The University of Nantucket

10 years ago, almost exactly, I was returning to college to embark on my sophomore year after having spent the summer living and working on Nantucket Island. I remember knowing at the time that I had had a big summer. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced (largely thanks to Julia Ix, the 26-year-old on my fake ID). I knew I’d never forget it – but I knew very little about how much that summer (the Summer of ’99) would impact the rest of my life.

I was there this past weekend with 4 of my closest friends, 2 of whom I lived with that summer (see picture, see the Freshman 15, try not to laugh). It brought back a flood of memories – good, bad, and embarrassing – but perhaps what was most surprising was when I took a moment to really think about what that seemingly tiny decision did to the course of my life thus far. In 1999, I figured “Why not?! Why not live on Nantucket for a summer?” And thus, I changed the entire course of my future.

I got off the ferry in June of ’99 so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, that I defined that cliché. I settled easily into my friend’s parents’ sweet digs, which perched on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic. When I arrived, I had 2 suitcases (full of bathing suits and sweatshirts), a lead on a hostessing job at a popular local restaurant, and a fake ID that couldn’t pass for me if I was blond and had blue eyes (like she did). I thought I was SO READY.

Turns out, I was. I could have used a few less Mom-shirts and a few more SPF’s in my sun screen, but I was ready. I was a little sponge at 19, and I absorbed it all. That summer (which happened to be the 1st of 4) was the best internship I could have asked for. And I got paid for it – imagine that.

Things I learned in college that I still use today*:

- Microsoft Word.
- Plastic Keg Cups.
- Procrastination skills.
- How to write compelling stories about boring people.

Things I learned on Nantucket that I still use today:

- Smile your way into getting the job. I did it then (with no experience), I did it to get the job I have now, and I did it to get every job in between the two. It never fails.
- Never let anybody intimidate you. Several of my contemporaries at the time cried at the receiving end of our boss, Timmy’s wrath. Me? I would offer him a mint, and tell him to go have a smoke. He always took me up on it – and respected me for it.
- Deal with rich people in the same way you deal with your nieces and nephews. You have to be nice…but you must be confident and stern, or they’ll walk all over you. Also, when in doubt, use a treat. A little treat from the kitchen soothes the sting of having to – gasp – wait for a table (or anything).
- A cold cocktail to the spine of a bare back is a sure-fire way to make it unscathed through a busy bar.
- Always, always, always have these two things: a back door (for coming and going) and an extra table (or, a little ‘cushion’).
- Be the first one to scope out the new staff. One of them may turn out to be your future husband.
- A shot of beer is an instant cure to all anxiety.
- If you want to look older (or just old), wear a scarf around your neck. I look 19 going on 46 in every picture from that summer.
- When someone tells you to run, RUN.
- When your brother defends you, let him – that’s what siblings are for.
- When trying to convince someone of something, look them in the eye. Especially if you are convincing them that you are 26. And blond.
- Making friends with bartenders is the best and fastest way to save money while getting drunk in the process.
- Trading is key. If you can trade what you have for something you need, everybody wins.
- Stillettos have a one-summer shelf-life when cobblestones are involved.
- Don’t ever go anywhere where you have to stand on line - its never worth it (unless its for ice cream). But if you do, know that the girl at the door holds the key to your night. Be nice.
- Huevos Rancheros is not the best breakfast before a day at the beach.
- USE PENCIL. Things change.
- Everything is a puzzle. Any problem can be solved with a little creative re-positioning.
- Skinnydip with friends, only - and avoid pictures.
- Sunblock actually is necessary (that lesson took 10 years to learn).
- Everyone loves drama, and everyone is still mentally in High School. Steer clear of the rumor mill - or eventually, it will be about you.
- The boss always wins. Especially when the boss is a woman.
- Be wary of a popped collar.
- Be extra wary of anything with whales on it. Especially pants.
- When someone asks you what Private School you attended, take a phantom phone call.
- When entering a party where you know no one, smile and head straight for the bar.
- Don’t let your jaw hit the ground when your friends turn 30. You’ll be 30 someday, too.
- Phone etiquette is key. Without it, you’re seriously without.
- Never let anyone see you panic – even when you think you might puke.
- Always be prepared for a hospital visit.
- Working hard is the best workout.
- Friends remember everything, and never let you forget either.
- Be equally pleasant to everyone. You never know who you’re talking to.
- And perhaps the greatest universal lesson of all: if you can’t tone it, tan it.

Bored yet? Because the list goes on.

Its alarming how lessons learned then on a tiny island have translated into real life now on another tiny island - but they certainly have. I largely survive in New York on the knowledge I absorbed by spending a summer on Nantucket 10 years ago. And its all because I figured "Why not?!"

So the next time you make a seemingly small decision, think of me. I suppose that life's biggest events spawn from the smallest bends in the road.

Thank you, Gray Lady.

*Mom and Dad: please look away.