to the rock gym with more confidence and finesse.
Events occurred: November 2-4, 2012
Remember several posts ago when I mentioned how much I hated caving the first time? Well, that all changed completely after this vertical caving trip. I have since become addicted to caving, vertical in particular. I can't quite explain it and that's how I know that it's true love. I just have this instinctual feeling, like love at first rappel. My stomach fills with butterflies, I get a giddy look on my face, and I hear my heart racing. It's either love or adrenaline from fear, but I would like to think that it's love. I had already become a fan of vertical caving after doing it the first time and after the caving practices but once I discovered gear that actually fit my height perfectly, I became infatuated.
The first cave we went to wasn't exactly a cave. This beginner's vertical trip, composed of me, Terry, Nina, and Brian led by Mike (of course), started with Neversink, a large pit near Tumbling Rock. I had actually been there before, when I went on my first caving trip, but it had never even occurred to me that I could (and would) rappel into it. I'm not sure why exactly but it it took us a long time to set everything up. We realized that both our 150 and 180 foot ropes were too short so we had to go back to the car for the 300. I don't know how deep Neversink is and I've heard different things from various online sources, but I tell people that it's 220 feet, a completely made up figure that seems logical enough since it's between 180 and 300. I'm a horrible judge of distance however, so don't take my word for it. Neversink is really wide and open, a column with no horizontal caving below. Mike rappelled in first and took amazing pictures of all of us. There's a waterfall that runs into the cave but the water flow was light, more like drips than your typical falls. We took a few group shots at the bottom, walked around, and then ascended back up.
This ascent, for me in particular, was abysmal. I actually really hated it and by the time I had made it to the top, I was exhausted and my muscles were shaking. I was honestly close to tears and I could even hear it in my voice. I didn't know why it had been so painful. Then, the next day, I realized my issue: my foot loop was several inches too short and I couldn't get full extension. Thus, it took me twice as long to move and my legs wore out much more quickly.
After Neversink, we headed to Stephen's Gap. This cave was really cool, especially since it had both vertical and horizontal entrances. In other words, we could rappel in and then walk out rather than ascending out. After my Neversink experience, I was thrilled to avoid ascending. After Stephen's Gap, we stumbled upon a small cave along the trail, called Pipeside. I chose not to go, mostly because I feared the ascent, and so I stayed at the top and took a short nap. Terry used the gear that I had been using and he had a very difficult time with the short foot loop too. I was relieved that it hadn't been just me. That night, we went to a Pizza Hut and gorged ourselves on hot food, an excellent reward for a cold day of caving.
The next day, after a night of camping on Scottsboro Mountain, we headed toward Chattanooga and Signal Light, my favorite cave. Signal Light was it's usual glorious self. We diverged from the usual path at the beginning, heading right instead of left and finding ourselves at the base of Sketch Mountain, coming at it from the right instead of straight forward. We then realized our mistake and headed toward the formation room and the signature room. I was pleased to discover that my memory of the cave was in tact for the most part and I recognized a lot of different formations and landmarks, which have since become permanently engrained in my mind. For the ascent out, I used a longer, adjustable foot loop and ascended out with ease. It was reassuring to note that the foot loop had been the issue instead of me. I raced Brian and successfully beat him out the cave. On the way home, we stopped at Sugar's Ribs, a famous barbecue restaurant in Chattanooga. A disgusting amount of pulled pork was the perfect end to a tiring weekend of caving.
Events occurred: October 26-28, 2012
Until this trip, I actually had not repeated any OAR trips at all. Even then, this trip was much different from the first time I went to Whorley's Cave and Roan Mountain. For one, I did not think that I was going to freeze to death at any points. I went in an early car with Mike, Carolanne, and Mike's mom. We drove to Jacksonville, where Mike is also from, and picked up his mother. We also helped her pack, which was one of the funniest parts of the entire trip. She was horrified by the fact that we don't typically shower on OAR trips and insisted on packing shampoo regardless. Mike seemed irritated but I was entirely sympathetic and told her that I alway carry copious amounts of wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and deodorant. Once she was packed, we took off for North Carolina.
I must note the fantastic restaurant that we stopped at for dinner on the way up. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, it is called Spice Junction and it's an all-you-can-eat Indian buffet just off the interstate. The owners are extremely friendly, though they do frown upon wasting food and they will charge you for an extra plate if you waste too much. They bring fresh bread, called naan, to the table and the buffet itself is delicious. They also have this creamy mango sauce for you to pour over your dessert that is literally to die for. It is INCREDIBLE. Mike and I returned to Spice Junction over winter break and we were both so sad and disappointed that they were out of mango sauce that we discussed it at length during and after dinner. Spice Junction, don't forget it. The reviews on Urban Spoon speak for themselves. They also have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spice-Junction/186180021450925. Google Spice Junction Columbia, SC right now and start planning your own trip there. It's worth it.
