Back to my Roots // by Jillian

This summer I have had the privilege and joy of spending an entire month in one of my most favorite places in the country…Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. My dad grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and his family spent their summers at their lake house in Elkhart. This lake means so much to me because it has so much rich family heritage and truly is beautiful. It all started in 1940 when my grandpa and grandma got married and grandma’s sister and grandpa’s brother got married. They all met on this lake and decided that they would keep the tradition going. So those two families plus my grandpa’s sister and her husband bought a plot of land on the lake and split it into three lots. This area is now called “Toyland” because my grandpa, his brother, and brother-in-law all worked at a toy company started by my great-great-grandfather in 1879. The toy company was sold and subsequently went out of business in the mid-70’s but now the toys are collected as antique items and any time my mom passes an antique store we HAVE to go in to see if there are any Garton toys.

The three houses share a pier so there are little kids and family members there 24/7. After the three families started reproducing, our family got larger and larger and eventually spilled over into additional houses. My family basically takes over this town because it is so small. So chances are, when I meet someone, I am most likely related to them in some way or another! Here's a view of the pier from the house.

I love hearing all of the stories that my dad tells me when he is here. He tells me about the history and memories that he has in this special place. His accent gets a little thicker, his smile gets a little bigger, and his laugh a little louder (I know, that’s hard to imagine). Even when he has told me a story about 20 times before…I sit and listen because I know that he is enjoying every minute of it, and so am I.

On top of the fact that I get to just be here, I am also doing an internship in the marketing department at Allen Edmonds, an American shoe company. I have learned so many things here; like, did you know that there are 212 steps in making one of their shoes? That’s crazy! I got to tour the factory and when they say made by hand, they actually mean made by hand. Currently, I am working on their 90th anniversary book and collecting 90 stories from customers. I get goose bumps every time I read one of their stories because these shoes aren’t just shoes; they represent family tradition, confidence, loyalty, and dedication. Everyone has a personal connection to these shoes and it is so cool reading about their loyalty to the company and seeing how a company that can make that kind of impact on customers operates from the inside. They truly do care about their customers. Oh, and their accents are PRETTY cool too. I try to replicate it, but it’s just not the same. BTW Howard Wolf, ’80 was instrumental in helping me secure this internship. He is the President of the Stanford Alumni Association and is just the best! You should all be members of SAA! The Alumni Association does good things for us even as undergraduates!

These four weeks have truly been a match made in heaven! The only problem is that I haven’t been able to fully enjoy the lake…as I can’t water ski, tube, canoe, swim, golf, or play tennis. I am 2 months out of my shoulder surgery and although I am progressing nicely, those activities are just too hard on my shoulder I haven’t been able to participate in any of the activities but that’s okay, because it doesn’t even matter. Just being here is worth it. I did go bowling though! Maybe I will just become a 190 bowler. I would totally love that.

Well I’m off to jump in the lake! Take care, everyone!

Summer Haven // by Victoria

As a passionate bibliophile, appreciator of fine art, and admirer of expansive gardens, working at the Huntington Library this summer has been like spending a summer at Disneyland. From the acres of sunny gardens to the cool halls filled with some of the rarest artwork and manuscripts, the Huntington has provided an invaluable and enjoyable summer experience. For the past five weeks, I have had the wonderful opportunity of working at one of the four leading independent research libraries in the United States, and one of the most prestigious museums in the world. Beginning as a summer home for Henry E. Huntington, (one of the great 19th c railroad tycoons, like Leland Stanford!), the Huntington grew as a house for their growing collection of French furniture, rare books, and English portraits, it only became open to the public in 1928.

 Since then, upon its acres have been developed the only authentic Chinese garden in California, right next door to a uniquely beautiful Japanese garden. Within the original Huntington house stands Thomas Gainsborough's world-famous "Blue Boy" painting, one of forty-eight Gutenberg Bibles, a Chaucer manuscript, and some of the first printed folios of Shakespeare's plays. Within the building where I am working, the Munger Research Center, there some 5.6 million rare books, and over a million manuscripts.

 No big deal.

I'm like a kid in a candy store. Just downstairs from where I am working, scholars pour over priceless pages for academic research. Some of the greatest names in contemporary medieval studies have offices just down the hall. On my first day, I was taken to lunch with the leading expert on Thomas Gainsborough (an 18th century British artist) and had coffee with PhD students and some of the leading academic scholars. As an intern, I have been able to get a behind-the-scenes look at the museum. This past week, along with the other five interns, I was able to sit down and have a conversation with the President of the Huntington himself, Steve Koblick. Also, an art curator took us on a private tour of the Huntington house and art gallery. The Director of the Library himself also took us into the conservation room where we saw how the curators prepared and repaired the precious artifacts.

 For the next several weeks I will finish my job to helping the Director of Research (also an expert in early modern rural British history), Steve Hindle, organize his massive amounts of journals and books. The job isn't glamorous, but the environment is world-class and definitely worth it.

If you're interested to learn more or want to come visit me in this paradise, click here and see below!

(In Steve Hindle's office surrounded by his piles of journals!)

(A view of the back patio of the original Huntington house -- just gorgeous!)

 (... And the view from the patio is even better. The gardens stretch for miles!)

(One of the most well-known spots is the Shakespeare Rose Garden, just right outside, one of my favorite places, the tea room!)

 (A view of the Japanese garden)

 (A view of the Chinese garden. For both the Chinese and Japanese gardens, the Huntington hired actual Chinese and Japanese architects and designers to recreate an authentic experience. The result is unparalleled!)