During our lunchtime break yesterday at the Vita Institute, I hopped onto a Limebike and rode from South Dining Hall to the Knute Rockne Memorial Building, through some of the dormitories, and down past the Grotto to the lakes.

It had been drizzling a bit, and was a bit chilly and damp from the rain. I pulled the bike off the trail as I got to St. Joseph’s Lake when I saw a little huddle of ducklings keeping warm, and filmed them a bit. I was able to get much closer than I thought I would—they didn’t seem to mind the closeness and no hissing parents appeared to shoo me away.

After admiring those beautiful little ducklings, I rode on to Saint Mary’s Lake and past its little beachfront. Eventually I made my way back to the Eck Law building for our afternoon sessions.

Vita Institute was been an incredible experience. Our closing dinner took place in South Dining Hall’s Oak Room, and after that a group of us walked down to the Grotto and around much of St. Joseph’s Lake before closing out the night at Murph’s (Rohr’s) at Morris Inn. Notre Dame in the summertime is just as great as Penn State in the summertime, but it really has been so many good people, new friends, and companionship of this week that has made it so great.

I woke up after three hours sleep to catch my flight from South Bend Airport to Charlotte, where I’m now waiting for my connection to Philadelphia.