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summer

Back to College Reflections ‘The Pause Button’ … and Accepting Change

August 24, 2020 by Megan Klein

Me, just chilling at home, like I’ve been
doing for MONTHS.

Growing up, I was always that kid who called their mom to pick them up from sleepovers. I don’t know if it was because I didn’t like being away from home or because I missed my parents too much. Maybe it was a combination of both.

It’s funny because I was the one who started researching sleepaway camps and eventually found the one that my sister and I went to. I think it’s because I felt like it was something that big kids do. And yet, every phone call would end with me gulping down my tears, every visitor’s day would end with a counselor needing to calm me down and one year, every night I would fall asleep listening to my parent’s wedding song. It’s okay, laugh at me. My parents do.

When it came time for me to go away to college, I was so nervous. Would I be okay on my own? Surprisingly, I was fine! I mean, I ended up transferring but that’s a story for another time.

Like people say when relationships fall through, I’ve come to the realization that it’s not “you,” it’s me. It wasn’t where I was sleeping over or the summer camp I went to. I am just a homebody. I like having my two feet on the ground where I am most comfortable.

So when COVID hit and the world came to a halt and all college students were sent home, I really wasn’t devastated by the move.

I was made for this!

While a lot of my friends cried and were really sad to leave college, I came to terms with it pretty fast. Yes, I was sad that I’d be missing my first spring in Boston. Yes, I was sad because I finally felt like I found my groove in a new city and was finally enjoying college and it was put on pause. But…

I get to hang out with my twin sister, my parents and my dog? Sleep in my own bed? Not have to shower with shower shoes? This was a deal that I could be okay with.

Being someone that loves a routine and hates change, I found a good system at home that I have stuck with since March that consists of exercising daily, making pancakes way too often and putting most of my energy into my blog (shameless plug for operationhappinessblog.com or @operationhappinessblog on Instagram). Oh yeah, I also had online classes I had to squeeze in. But those didn’t cause any stress, just a lot of snack breaks and a severe focusing problem toward the end.

Initially, I would talk with my friends from school 24/7. It was like we never left. But as the months went on, I noticed that every day it would basically be the same: Hey, miss you! What’s new? Nothing? Same.

It became harder to talk to my friends every single day when there was literally nothing else to say. How was texting supposed to be the main form of communication I’d have with them for the next six months? Long distance is hard, especially when both parties are stuck at home doing nothing.

While I cherish my friendships greatly, if you know me, you know how important my family is to me. In high school, there were plenty of Friday nights where I said no to plans with friends because I would rather sit on the couch with my parents, eat candy and watch a movie.

Well, as you can imagine, there’s been plenty of candy eaten and plenty of couch sitting since March as a family. My parents were no longer empty nesters for a span of six months and I suddenly became attached to being home more than ever.

I was content. I couldn’t relate to the feelings of my sister or peers who were saying they just HAD to leave home and go back to school. Of course I want to go back, see my friends, decorate my apartment and eat from my favorite takeout place. I also know that if we were sent home again, I would be totally fine.

I can’t help but worry that leaving for my junior year of college is going to be much harder than leaving for school my freshman year. Things have changed. The world has changed. I’ve changed.

School is inevitably going to be different because of the times we are in. But I have a feeling that my habits will remain the same, now more than ever…me, sitting on my nonexistent couch because my apartment is the size of a toddler’s shoebox, eating candy and watching a movie with my roommates. Sorry Mom and Dad, you’ve been replaced. But I’ll be home soon.

Filed Under: Inside Thoughts Tagged With: Accepting Change, Back to College, change, Chilling, Chilling at home, College, COVID, Family, Operation Happiness, Reflections, school, summer

Discovering the Summer Concert Series in Chappaqua

November 13, 2019 by The Inside Press

Photo by Grace Bennett

Rec Field on Wednesday summer nights is the place to be when New Castle’s Department of Parks & Recreation holds their annual Summer Concert Series. The free series usually starts the first Wednesday after July 4th and concludes around the first or second week of August. Expect to see families dancing or relaxing on the lawn plus children participating in kids’ activities. The concerts cover a wide swath of musical genres including classical, Americana, jazz, R & B, Motown, 90s music and an ever-popular Bruce Springsteen band.

