>>pk@columbia: roadtrip

dartmouth [1.12 - 1.13]

A two hour ride from Boston, which included a brief battle with sleep that almost had fatal results if not for the rumble strip, brought us to the small town of Hanover, NH, where my vertically-challenged Hobbit-like buddy Welton resided. Greeting us in a green, hooded Dartmouth sweatshirt, we might as well been in Shire. The people were friendly, the campus was small, snow-covered, and beautiful. Welton's dorm consisted of a triangluar room with a couch and three desks and a closet-sized room in which he and his two other roommates slept; again, it was very small and Hobbit-like. Tolkien comparisons aside, I had a good time at Dartmouth and got a glimpse of what could have been my alternate university life had I not gone to Columbia. I remember when I first visited the campus and came back to Edison, recommending it to Welton, who applied after a vicarious visit and was accepted. Having spent triple digits in Boston, we were unwilling to spend a dime in Dartmouth; Welton helped us to realize our wishes and took the hit on his meal charge card as we pigged out on quality Dartmouth cafeteria food. After the food, we observed that Dartmouth was actually a very simple place - at least the people were simply amused: a ping pong ball, handle-less paddles, and cups full of beer - beer pong; it was their religion, their way of life, and their source of entertainment on weekends. It was fun learning and playing, but I could not imagine myself doing this week in and week out. The frat parties were nice in that they were free and required no fancy garments unlike the pricey, pant and shirt deal we have in the city. Overall, the time spent was fun, the beer was in the bellies, Big Head turned red, and I got to see a close friend of mine, Wally, in a different environment - I still think the bustle of the city may be what he needs for all his abilities, but he's doing fine in Hanover. When we left the next day, after a day of watching football and getting one last cup of Swiss Miss hot chocolate at the cafeteria, I knew that I was going to miss hanging out and talking to Welton, but I had had enough super-clean air and it was time to go back to the soot and grime of Gotham City.