Welcome to beautiful Vermont!

Wow, what a whirlwind past two weeks. I can't even begin to cover the list of things that I am still (a week later) trying to finish off. It seems like at least two or three weeks, but I now look back and realize that it was only last Saturday that I finally said my last goodbyes to the amazing SCH Rx family I have come to know over the past year, pinned Ian during his graduation ceremony, shipped out all our stuff, and now have arrived on the east coast (still running around).

Ian's pinning ceremony

I know Ian's personality is to not make a big deal out of these sorts of "silly" things - and I usually agree. But it is quite amazing to think of all the incredible skills he's been able to learn in such a short period of time. I'm so proud of him.

Following the ceremony and a quick dinner with some of the classmates, we headed to the airport for our red-eye flight to Boston. Fortunately, I was able to get some shut-eye. It probably had more to do with all the crazy running around the last few days. In any event, upon arrival, we got a ride down to New Bedford, MA where Ian's family's old 2001 Ford Expedition (with over 217,000 miles on it!) was waiting. We would be able to use this beast of a car while we got set up in the northeast.

Our first two days/nights were spent at the Lake Mitchell Trout Club - a private, members-only fly fishing and hunting lodge in mountains, founded in the 1800s, whose membership has been passed down through Ian's family many generations. This is the smaller of the two lodges that they have membership to, and is near Dartmouth College (the other lodge is the Lake Mansfield Trout Club where we visited last summer: see here). They are both wonderful, with so much history behind them. However, I think I really loved this smaller lake Mitchell lodge more ... perhaps it helped that there was nobody else around except for one elderly lady (a psychotherapist from Maine who was taking a break from her practice) the first night. Otherwise, it was just the wonderful caretaker Rhona and us. 

The beautiful, historic lodge 

The entrance lobby where we signed in

Of course you can check on the fishing report as you sign in

Dining room: Rhona made us maple-dijon chicken the first night, and sirloin steaks the second night. Her breakfast was wonderful as well: eggs, bacon, granola with fresh fruit and local creamy Vermont milk

This was a beautiful bathtub to soak in after a long day out in the woods

A picture of the different kind of artificial flies hanging in our room

View from our room out to Lake Mitchell

We spent the afternoon lounging about, reading, and fly fishing. Ian caught two rainbow trout the first day, and one the second day. I caught two the second day. Still, I prefer my even more simple Japanese fly fishing (Tenkara) to western-style fly fishing. But, then again, I have yet to actually catch anything in the mountain streams with Tenkara... there will be plenty of time in the future.

Ian had to do some paperwork for his nursing license registration in the capital, Montpelier, so we drove through the rolling mountains to this little town nestled in a valley along two rivers. Rhona called the capital town "Montpelier, most peculiar" 

The Vermont Medical Society 

Lots of bridges over the rivers

This scenery reminds me so much of northern Japan or even little towns in Europe, where rivers run through. This is typical "Vermont" scenery: green mountains all around, small towns in beautiful condition, tons of streams and rivers. I could get used to this. No traffic, no relentless noise (leaf blowers, car tires, honking).

Montpelier fire dept and city hall

The capitol building of the State of Vermont, where the legislature meets. So cute!

The Vermont House of Representatives. Yep - that's all of it

The Vermont Senate

Vermont Supreme Court

Stopped for lunch at The Skinny Pancake (aka a crepe).

Back at the lodge, went out in the evening after dinner for some more fly fishing and this time I actually caught a rainbow trout! We decided to release him since we had already made breakfast plans and didn't want to cook him, but next time we will definitely have some delicious trout to eat.

A lot of people don't know that you have to release fish slowly, holding them upright so they can equalize their swim bladder. Since he was also oxygen-starved from the "fight" when I hooked him, moving him back and forth while holding him upright helps him to breathe and regain strength. When he's ready, he will swim out of my hands. If you simply toss the fish back in, he may never regain his swim bladder balance, nor recover from his oxygen deprivation, and will simply die.

So much wildlife to see around Lake Mitchell. He we were on the opposite end of the lake looking back towards the lodge from the dam. Blue herons, beavers (and a beaver den), birds nests on the rock cliffs, frogs, deer.

Our two restful nights at the lodge done, we head down to Richmond VA to stay with Ian's family for a little bit.

Ugh - New York City traffic

NYC as we cross the George Washington Bridge

George Washington bridge

Arrived in Richmond, the local CSA (community supported agriculture) box had a huge elephant garlic!

We've just been killing time while Ian waits for his paperwork to process (so frustrating) so he can take the NCLEX and our apartment in Burlington is ready mid-July.

Today, we went to have manicures and pedicures:

It was the first time I had ever had my feet soaked, scrubbed, massaged, buffed, and lotioned. With cranberry tea, a hot neck pillow, and a warm wrap around my feet, it was pretty fun. So smooth now ...

Tomorrow we will head up to Ian's family's house on Cuttyhunk Island in the Cape - right next to Martha's Vineyard. Cuttyhunk is part of the Elizabeth Island chain - 14 or so islands (12 are owned by the Forbes family). 

Nothing much to do but comb the beach for sea glass, sail from the yacht club, and relax. Then it's back up to Vermont to stay at one of the two lodges while we get everything set up for our apartment soon.

I still don't quite feel "settled" - still running around, lots of things on the to-do list. But it's nice to be out here in the east as we sort everything out. Here's to more new adventures to come...