Written By: Maddie McGill, Ezra Ratner, Fran Burnett, & Cael Stout
Written by Maddie McGill
Two minutes. Every night and every morning. Back at home, brushing my teeth is no extraordinary experience — I walk down the hall in my pajamas and turn on my light, listening to the soft sounds of my sweatshirt brushing the cabinets as I reach for my toothbrush. Here, though, things are a bit different. We walk in groups to the West building on the boardwalk, which is usually caked in a thin layer of frost. In the morning with puffy eyes and bundled up in layers, and in the evening with newfound energy post-study hall. When you open the door to the Girls’ Bathroom, you hear the music blasting from someone’s JBL and incomprehensible yells for the next song recommendations. You navigate the over-populated room, trying to reach the sink over the loving ruckus around you. People are dancing, singing, screaming, “debriefing” their days. Laughter fills the air as everyone communally partakes in their two-minute routine. Hairbrushes and toiletries litter every possible surface, getting wet in the crossfire of sink streams and excitement. Taylor Swift is a regular partaker in these routines, “Don’t Blame Me,” “Love Story,” “I Think He Knows,” and “I Did Something Bad” have become some anthems in our bathroom. We have very busy schedules and lives here on campus, full of classes, exercise, meals, schoolwork, and very little free time. Separated into 3 “girls” cabins, we don’t have much time together. Our time brushing our teeth, washing our faces, and getting ready for bed has become a time that I look forward to all day. In these few moments that I consider extremely mundane at home, I have made some of my favorite memories. A few nights ago, my cabin-mate Keira and I danced the same repetition of five or six dance moves for almost 10 minutes, or three Taylor Swift songs worth. We were the last two in the bathroom and had to rush to get to our cabins in time, but it was well worth it.
Written by Ezra Ratner
Before coming to HMI, I had not run more than a mile and a half. And now, as someone who has run 4 miles and is preparing to run 10 in a mere two months, I can say with confidence that I had made a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, the running itself is pretty rough, but the experience of building up my strength and the camaraderie of doing it with my friends is awesome. AMX (morning exercise) is our P.E. here at HMI. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every student here at HMI wakes up bright and early at 6:25am to go run our assigned distance. For our first week, we ran 2 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Wednesday, and 2 on Friday. From that point forward, we have slowly ramped it up, adding mileage in preparation for our 10 mile fun run at the end of the semester.
I’ll admit, when I heard about running three times a week, I was incredibly nervous. I am not a runner as I mentioned before, and I was nervous we were going to be thrown in at the deep end. We were in fact thrown into the deep end, but not in the way that I thought; we had our first expedition before we ran a single time. This was great to get assimilated to the extremely high altitude (10,200 feet), and to warm up our bodies for the cardio in the coming weeks. The first run we did was by no means easy, but I felt prepared for it. Also, if you didn’t feel prepared for it, you could always walk.
HMI really does provide all the support that you need, all they ask is that you get out there in the morning, and put in effort. And as someone who has someone who has been putting in a lot of effort, the growth I’m seeing in myself is incredibly satisfying to say the least. HMI, I have realized, is a program that gives you as much as you are willing to give it, and that shows especially in AMX. AMX encompasses what HMI is in that way, and it truly is an essential part of this incredible experience.
Written by Fran Burnett
Excitement levels were high as the students of Semester 51 boarded the three white buses and headed off to Leadville for their first day in town. With Second Exped only a few days away, and a block of classes out of the way, everyone was excited to decompress for a few hours, shopping, eating, and wandering around the town of Leadville, a short 15 minutes from campus.
The day started off with a trip to “City on a Hill,” one of the two local coffee shops. We got coffee and iced lattes (my first in a month), and it was one of the best I’ve ever had. The weather was perfect for a relaxing afternoon out on the town. It was in the low 60s, the sun was out, only a few clouds floating in the sky, and a slight breeze to cool us off. Though it isn’t anything like the bustling city life of my home in NYC, it was a busy Sunday afternoon, with locals and tourists wandering the streets.
Our next stop was the outdoor clothing store, Galena, owned by our very own Dave (Dean of the Apprentice Program) and Justin (Director of Wilderness Program & Risk Management). There we picked out a few cute matching stuffed animals (a moose, a few goats, and a donkey). We waved to some HMI staff members working the counter and headed off to our next location: Community Threads, the local thrift store. There we looked at stickers, ski equipment, second hand clothes, and so much more.
Our next destination was Melanzana, the famous outdoor clothing store that requires an appointment for a custom made “Melly” (outdoor hoodie). The Melanzanas are manufactured in-store, right behind the counter, visible to any customers wandering in. For a few minutes we watched some of the staff hard at work sewing. Unfortunately, the next possible appointment for a custom Melly is in March, so that may have to be a trip for another time!
Our second to last destination was the Mexican candy store, where we got Jarritos (a type of soda) and dulces (candies). No need to keep begging Dylan, the Spanish teacher, for Mexican candy every class! Finally, we headed to “The Western Hardwear,” Leadville’s local vintage store. There we found some vintage Colorado t-shirts, and a leather jacket. Our final time in Leadville was spent wandering, admiring the mountains that surround us, enjoying the beautiful weather, and taking in our home for the next few months. Tomorrow, we prep for Exped!
Written by Cael Stout
Today we went into town to explore Leadville for the first time since we got here. I never expected to have so much fun in such a small mountain town. My friends and I spent our time exploring the town and buying stuff for our second expedition. I think that being so self-sufficient and away from society made me appreciate it so much more. I found tons of cool gems thrifting and it was nice to have food from a real restaurant. Sacred Sundays are a really important part of life here at HMI. While there is plenty of time to socialize during the week it gives you time to think about what a crazy opportunity this is and how lucky we are to be here.