My Last Week

It’s the final countdown! I leave the convent this Saturday morning. Time has flown by!

Thumbs Up: We went to Maine! It was awesome! I seriously loved every minute. I have always wanted to go to Maine – I just had this grand picturesque idea of it since learning about New England in second grade geography – and now one of my life goals has been accomplished. That may seem rather insignificant as a life goal, but what can I say? I am a woman of simple pleasures. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. It did help that we visited goat farms, which I think are pretty great, and that we took an afternoon to see the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, which was basically the best. Also, the coast is rocky there, so you can walk out and climb about while the waves crash. Oh, and we had a real lobster bake!

Pemaquid Point: The most photographed lighthouse in Maine!

How to have a real lobster bake**: build a fire on the beach at low tide. Over the fire, place foil wrapped potatoes and onions. Cover with seaweed. On top of the seaweed, place corn on the cob (still in the husks). Cover with seaweed. On top of the seaweed, place alive lobsters (preferably fresh caught from the bay that day), with a few cartons of eggs in between rows. Cover with seaweed. Cover the seaweed with damp brown paper to hold in steam. Cover with more seaweed. Keep the fire burning until the lobsters are bright red and the eggs are hard boiled!

I found a crab at the beach!

Waiting for everything to steam!

For the record, I had never eaten lobster before Saturday, August 1st, 2015

This little guy tasted like the ocean. THE OCEAN. IN MY MOUTH. (cool and weird)

Our view during dinner

I not only took this thing apart, I did actually eat it!

After eating lobster: didn't die and didn't hate it. I'd call that a success.

Thumbs Down: This was my last full week! :’( I only have a few more days before flying to Texas. I feel like I am digging in my heels against time passing and that weight is very. heavy.

God-Sighting: Can it be everything? Because it should be. I was overwhelmed with beauty this week. Waves crashing on rocks. A rainbow so big you can see the horizon on both sides and everything in between. A Chicken Salad Special on vegetarian day because of Love. Sun shining in the top of a lighthouse. Peaches so fresh the juice runs down your wrists. Meeting your new roommates on FaceTime. Praying with those roommates over FaceTime. Green trees. Two hours of uninterrupted highway driving time in the mountains. Goat kisses. Good, real, long car conversations about what matters. Pure bliss, folks. Those sorts of things come from God.

Other Notes: Grace went home last weekend, so we’re back to two interns. Sarah and I have enjoyed our little adventures – farm exploring, gardening, attempts at blackberry picking…I’m sure we’ll enjoy whatever the next few days brings as well. :)

The animals in Maine love me too!

They had horses at the farm!

**These directions are based on observation of and conversation with indigenous Mainers, for whom the seacoast of Maine is their natural habitat, and shellfish their accustomed diet. For more detailed (read: real and accurate) directions, please contact a Maine native yourself. No responsibility is held on the part of the author of this blog post in case of injury or damage to body or ego in case of a failed lobster bake on the part of the reader.