An Artful Adventure at Fruitlands

My Little Sister, Leah, and I love making the most out of summer. Summer, to us, is about fun and laughter. Summer means endless possibilities and adventures. It’s about making memories and taking advantage of what life has to offer. And without a doubt that is what Leah and I have done. It’s hard to believe this was our third summer together! From nature walks, to softball games, to eating ice cream (yes, Leah and I have a sweet tooth!), we really made the most of it.

One of my favorite memories from this summer was going to an outdoor museum called Fruitlands. Fruitlands is a Transcendental Center located in Harvard, Massachusetts established in the 1840s. As soon as you drive up, you feel like you’re going back in time. The Center is surrounded by beautiful, old architecture and a picturesque landscape. One of the main reasons we wanted to go was to check out the outdoor and indoor art and it definitely lived up to the hype. From statues to textiles, there was so much to take in, and it was beautiful.

We managed to channel our inner artist as well. Using some colored pencils and paper we pretended to be artists ourselves. We captured our memories through drawings of what we were seeing–imagining if we were the artists would we do things the same or maybe differently. There was something very special about this as you really are able to slow down and take in what you’re experiencing when you draw it.

Taking in all the details and sharing something with my Little felt special and memorable. This is one of the things I love about being a Big: seeing the world in a different way and appreciating the little things through my Little’s eyes. When we finished our drawings, we showed each other our work and pointed out the things we loved about each other’s art. They were different but also similar in a lot of ways…just like us.

After the Center, we made our way to a nearby restaurant for some lunch, and, you guessed it… ice cream! The couple of hours we were there flew by, but we’ll always have our artwork to remember the day. As I think back to that day, I smile. It makes me feel so good knowing Leah and I tried something new and that our connection grows deeper. I enjoy taking in the beauty of the world with her, and visiting Fruitlands was another opportunity to do that. It has truly been another special sister summer.

Diana Rock has a Bachelors in Music Education from Western Connecticut State University. She currently works as a Learning and Development professional. Throughout the years she has loved mentoring and teaching music to young people. She has been a Big Sister with JBBBS for 3 years. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga, cooking, spending time in nature, and watching movies.