As the Vassar Campus gets hotter and hotter, there’s nothing more necessary than a visit to the beach. On Sunday, July 1, the Director of the Office of International Services Andrew Meade and his incredible wife, Lila, organized a fun-filled trip to Rockaway Beach in Queens, NY for all interested members of the international community and friends. From basking in the sun, to our own little photoshoot, to a huge feast to end our day, visiting Rockaway Beach was definitely a highlight of our summer thus far!
Our trip to the beach began at 8:30 a.m. Andrew picked ten of us up in his van, and we headed to his house to load the van with much needed umbrellas, coolers, blankets, beach chairs and boogie boards, and to pick up Lila. Then, we made a stop at a charming bagel café, where we got some of the best bagels and flagels (flat bagels are a thing) known to mankind. We were also fortunate to meet the owner, a very high-spirited man, who happened to be a friend of the Meades. After our quick breakfast, we hit the road again, making no more stops this time around. The rest of the journey to Rockaway was filled with some chill music, great conversations, and of course bumps and the sounds of snores.
In about two hours, we arrived at our long-awaited destination. We offloaded the van, set up our area, changed into our bathing suits and applied some sunscreen (Never forget sunscreen, guys!). A bunch of us, eager to feel the coolness of the water on our skin, headed straight to the water. Others remained sprawled on the blankets and in the beach chairs, enjoying the nice, hot sun. A few of us even wandered out of the beach and into the streets to find some lunch, given the very long wait at the food stand on the boardwalk. In a few hours, we converged back at our spot on the beach, where an impromptu photoshoot arose. After doing almost everything there was to do at the beach, we finally decided to get some dinner. There was a very long wait at Rockaway’s food stand, so we found ourselves a neat Italian restaurant nearby. There, we had so much good food that we could all share with each other, and great conversations too. It was a great way to end our already amazing day at Queens, before heading back to Vassar.
Our time at Rockaway Beach really was a ton of fun! With the increasing warmth we’re experiencing here at Vassar, visiting the beach really is something to look forward to. Having to do this with such an awesome and diverse group is a bonus. A huge thanks to Andrew and Lila for making this happen, and being wonderful as per usual!
Ps: Please do check out the pictures from our photoshoot by Savannah!
-Pagnaa Attah Nantogmah
