After what seemed like years of searching I finally found the perfect Summer Program to attend. The program was titled the Young Writer's Workshop and held at the prestigous Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut. I assumed the environment would be the same, there is really not much difference between Maine and Connecticut, but the people are way different, very different. That Summer I had the most fun that I have ever had in my entire life.
I arrived at Choate with an open mind unlike many of the other program participants. The campus was beautiful with grand buildings and lush green lawns. I still think that the dining hall is a replica of the one from Harry Potter. I settled into my dorm which was more like a house and easily made friends with a girl from upstate New York, one from the city, and two from Greenwich, CT. None of them really wanted to be there. The other girls in the dorm were younger so they didn't really hange out with us. Our advisors were amazingly nice and young, the head of house could not have been more than 25. In the dorm I felt right at home.
The first day of classes was an adventure but my teacher was exciting and vibrant and the material we covered in the short two weeks that I was there, still amazes me today. Throughout the time in the classroom, we read a novel, numerous short stories, adn wrote about countless life experiences as well as college application essays; as an 8th grader I never thought that I would be able to do so much.
Outside of the classroom, my dorm girls and I had a blast. We spent many afternoons at the student activities center sipping smoothies and watching TV. We danced at the scheduled middle school dance, and even ventured into the small town center to do some shopping at Wal-Mart. However, no matter where you go, you can never escape drama. Some of the younger girls in our dorm grew angry at an older girl, and took it out by destroying the girl's expensive shoes, make-up, and i pod speakers. But don't fret, an action like this will probably never happen again. The directors quickly found out and expelled the girl. Unfortuneately, she lived in China, must have been a tough ride home with her parents.
Overall, my Choate exoerience was unforgettable, I have stayed great friends with the people I met there and I would re-attend in a heart beat.