We were the first to arrive at Whorley's and I remembered exactly where it was after having been so lost the first time we went. We slept in the cave, which was very disorienting. Caves are just so dark and so quiet that it's hard to tell how much time has passed. People typically have crazy, vivid dreams and I was no exception. When everyone was waking up the next morning, I thought they were just getting there and I was annoyed that everyone was being so loud. Then, I poked my head out of my sleeping bag and realized that I was the only one still sleeping. I quickly packed and headed back to the car. Then we started caving. We didn't spend a lot of time in Whorley's because we got turned around and ended up skipping over half the scale. Regardless, it was an enjoyable experience once again and it was nice to arrive at Roan Mountain with a decent amount of daylight.
Part of the reason that I went in the early car was because we were doing a much shorter version of the hike, heading to the campsite and then turning around and coming back the same five or six miles the next morning. I was actually really excited because last time we had gone to Roan, it had been to dark to see the views atop the balds and to enjoy the first leg of scenery. We hiked as the sun was setting and didn't need our lights until after we had passed the first campsite. When we arrived, everyone was cooking on the fire and there were a ton of non-OAR people there. The shelter is an old barn with a second floor, where I slept. It offered decent protection from the wind though I was still somewhat cold during the night. It was Tara's birthday, so her mom was also on the trip and we all sat around the campfire singing happy birthday, loudly and off-key.
The next morning, we split from the main group and headed back to the car. The hike back was more difficult, with more uphill sections. We stayed mostly together although Mike was much faster. I enjoyed talking to Carolanne and Mike's mother along the way and it was interesting to gain her perspective of the trip. She definitely liked the hiking and I think she also appreciated the opportunity to bond with her son, who, like me, is constantly out of town on similar trips. The trail was also beautiful, with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains. All the leaves were changing across the mountains, vivid colors of orange, red, yellow, and brown exploding all around me. When we got back to the car, however, I realized that I had two giant, quarter-sized (or bigger) blisters, one on each heel. My hiking boots weren't fully broken in and such a lengthy hike tore my feet apart. Luckily, I didn't notice the pain until I took my shoes off and I had extra shoes waiting for me in the car. I have since learned to wrap my ankles and heels in ace bandages before longer hikes, though I think the boots are pretty well-worn at this point.
Events occurred: October 19-21, 2012
In an attempt to encourage more OAR people to try vertical caving, Mike organized several crash courses and a local practical. Crash courses entail throwing a rope up into a tree, teaching people how to ascend up the rope and perform a changeover from ascent to rappel. Once you are familiar with the gear and the concepts, it is actually relatively easy. However, if you don't understand the mechanics and aren't familiar with how the different devices work, it can be extremely difficult. As the only one in the group other than Mike that had actually been vertical caving before, I found myself primarily teaching others. I like this though because in teaching, I was able to reiterate to myself what to do and it has become instinctive.
After several practices on trees, one night Mike took us to Shotgun Hole, a local "cave" with a spring. The cave itself is tiny and the rappel is only about 20 feet. Usually, the club uses a rope ladder instead of caving gear for ease and expediency. However, for the sake of education, we used the vertical harnesses, racks, and ascent devices. Shotgun Hole was a typical OAR adventure before my time but in recent years, we have only gone sporadically. I had never been before and though I have returned several times, I still cannot remember its precise location: somewhere in the middle of nowhere just outside of Gainesville. I am also uncertain as to the origin of its name, which I don't find particularly comforting. Regardless, our group of two cars headed to Shotgun Hole to show off our vertical caving skills. Though I didn't intend on swimming, we all ended up in the water, splashing around the spring. Ascending out was actually somewhat difficult despite its short distance, mostly because the rocks were chossy (a climbing term used to describe rock that crumbles at the touch or when you are gripping it). Many of us unintentionally kicked down rocks and sediments, calling out "rock!" to warn those below of the hazardous falling debris.
Events occurred: October 3, 10, and 17, 2012
Virgin Falls is always one of the most highly anticipated OAR trips of the year. Since joining the club, I had missed out on two Virgin Falls trips, so I was anxious to get in on this one. Unfortunately, I did not realize that I was still recovering from the same sickness that had plagued me during my trip to the New River Gorge. On the drive up, I noticed that I felt rather itchy on my stomach and back. When we stopped for dinner, I went to the bathroom and realized that I was breaking out in hives. I had only broken out in hives once before, when I was still in elementary school, and it was a reaction to a new couch my parents had just gotten, so I was bewildered as to the cause of these hives. I bought some Benadryl from a gas station and proceeded to tank out in the front seat while Jeff drove my car the rest of the way.
