Dairy of a Journey-3
The Learning Begins
By Marielle P. Nadal
GSE-USA Team Member
We all recall that first week as a baptism of fire of sorts for the GSE Trip. In that week alone, we presented at six Rotary gatherings—at the welcome brunch, the joint Mystic-Stonington meeting, the Groton-Ledyard meeting, the New London meeting, the Stonington meeting, and at the farewell meeting hosted by the Niantic Club. We also enjoyed dinner with the Waterford Club, and as Rotarian John Bradshaw put it, each club wanted to give us the very best day in that weeklong stay at Area 11. With the warmth and generosity each club showed us—who could complain?
We also had the privilege of visiting cultural sites, and the nooks and crannies of particular industries. We visited historic Forts Trumbull and Griswold, on the opposite sides of the Thames River, and got a dose of American History. The visits to the Mohegan Sun and Foxwood casinos were culturally enlightening. At the Mohegan Sun, what we had at first expected to be an evening observing people at the tables, was spent touring the area, and receiving a firsthand education on Mohegan culture and symbolisms.
Connecticut may have a deep sense of American culture, but an even older tradition of American Indians. This we learned about at the Mohegan Sun, with a tour given by Melissa Tantaquidgin (a member of the Mohegan tribe herself), and at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum at Foxwoods, with its amazingly lifelike displays of early Indian life.
Walks through the downtown New London and Stonington areas further acquainted us with lovely colonial architecture and history, and a feel for the day-to-day life and business in these areas. A trip to the Stonington Vineyards was good downtime for the team, and we spent a few hours one afternoon taking it easy on the grass with the enjoyable company of members of the Stonington Club.
Vocational days were most productive. Twinkle spent her day between two food enterprises, Sol visited their local newspaper, The Day, while Lloyd hung out with the Connecticut lawyers who introduced him to their laidback, tie-less practice (as compared to the jazzed up New York lawyers).
I spent my day at Connecticut College thanks to Rotarian Tracy Reiser, and her colleague Duncan Rollason, who took me around and introduced me to the programs of the Office for Volunteers and Community Service, as well as some of their arts and environmental programs on campus.
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