Apple Hill!!!

7/14
My trip to Apple Hill this year was much easier and quicker that the epic road trip Stephen and I went on last summer. Traveling without a huge bass flight case was a breeze- I checked in on time, with all the other passengers (instead of an extra hour and a half just to get the bass checked in), got through security with no problems, and had an uneventful flight to Boston. We landed in Boston 40 minutes early, which was great because I was able to walk downstairs and catch the bus to Concord, NH within the next five minutes.

The drive from Concord to the Apple Hill campus is really beautiful, with the tree-lined highways that are so characteristic of New Hampshire. I get the same feeling every time I get close to Apple Hill, an excitement that builds as we get further away from the city. The air feels clean, and it is so nice to see nothing but trees as we drive along. By the time we reach Apple Hill Road, I am practically bouncing in my seat with excitement. The rustic road has a quality that I can’t explain- maybe it’s because I know what it leads to, but it feels like there is a peacefulness that surrounds the whole area.

I arrived at Apple Hill right before the weekly concert, with just enough time to have some dinner. The concert was a Turkish string quartet along with a clarinet player from Cypress. It was an amazing concert, in part because you could tell how much fun they were having. A while after the concert, they started up a dance- and Apple Hill dances are unlike any others, there are no expectations about skill level, and everyone is welcome (and encouraged) to dance. During the dance, it started pouring rain outside and somehow the dance suddenly moved out into the grass. They turned the speakers outwards and everyone started running and dancing in the rain- some people started dancing up on the picnic tables. It was such a great experience, with everyone enjoying life and the rain… it was such a memorable Apple Hill moment. After a couple hours I took a hot shower and went to bed- it was just about the perfect first night at Apple Hill.