Editor's Note

I’m a city boy at heart. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, all I knew before coming to college were the echoes of cars wrestling on Interstate-10, overheard conversations in busy Chinatown restaurants, and the sounds of footsteps tapping across concrete pavement. Once I arrived at Middlebury, views of the Adirondacks from my dorm room and news of expeditions across the state filled my adventurous self with curiosities about this place. Fast forward to Spring 2020, the onset of the pandemic. Unsure of what was to come, the next year would be spent pent up in my Coffrin single on Zoom, grabbing to-go meals in Atwater alone, and missing the social scene of Midd students across campus.

During this year of discomfort and unrest, I found solace in the places around Middlebury, places I came to fully embrace as my comfort zones. From small scale adventures—runs on sections of the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM)—to big picture moments—taking selfies at the top of Mount Mansfield and Camel’s Hump—this past year for me has been centered around expedition.

Caught in the wave of academics, extracurriculars, and social lives, we so often turn a blind eye to the hidden gems that make the places we occupy special to us. Here at Middlebury Geographic, we want to pay homage to these discoveries students found over these past few years.

The 19th edition of Middlebury Geographic features stories inspired by the art of expedition. Amidst a turbulent year, our contributors and editors have used their critical perspectives, sense of place, and ethics of adventure to reflect on grand themes and bring life to the intimate scenes. Their words and photographs serve as a reminder to never stop exploring™ (please don’t sue us, The North Face) and challenge us to continue searching for the places that may soon be special to us.

While the future remains uncertain, our mission here at Middlebury Geographic has remained constant: to be a platform for global storytelling, art, and photography. In the pages to come, we share snapshots of our experiences, visions, and encounters that bring light to who we are as Middlebury students, but most importantly, citizens of the world grounded in a love for expedition.

We hope this issue invites you to feel and embrace this sentiment.

Words by Drew An-Pham ‘22.5 | Editor-in-Chief Photos by Charlie Deichman-Caswell ‘24 | Photo Editor