College Visits Amidst COVID-19
As a rising senior in high school, I will be applying to colleges in the fall, and so my family decided to drive up north to safely visit a few schools while also squeezing in a final trip before the academic year resumes. Unfortunately, I went on very few college visits during my junior year. I was was very busy with schoolwork, field hockey games every weekend in the fall, and other commitments, and so it made visiting colleges difficult. We had planned to take advantage of a long weekend in my spring trimester and the summer to visit more schools, but of course our plans were thwarted due to coronavirus. Though visiting schools is not the same this year and it is difficult to get a grasp of campus life without the buzz of students walking around, I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to take this trip and see at least a couple of the colleges on my list. For so many students, including myself, virtual tours and information sessions have had to replace visits for most or all colleges. It is important to remember, though, that while the college process may seem more daunting or unclear, the new challenges faced by rising seniors are quite trivial compared to the terrible tragedies unleashed by the virus.
In mid July, my family drove to the Spring Lake, New Jersey to enjoy the beach and beauty of the area. We have been going to Spring Lake for years now, as my mom grew up nearby and we have family in the area. In the past we have always visited in early June since most kids are still in school and thus the beach is much less crowded, however that simply was not feasible this year due to the pandemic.
It was our first time traveling since being in lockdown, so we were a little wary and wanted to ensure that the destination we visited adhered to social distancing guidelines and required the usage of masks. Thankfully, the hotel we stayed in, The Hewitt Wellington, was very strict with regards to its guidelines to ensure guests and staff members took the necessary safety precautions, and the beach also limited capacity by requiring visitors to wear beach badges. All of the restaurants also had take out options and reduced outdoor seating, though we still opted for the locations that were the quietest and felt safest. Though it was a relatively short trip, I wanted to share a few of the photographs I captured, from the central lake of Spring Lake surrounded by lush greenery and the pink and purple sunsets over the ocean to the delicious restaurants of Asbury Park.
Tea at the Royal Mansour in Marrakesh, Morocco
August 15, 2020 Rue Abou Abbas El Sebti، Marrakech 40000, Morocco
Vegetarian Harira Soup.
Vegetable Pastilla.
Assortment of Moroccan Salads.
Briwates (filo pastry wrapped around mixed vegetables, cheese, rice(sweet))
Sweet potato tajine with Figs, Prunes and Walnuts.
Berber Tajine of mixed vegetables.
Tajine of fish Mchermel with Sweet Peppers and Tomatoes.
Barley Couscous with Green Vegetables.
Johara (cream pastilla with almonds and caramel).
Moroccan pastries served with mint tea or coffee.
Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, Morocco
August 11, 2020 Route Nationale 13, Oued Negro، Fnideq 93100, Morocco
Our last stop in southern Spain before heading to the port of Tarifa to take the ferry over to Tangier, Morocco was La Herradura. A small town on the western coast of the providence of Granada, La Herradura translates to "horseshoe" in Spanish because its mountainous ends give the strip of island a horseshoe shape. Much less known than its island neighbor of Malaga, La Herradura lacks the typical crowds of some of the more popular Spanish beaches in the Andalusia region and instead feels more isolated, natural, and authentic.
Because it is less frequented by travelers, there were fewer shops and restaurants than most beach towns, though my mom and I much preferred the quiet, small town feel of La Herradura. We spent our days getting lost on the winding roads through the towering mountains overlooking the vast blue sea, exploring the small downtown area along the beach, and sitting in the backyard of our Airbnb where we cooked dinner after picking up fresh produce from the small grocery store in town and enjoyed the stunning sunsets over the ocean.
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