When we arrived in the parking lot, we began the somewhat treacherous two mile night hike to Laurel Falls, where we would be camping. We were camping in an alcove beneath the falls, and rappelled off the top of it the next morning before hiking on toward Virgin Falls. I had difficulty navigating the rocks as I hiked, my body full of Benadryl and the exhaustion that resulted from it. As soon as I reached the alcove, I threw my sleeping pad and sleeping bag on the ground and curled up for a deep sleep. The next morning, I realized that Frank, his recent wife Kerry, and one of their friends from Notre Dame were with us. I was ecstatic to see them again, especially because I hadn't seen either one of them since March. They had married in Glacier National Park in Montana the month before, which I had sadly missed out on. The group spent a few hours rappelling over the edge of the alcove before hiking the additional two miles to Virgin Falls.
At that point, Virgin Falls was one of the best rappels I had ever done. The water fall itself was beautiful and the rappel was close enough to the falls to make for epic pictures but far enough away that I barely got wet. I climbed to the rappel point several times and rappelled the falls every time. After one of the rappels, I fell asleep with my harness still on and woke up with hives crawling up my neck and face. Luckily, Mike had a bag with some Bendryl so I took it immediately and the pills put me right back to sleep. That night, some of the members of our group rappelled the falls naked, on a dare. Fortunately for all of us, it was far too dark for us to see anything aside from their lights, which dotted the otherwise blackened landscape. We slept next to the falls, the sound of rushing water singing me to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up with, you guessed it, hives. I took more Benadryl and then we began the four mile, somewhat difficult, hike back to the cars. I felt like I was moving in slow motion and I was far behind everyone else. Fortunately, some of the group members stayed back with me so I wouldn't be deliriously hiking through the wilderness on my own. I was sad to return home without having been able to fully enjoy my time at Virgin Falls, but luckily there will be another trip in the future that I can go on. As far as the hives, I was out of school with them for a week, miserable and itchy. I went to my dermatologist and he informed me that the hives were a result of my body fighting a sickness and that they were a sign that I was getting better. I would have rather just been sick especially since the hives forced me to bail on the climbing trip to Foster Falls the following weekend and limited my physical activity in general.
Events occurred: September 28-30, 2012
The most stressful part of my trip was getting to Boston in the first place. Specifically, getting to the Jacksonville airport. I had driven from Gainesville to Jacksonville very late Wednesday night for my 6 AM flight and I hadn't packed anything. I accidentally overslept and missed my alarm by almost an hour. So when I finally woke up, I was rushed and panicked, throwing random things in my suitcase and hurrying out the door. In such a rush, I forgot my purse and camera at home, so my mother had to drive to bring it to me at the airport. To pick it up from her, I had to go through airport security again and as a result, I was the absolute last person to go through the gate, which they closed less than two minutes later. I also realized that my dress was somewhat see-through and I had remnants of a Sharpie moustache still on my face from the birthday party I had attended the night before. Why I always let my friend Bevin draw on my face, I don't know but she has done this to me numerous times. I also lost my boarding pass and was lucky that the airlines are all electronic and they could just find me. 
Getting into Boston and to Wellesley, on the other hand, was a piece of cake. I met my aunt in the town of Wellesley for lunch at a Greek restaurant we stumbled upon. The next morning, Kathryn and I headed to New York. Kathryn had never been to NYC before and I think the copious amounts of people startled her somewhat. I had never been around Christmas time, but the shops along Fifth and Madison were 5 times as packed. I wanted to go to FAO Schwarz to get a present for my nephew but after seeing the line wrap around the block, I decided against it. We ventured into Times Square, a dangerous territory in my opinion. I tend to avoid it like the plague but I thought Kathryn would appreciate it. We also went to Rockefeller Center to see the tree and the ice rink. Over the course of the next few days, we went all over the city. We went into the East Village and around NYU, visiting Nathan and hanging out with his friends at their dorm. We also went to the Guggenheim Museum, which had an exhibit on Pablo Picasso, and we unintentionally went through a majority of Central Park, including the boat pond, the Jackie O reservoir, and Belvedere Castle. 
Back in Boston, I spent my birthday with Kathryn in the city. We spent most of our time together wandering around the city in our usual spots. I also did some Christmas shopping for my family. In addition, while I was in Boston, I visited my brother's sister-in-law, Kellye. I went to her office and met her for dinner in South Boston, near the Financial District. I hadn't spent much time there before, so it was interesting to walk around, especially near the water and the museums/aquarium. Kathryn and I also met Chloe for dinner near Harvard, another good restaurant called Daedalus. I appreciated the reference to Greek mythology, though I don't think it dawned on either of them. My last night in Massachusetts, I stayed with Kellye and her dad, Peter, at their house just outside of Boston. I'm very close to their family and it was nice to see them both and spend time with them. I flew home the next morning, only to turn around and head out on my next OAR adventure. 
