Discover Monadnock

9 Ways you know you went to college in the Monadnock region

Colleges bring in a lot of new faces to the Monadnock region. Whether it’s Keene State, River Valley, Antioch, Franklin Pierce, New England College, or the New Hampshire Institute of Art, some Monadnock college experiences are universal.  Discover Monadnock has compiled this handy list for making the most of your time here now, or reminiscing once you graduate:

  1. You’re sad when winter ends because you can’t ski or snowboard …

skiing in the Monadnock region
One of the downhill skiing areas in the Monadnock region.  Source: www.southwestnh.com/outdoors/skiing.php?area=0&category_id=910

If you’re not into winter sports, weekends get a little lonely.  Everyone’s hitting the slopes, but you’re not about to take your chances with those notorious New Hampshire rocks!

  1. But you can’t wait for spring so you can go biking!

Biking in the Monadnock region
On the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway, a challenging trail that’s not for the faint of heart. Source: www.fcdn.mtbr.com/attachments/vermont-new-hampshire-maine/368222d1213287078-monadnock-sunapee-greenway-warning-extremely-long-winded-0607081026a.jpg

I know I’m not the only one forgoing their homework to browse used mountain bikes on Craigslist… in February.

  1. All your retail therapy happens at thrift stores.

thrift shop in the Monadnock region
More Than a Thrift Store on Ralston Street in Keene, NH Source: www.sentinelsource.com/business/business_news/thrift-stores-and-consignment-shops-a-stepping-stone-to-an/article_17a11118-2664-55e8-bb82-fad8eba05f3a.html

Is it because I have no extra money or because I’m trendy?  No one will ever know.

  1. You know all the local breakfast places and coffee shops, but you come up empty when someone asks you where to find a nice restaurant.

breakfast in the Monadnock region
Balsalmic Omelette from the Red Arrow Diner in Milford, NH Source: www.tripadvisor.com

Who needs an upscale atmosphere when you can eat a full meal for under $10, and have leftovers?

  1. Everything in your fridge is from Price Chopper except the apples, blueberries, and maple syrup

alyson's orchard
Some choice picks from Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, NH

Everything tastes better when you pick it yourself!

 

  1. Two words: Rocks.  Everywhere.  

Tipping Rock
Tippin Rock gets its name from the way it wobbles back and forth… if you push it in the right place.  You can try it yourself if you hike the Hewes Hill trail in Swanzey, NH. Source: www.nhgardensolutions.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/8-tippin-rock.jpg

Your friends from home will never understand why granite countertops make you feel sentimental.

  1.  The best part of the start of the school year is the Keene Music Festival

Keene Music Festival
Local band Jake McKelvie & the Countertops getting groovy at the 2014 festival Source: i.ytimg.com/vi/BL-W8vRgHGE/maxresdefault.jpg

…and then having your own music festival when bands play in your friends’ basements.

  1. You take your best naps after hiking Mount Monadnock…  

monadnock mountain
Keene State’s Campus Ecology Club takes a break on the trail.  Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/9UMisQMi5N/

 

…Or during it.  Nothing like watching little kids sprinting up the mountain while you try to use a rock as a pillow.

 

  1. But you always wake up already planning when to go back!  

mount monadnock autumn sunset by john burk
Mount Monadnock Autumn Sunset Source: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/mount-monadnock-autumn-sunset-john-burk.html
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