Haskell Library

It was a seven-hour drive from Maryland to Vermont, but we looked forward to traveling after being cooped for months at Johns Hopkins. We also decided to drive since I'm not yet allowed to travel by plane.

I cried when we backed out the driveway. A lot of anxiety and fear came over me. I was scared to leave home; I feel unsafe being far from home or far from the hospital that's treating me. I didn't know that fear like that was even possible for someone who loves to travel.

When we finally crossed the border to Pennsylvania, I started feeling at ease and looked forward to Ana's wedding. I started enjoying the scenery.

Our rest stop in Vermont. It was drizzling when we got there.

Before we crossed the border to Canada, we visited the Haskell Library.

Entrance to the library...nothing really spectacular.

Who goes and visits libraries? Well, this library is special because it was purposely built on the border of US and Canada. A symbol of friendship and goodwill. You see that line in the middle of the library? That's the border line between US (left) and Canada (right).

The Haskell Library from the US side.

From here, we went through the Canadian Border Patrol and entered Canada. Haskell Library is quite an interesting place to visit. The neighborhood of Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont is quiet and picturesque.

In three hours, we'll be in Montreal.

September And Waiting

September. Indian summer has arrived. The forest has broken out in motley colors, the leaves on the trees have become brittle and are rustling as they do in autumn, but they have not yet frozen - there has been no frost. The sky is gray, a fine autumn is drizzling, if there is a bit of sun, it shines through the clouds, and it is not very warm. It is damp; but thank God for that because, "if the weather is foul in Indian summer, then the autumn will be dry." We are waiting for frost from day to day; we in the country are always waiting for something... (Engelgardt, Letters From the Country 1872-1887)