A Weekend in the Adirondacks

This weekend I had the misfortune to not be able to visit my location of choice on the Bryn Mawr campus, the moon bench. I chose this spot because I think its position gives it a unique and enticing view of the campus. You can look right up senior row through the Pembroke arch, over the valley of athletic fields to Cambrien row, and survey the Merion green. Sadly I wasn’t able to do any of these things, I was however able to attend a picturesque wedding in the Adirondacks of New York, specifically in Saranac Lake. My cousin Adrien and his wife Julia were married on September 22, 2012 at 3 pm in a little white chapel in the middle of the woods. It was perfect; there was no cell phone reception, no noise of the highway, a city, or anything other than the noise of the woods and of the people gathered to celebrate this momentous event. The wedding placed emphasis on the union between Adrien and Julia, as all weddings place emphasis on the couple, however Adrien and Julia made it clear from the start that although this event celebrated them, their relationship would not be possible without the support and love they received from members of their community. This was reflected in the interactive ceremony they had, the potluck, and the contra dancing that all took place that night. Julia is a park ranger in the Adirondacks and her appreciation and care for the environment shown through in their eco-friendly, environmentally conscious ceremony and reception. This is the first wedding I have ever been to that took into account the impact of the event on the environment and the community within it. It was a celebration of the couple, the community that supports them, and the environment that supports everyone. It was beautiful not only as a celebration of love but also as a celebration of the incredible area we are so lucky to live in the people we are blessed to surround ourselves with. The wedding was not only a chance to celebrate our environment and the wonderful people that fill it, it was also a chance for me to see my wonderful family from Lawrence, Kansas. My immediate family couldn’t make it, but I was able to see my cousins, who double as my confidants and best friends. I am lucky to have a family that I am so close with and who I look forward to seeing. Our geography can physically separate us, but nothing can ever weaken or muffle the love that we feel for each other. I love being at Bryn Mawr and the new people I have met and the community I have made for myself, but it is difficult to stretch those bonds of family across the country. I find solace in knowing that those bonds will never break, and this wedding only reinforced them. Being able to attend the wedding this weekend gave me the opportunity to reconnect to nature and with my family. I feel I could connect more with the environment which I was in when I as being directed to do so, and I hope I can use some of the same techniques when I am visiting the moon bench this week.