Nightswimming by Jessie L. '07

One of the many things I love about my community, by which I mean 5th East and assorted people who are connected socially with 5th East denizens, is that we get up to such interesting things! For example, a few nights ago, we went on a skinny-dipping expedition to the famous Walden Pond. I blame Peeto ’01, both because it was his idea, and because it’s easy to blame him for anything involving nudity.

The driver of the car I was in got lost on the way there, so by the time we parked, the other groups had already gone on to the pond. And none of us really knew the way there. Luckily, I had my trusty flashlight, which allowed us to see where we were going and alerted the others to our presence when we got close, prompting them to make enough noise so that we could find them. I’ve found it quite useful to carry a flashlight and multitool at MIT – it’s a bit of a fashion statement in certain circles, but it’s also practical; you never know when they might come in handy.

It was a gorgeous, warm night with lots of stars in the sky. We swam lazily through what must be the clearest water I’ve ever been in (I could read my watch with my arm under water), enjoying the lush forest surroundings and full moon, with no noise except for our own voices and some very excitable bullfrogs. There were mosquitoes on land, but they didn’t bother us when we were in the water.

For obvious reasons, such not wanting to get in trouble for indecency, I didn’t take any pictures to post of the happily swimming people. After getting out of the water, though, I did get a nice picture of the pond:

So beautiful. I was amazed that I actually got a decent picture. I think I’m starting to get the hang of this photography thing.

Life isn’t nearly as hectic in the summer at MIT anyway; you don’t have to worry about classes, problem sets, exams, grades, etc. Most student activities are running at a more low-key level. But it’s still nice to get away and do something relaxing and surreal and mystical like this. Some of you reading this are future MIT students. When you come here, don’t forget to do things that are weird and special and will let you forget about life for a while, whether they’re relaxing or adrenaline-pumping. Don’t forget to have adventures – let me tell you, there’s no shortage of adventures to be had around here.

Don’t forget to create stories.