With a new year, the usual goals come to mind: balancing work with fun and trying hard in all facets of life. However, I also aim to try new activities. An elective I’m taking this semester is American and British Sea Literature. Though I enjoy literature, I know little about boating or the sea. A Thacher goal of mine for some time has been to take a course taught by an Anacapa Scholar, a visiting scholar who comes to stay for a couple of weeks at Thacher and share their experience and teach classes. There is so much to learn from the visitors’ own experiences and insights. The teacher, Mr. Beamish, guides us in readings related to sea knowledge and adventure. The most recent book we read from was Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester. In addition to reading and discussing books, once a week we use the boat he made to learn more about boating and preparing for our upcoming boat outing. I can’t imagine many other schools that offer a course, combining literature with learning how to boat. Like horseback riding and camping, Thacher offers possibilities to try new experiences that I would not have likely been able to take on at home in New York. The return of homework and the chilling weather make me feel like settling into a routine at times, but now is a perfect time to embrace a fun, new activity and class.