Greetings all! I have agreed to tackle our class column, as Juliet Aires Giglio and Eric Grubman enjoy a well-deserved retirement. For the last decade they’ve kept us enlightened and amused with news of our fellow ’84s’ exploits and achievements, often digging deep for good stories.

When I reached out to Juliet shortly before Christmas, she surfaced in Antarctica. Rather than trying to escape her secretarial duties or scouting locations for one of her holiday-themed movie scripts, Juliet was realizing the dream of a lifetime, soaking in awe-inspiring landscapes, whales, and penguins. Searching for a little more warmth, Paul Groark, who has also braved the Antarctic in recent years, headed for the Arabian Peninsula for his last vacation, trading penguins for tracking oryxes. When not globe-trotting Paul practices law in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Another classmate whose interests and career have revolved around wildlife and wild lands and the legislation to protect them is Susan Holmes, recently appointed executive director of the Endangered Species Coalition.

For those of us working a little less these days, it seems that as a class we are increasingly on the move, whether taking bucket-list trips, down-sizing, or just getting away from it all. For Susan Saideman, retirement from Amazon means more time for hiking and raising funds for the Washington Trails Association. She’s also packed up her hiking boots for destinations far from her Seattle home, most recently Cambodia and Thailand. I am happy to report that despite being an adventurous foodie, Susan did not fall for the fried tarantula appetizer she shared on her Facebook page!

After a rewarding career as a radiologist in Salt Lake City, Kathleen O’Neil is now relishing small town life in Idaho with her husband, pursuing plenty of outdoor activities as well as wildlife conservation projects. When checking in on her mother in New Hampshire, Kathy always squeezes in a visit with Janet Perkins-Howland. Janet cares for many of Durham’s lucky moms and babies as an obstetrician-gynecologist when not scaling mountains. In fact, Janet capped off our reunion weekend with a run up Mount Washington despite the dismal weather, but only after spreading plenty of her infectious laughter under the class tent.

Pattie Herb Zinski has also relocated, along with her husband and youngest child, from the Chicago suburbs to Ogunquit, Maine, a beautiful spot they have all to themselves once the summer crowds disappear. Pattie is loving being a new grandparent and stocked up on Dartmouth baby swag at the Co-op during reunion—perfectly fitting, as baby Eoghan has two Dartmouth ’15s as parents, Pattie’s daughter Elena and son-in-law Logan Brog. Another Mainer who deserves a shout-out: David Shedd, who completed a DIY renovation of the camp in Skowhegan where he and his wife retreat from life in Portland—all the more impressive since Dave appeared in productions throughout the summer at nearby Lakewood Theater, where he was honored as a first-year actor.

I look forward to sharing more news and helping keep our connections strong…until next time!

—Deana Washburn, 209 Casino Ave., Cranford, NJ 07016; deanadw@aol.com