St. Mary's College Part 2

There was a lot to be learned in college, but I'm sure it won't surprise anyone to hear that most of that learning took place outside of the classroom.  The lessons learned there are simple, but so often forgotten: take time to look around-really look around- and enjoy what's in front of you, relax, laugh with friends, and watching a good sunset can take the edge off of any day.

There was a lot to see in St. Mary's, but certainly one of the most memorable sights came sometime during my freshman year when a friend and I were walking along the river one evening.  We decided to take a wet shortcut to the boathouse when I was surprised to see our footprints glowing in the sand.  Lucky for me my friend was majoring in biology and was able to teach me all about bioluminescence in algae.  I had never seen such a thing before and didn't see it again until a few summers ago when I explained to whole thing to my nephew while we stood on the beach in North Carolina.

Laughter.  I experienced more than my fair share of that while living the good life in southern Maryland.  Fortunately I still get opportunities to laugh with the same good friends today.  The friends I made down there were the kind that you know are going to be a part of your life for the rest of your life, which is a great way to keep the laughter going.

The other part of campus that would make any alumni's "best of" list would be the treat of so many sunsets on the St. Mary's River.  Many evening meals at the dining hall were followed by a stroll over to the historic cemetery at Trinity Parish for the best view.  I can still picture myself sitting on a bluff, surrounded by buttercups, looking down as the blue sky yielded to the rich oranges, reds and yellows of the setting sun.  The air was still but my friends and I were laughing as we took in the beauty that was our daily existence.  That's what I call relaxation at its finest.