An annual summer tradition for the past 30 years, the concerts begin at 7 p.m. with the bands taking center stage on the Gazebo. Recently food trucks have been a welcome addition to the mix.  Commuters love coming off the train catching live music and families love interacting with their neighbors and just taking in the beautiful summer nights with a lovely musical backdrop. Concertgoers recommend bringing lawn chairs and blankets and anything you wish to dine on al fresco. In case of inclement weather, concerts will be held at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. To check on the location of a concert, please call the Recreation and Parks Department events hotline at 914 238-2540.

Courtesy of New Castle Recreation and Parks Department

Filed Under: Discover New Castle Tagged With: Bruce Springsteen, gazebo, Musical Genres, Parks & Recreation, summer, Summer Concert Series, Summer nights

Discover Chappaqua’s Private Pool Clubs

November 13, 2019 by The Inside Press

Chappaqua boasts four private swim & tennis clubs. The cost to join doesn’t vary too radically–there’s a bond and an annual fee–and all offer rental memberships so prospective members can try them out. Each club welcomes visitors to come and see and consider joining.

Birchwood Swim & Tennis on Quaker Road has been a cherished family club for more than 50 years. Birchwood offers eight Har-Tru tennis courts, large pool and diving well for adults and older children, a children’s pool, ping-pong, playground equipment, expansive open grass field, paddle tennis courts and its own Clubhouse Grill, run by a family of restaurateurs. Each year the club runs a robust swim and dive program and holds summer tennis clinics and camps, as well as adult competitive leagues at all levels. Paddle tennis leagues and events run throughout the winter. birchwoodswimandtennis.com

Chappaqua Swim & Tennis Club is a beautiful, flower-filled club just off Hardscrabble Road with a Division 1 swim team, Red-Cross-certified swim lessons, tennis staff headed by Lukas Beman of Club Fit and an excellent snack bar. There are several paddle tennis courts for winter racket fun and CST holds an annual fundraising swim under the auspices of Swim Across America to raise money to fight cancer. cstclub.com

Seven Bridges Field Club, one of the oldest swim clubs in the area, is a family-oriented, year-round club nestled in a tranquil setting at 160 Seven Bridges Road. Summer fun includes a swim team, barbecues, potluck dinners, frog catching, movie nights, an annual clambake and more. For tennis lovers, there are five Har-Tru courts and private lessons with the pro are available by appointment. Two lighted paddle tennis courts are available throughout the winter months. Seven Bridges does not charge any guest fees. sevenbridgesfieldclub.org

Willowbrook Swim & Tennis Club on Millwood Road in Mount Kisco is one of northern Westchester’s premiere swim and tennis clubs for families. Members can enjoy the large heated pool, deep end for diving, kiddie pool for tots, basketball court and eight Har-Tru tennis courts. The Division 1 swim and dive team offers a fun experience for all. Additionally, club members can golf twice a month at Anglebrook Golf Club, a private club in Lincolndale. willowbrookst.org.

 

Descriptions above, courtesy of respective clubs.

Filed Under: Discover New Castle Tagged With: Diving, Family, pool clubs, summer, swimming, Tennis

Third Thursday in Armonk: NOTE RAIN DATE PLANS/Changes

July 11, 2019 by The Inside Press

Autos and Music, and Sales… Oh My

Due to the weather forecast, the Armonk Car Show will be held Friday, July 19, in downtown Armonk starting at 5pm. Tomorrow’s concert, 1 Stop Pony Band, will still be on Thursday, July 18, but will be held at the North Castle Library’s Whippoorwill Hall. 

