Alden Grimes, Pennfield ’13, is finishing his final semester at Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine. His first years at Bowdoin were typical of many college students. Alden lived on campus and gravitated toward classes in both History and Earth & Oceanographic Science. In his spare time he continued to enjoy sailing and Alpine ski racing.
Late in Alden’s sophomore year, he decided to go abroad for a semester of classes at the University of Otago, on the South Island of New Zealand. In June of 2019, he flew from the Rhode Island summer to the New Zealand winter. In addition to continuing his Geology studies, he purchased a well-used car, learned to drive on the left side of the road (while shifting with his left hand), and found plenty of time for skiing, kayaking, backpacking, and adventuring – making many great memories in an incredible country.
Changing Plans Due to the Pandemic
As we all know, early 2020 was the onset of the pandemic, and after only a couple of months back at Bowdoin, Alden found himself taking remote classes via Zoom. After more remote learning in the Fall of 2020, he decided to take the Spring 2021 semester off, hoping that in his final semester, he would see a return to a “normal” college experience.
He and two friends headed west, Ikon Passes in hand, in a 1998 Catalina Coachman that they managed to seal up and make mechanically sound. Over a five-week span, they skied 25+ days at 12 different mountains, and the Coachman defied all odds, completing the entire trip with no breakdowns.
As Alden finishes his final semester at Bowdoin, he never would have expected the wild journey that his college years have been, but he’s been lucky and very fortunate to have made the most of it. Beginning January 2022, he’ll be living and working full time in Portland, Maine.
What does he miss most about Pennfield?
Alden misses walking up the spiral staircase every morning, hanging out with Nurse Bouch at lunchtime, having all kinds of fun with Mr. B in physics class, and enjoying the best conversations with Mrs. Kemp.