Good day!
Today marks almost the end of week 3. As of March 1st, Wellesley’s COVID bubble has been officially sealed, and so far, so good (knock on wood). All the talk about increased vaccination supply has been promising too, and it feels like things are finally looking up. Of course, a reminder that even though there’s reason for optimism, we shouldn’t let our guards down – masks, physical distancing, washing hands are all still super important.
I’ve been taking lots of physically distant walks and talks with friends around campus and the town of Wellesley. Last Sunday, Sophia and I went on a hike along the Sudbury Path. It was a quiet morning, and the ground was still snowy. We passed the Waban Arches and the Sudbury Aqueduct: It was lovely and encapsulated the perfect New England winter walk. While taking a stroll near Lake Waban, Amelia and I spotted what we thought was an otter. Amelia quickly took a video of it, and upon further inspection (aka spending 20 minutes comparing otter/muskrat/beaver Youtube videos), we realized that it was a muskrat! It was my first time spotting a muskrat and it was quite memorable. Nature!
The lookout point from the Sudbury Aqueduct
Sophia!
A few weeks ago, it snowed heavily on Friday night. My blockmates, (aka the people I live near and am permitted to eat with), and I decided to order delivery – ramen really hit the spot. After dinner, we stomped around campus while it snowed, talking, making snow angels, taking pictures, and throwing the occasional snowball at each other. Katie, Meg, and I also fulfilled a dream of mine: building a snowman. It was a lot harder than we anticipated, but we persevered. After our snow shenanigans and playing Dreamland by the Glass Animals on repeat, we retreated back to Lakehouse and drank hot chocolate while watching Attack on Titan. It was the ideal winter night and the best way to start the weekend.
Everyone, meet Robert Harold.
Oh, and finally, I thought I’d share a little about what term 3 looks like for me. Of course, I’m continuing with my thesis (look out for a whole post dedicated to that coming soon). I’m in one other class: PHIL 340, a philosophy seminar on the Meaning of Life. I’m enjoying it immensely – I can’t think of a better time to take a course on the meaning of life than senior spring! My professor, Helena de Bres, is amazing. It’s a virtual class but our discussions have been riveting. Here’s a little blurb about the course:
This seminar will explore a range of questions concerning life’s meaning. Is meaning possible in a world without God? What’s the difference between a happy life and a meaningful one? What’s the role of love, achievement, knowledge, beauty, virtue and authenticity in a purposeful life? Do the stories we tell about our lives contribute to their meaning? Is life, finally, absurd—or just kind of awful? Does meaning now depend on death later? We’ll discuss answers to these and related questions, using readings from both philosophy and literature.
Just last night, we had a great discussion on what it means to live authentically, after reading Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance. Overall, the course is forcing me to think critically about the big questions, as well as self-reflect.
Here’s to thinking more about the big questions,
Shreya