SCHEDULE

  • CAR SHOW AND PARADE DOWNTOWN: FRIDAY, JULY 19, begins 5 P.M
  • FREE CONCERT, 1 Stop Pony Band, has been moved to the North Castle Library’s Whippoorwill Hall
  • SALE DAYS IN ARMONK as planned

 

  •  

 

Filed Under: North Castle News Tagged With: Armonk Car Show, Armonk Chamber of Commerce., cars, Downtown Parade, Free Concert, Sale Days, show, summer, Third Thursday, vintage, Wampus Brook Park

The Making of the 45th Annual Fol-De-Rol: A Fun-Filled Event for All

May 31, 2019 by Amy Kelley

Lea, a puppy sponsored by the Armonk Lions who partcipates in Puppies Behind Bars
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARMONK LIONS CLUB

This year will be the 45th of that beloved Armonk tradition, the annual Fol-De-Rol. From June 6-9, residents and visitors will flood Wampus Community Park to enjoy rides, food, vendors, entertainment and more – there will even be a pig race–all arranged for and run by the Armonk Lions Club, to raise funds for their many charitable endeavors.

“It takes you back,” North Castle Town Supervisor Michael J. Schiliro, a longtime Armonk resident, said of the Fol-De-Rol. “It’s a throwback–a simple country fair.”

Schiliro said preparation for the event isn’t too demanding for the town. They plan for police presence, and ready the park. The volunteer firefighters make sure a truck is there. The advance work is really done, he said, by the Lions.

“We plan all year,” said Douglas Martino, president of the Armonk Lions Club. “In January we kick into high gear.” Members of the Lions get permits and insurance and get vendors–an extremely time-consuming process, Martino said. “We don’t like to have two of the same type of vendor.”

Categories such as jewelry may have duplicates, because attendees appreciate choice in certain categories, but overall there’s a three-person committee that seeks to find a diverse and interesting group of vendors who sell everything from pet food to local honey.

“During the event itself we man the ticket booths, set up for the vendors and help them, help set up the tables and so on,” Martino said, adding that the Lions also arrange for lavatories. They bring doughnuts and coffee to the vendors early in the morning to show appreciation as well. “We sell raffle tickets throughout the event,” Martino said. First prize will be $1,000.

A Way to Mark the Years…

Stacy Wilder has lived in Armonk for 25 years. And over time, her experience at the Fol-De-Rol has changed. For a while, she took her children to the rides. “It’s nice to have something so local, without having to go to Playland or Great Adventure,” Wilder said.

As Wilder’s children got older, they wanted to go to the Fol-De-Rol with their friends. “It’s like a rite of passage in Armonk, to go at night with your buddies,” Wilder said. Now, Wilder attends by herself. She enjoys seeing the many people she knows in town, and perusing the vendor’s wares.

And Bring in New Faces

Neal Schwartz, owner of Armonk-based College Planning of Westchester and president of the Armonk Chamber of Commerce, always set up as a vendor at the Fol-De-Rol when his business was new and he was looking to get to know people in town and spread the word about his services in a friendly way, without a hard sell. “That was how I connected to the community,” he said.

Schwartz said besides benefitting good causes, “the biggest benefit (of the Fol-De-Rol) is that some people may not have been familiar with Armonk and might never have been here before. It certainly brings people to town and keeps them in town for that particular weekend and there’s natural overflow.” Attendees often seek out local restaurants for a meal before or after, Schwartz said.

The Fol-De-Rol has even caused interest in living in Armonk, Schwartz said. “The hope is–and it’s happened–that they’ll come and then they’ll say, ‘This is where I want to live.’”

“The Armonk Lions Club gets all the credit in the world for putting this thing on–and then they put the money back into the community,” Schiliro said. “It’s a win-win-win-win-win.”

The Armonk Lions Club helps fund scholarships every year, built a gazebo in Wampus Park, and underwrote the North Castle Citizen’s Council Disaster Relief Trailer, among many other local contributions, Martino said, adding that they’re always looking for new people to join the Lions. The Lions also donate to Open Door medical centers, Meals on Wheels, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and many more, especially sight-related charities. The Armonk Lions is sponsoring Lea, a puppy who is part of the program Puppies Behind Bars. Lea will be trained by an inmate at the Bedford Correctional Facility and hopefully one day will become a service dog for an injured veteran or first responder.

“If it’s a nice day–and that’s the risk factor in all this–you’re outside,” Schwartz said of the Fol-De-Rol. “What’s not to like?”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARMONK LIONS CLUB

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Armonk tradition, Behind the scenes, Family Fun, festival, Fol de Rol, fun, summer

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