Hiking and Shopping: Both Extreme Sports

         It was a warm and humid Sunday morning, typical of a Maine summer day. After a forty-five minute bus ride to Bradbury Mountain State Park, we set off on our hike, embarking on the Northern Trail. The Northern Trail is laden with rocks and winding paths, a challenge compared to the more direct Summit Trail. The latter would have been easier and faster to hike, but our Global Navigators aren’t so faint of heart. Upon arriving to the summit, we plopped down and ate our bagged lunches while revelling in the picturesque view before us. There’s something about being encompassed by lush greenery and good company that puts one (or all) in a state of reflection. And so following our lunch we reflected on our time on the program thus far--our favorite memories of the past week, and our goals for the upcoming weeks.
         After reflecting and feeling energized, we whizzed down the Summit Trail eager to commence the next part of our trip: shopping. We soon found ourselves in front of the famous giant boot outside of L.L. Bean, a company specializing in everything you need for the great outdoors, and founded in Maine. The students dispersed around the Freeport area, enthused about shopping at an outlet and the discounts that lied ahead. After nearly three hours of shopping and...well more shopping, we headed back to the UNE campus for some rest before the students gathered into groups to work on their SeaDogs presentations. It was a day well spent exercising the body and mind!