Salem is a popular destination around Halloween, and rightfully so. It’s home to the infamous Salem Witch Trials that took place in late 17th century, where 200+ people were accused of witchcraft, and 19 were found guilty and hanged. The Trials are now known as a case of mass hysteria, and all those accused eventually had their names cleared. That said, the legacy of such a traumatic event leaves an unsettling and spooky association with the town of Salem.

While many tourists flock to Salem in October for the witchy and haunted activities, I’ve frankly never been much of a Halloween person, and never liked “scary” things. In middle school, I went to a Halloween party where we watched The Lovely Bones, and I went home and cried and was afraid to sleep alone for months. So, it should come as no surprise that I participated in no spooky activities when I went to Salem last month haha.

Salem is actually quite a lovely town in general, with lots of family-friendly activities. If you’re also not a huge fan of the haunted houses and witch museums, or if you’re just looking for non-spooky things to do, here are my suggestions.

(I want to add a quick disclaimer that I think the history of the Salem Witch Trials is super important, and that the Salem Witch Museum isn't actually that spooky--it's more focused on the history of witches in general and the Trials. I'd already visited the museum before my last stop in Salem, so I didn't go again. If you haven't visited though, I would definitely recommend it!)

In the spring of 2017, I studied abroad at the University of Oxford through IFSA-Butler. Oxford has several colleges within the university, and I went to Hertford College, the school with the famous Bridge of Sighs (pictured above—it’s much less impressive inside than outside haha).

As a quick background, I’m a 2018 grad of Amherst College in Massachusetts, where I studied Math and French. Studying at Oxford was one of my favorite college experiences, but I barely documented it on my blog. I wanted to write this post to give prospective students a better idea of life at Oxford, especially since the academics at such an elite school might sound intimidating.

At the time, my friends actually tried to dissuade me from applying to Oxford, saying “Don’t go to Oxford—you’ll die!” A lot of people assume that going to Oxford will be so intense to the point it’s no longer enjoyable. I like a good challenge though, so I applied anyways, got in, and went.

I was expecting the worst, but I luckily didn’t die—the academics were intense, but I found the work satisfying, and I still was able to enjoy life outside of class.

So, I want to dispel some myths in this post about what it’s like to attend Oxford as a visiting student. Here are 6 things you should know if you’re considering studying abroad at Oxford, plus a YouTube video I made for my study abroad program in 2017! (This video includes most of the academic info in this post—#1-3. If you prefer to watch/listen instead of read, go for it. The rest of the post is new information, though).

Last weekend, I did the TARC Fall Classic in Carlisle, Massachusetts. TARC stands for Trail Animals Running Club, and it's one of the most active trail groups in Boston. They're best known for their no-frills races, with at least one occurring each season, featuring distances from 10k to 50 miles. I did the TARC Spring Classic 50k in 2018, which was my first trail race (though the terrain was quite moderate, so I technically consider La Madone 14k my first real trail race).

At the Fall Classic this year, there were around 250 finishers across the 4 distances: 50 miles, 50k, half marathon, and 10k. The most popular races were the 50k and half marathon.

Here's my race recap:

Last year, I wrote a resume of failures, which--ironically--became one of my most successful posts. Friends and acquaintances told me that it was “humanizing” and that they were inspired to make their own.

I think one of the things that made the post relatable was how vulnerable it was. We tend to only share our successes on social media, especially when it comes to our professional lives. We see announcements about grad school acceptances, new jobs at Google, white coat ceremonies. I’m always excited to see my friends go places, and I think we definitely should keep sharing major professional developments.

That said, seeing only celebratory posts can give us the false impression that everyone knows what they’re doing, or has a fancy career. So, I wanted to keep it real again and share what I’m doing--working a freelance, part-time role without benefits. I certainly don’t know what I’m doing, and don’t have a clear career trajectory. But I appreciate the freedom I have currently, and hope it becomes less stigmatized to take a non-traditional path.