Unbelievably, increasing numbers of our classmates are empty-nesters! Some are exhaling for the first time in years. What does one do when the carpools to hockey practice are over and the trips to doctors, dentists, and orthodontists have ended? Why not trip the light fantastic, like Barbara Thistle Tormondsen, who began ballroom dancing after her children left for college? It lifted her spirits, and she now dances in competitions throughout the United States. Barbara’s favorite dance is the foxtrot, which reminds her of her parents dancing to Frank Sinatra. She writes, “I encourage anyone thinking of ballroom dancing to give it a try, whether it’s to compete or to socialize. Also, everyone can dance.”

Now that the nest is empty, the girdled earth is easier to roam, according to Rick Watts. Last winter he and his wife, Roberta, studied Spanish and painting in San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico. Within the United States they travel coast to coast in their RV and take extended hikes. They ran across Gamma Delta alums last summer while camping in New England. As veterans of the entire Camino Frances, they logged 12 to 18 miles a day, covering France, Spain, and Portugal, and they are now planning a trek on the Camino de Santiago to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary.

The transition to an empty nest has been an adjustment for Eric Valley. He calls it the “Great Experiment!” Eric enjoys participating in swim meets across the country with fellow Dartmouth swimmers, including classmates Martha Gerhan and Tom Karb, as well as others who graduated in the 1970s and 1980s. Eric wants everyone to know he is a far better jazz trombonist than when he played with the Barbary Coast.

Some classmates are not empty-nesters but so-called boomerang parents. Mark Gorman writes that he wishes his nest were empty! Mark’s two sons have flown the coop, but his daughter is the female version of Matthew McConaughey in Failure to Launch, although Mark does appreciate the end of tuition payments. With more disposable income, Mark and his husband have upped their travel game, including a recent trip to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, and Tokyo.

Earlier this winter Tracey Glenn Pashley and her mother-in-law left port from Southampton, England, to see the Northern Lights on a Norwegian cruise, a priority on Tracey’s bucket list. Back in Los Angeles, Tracey recently became a step-grandmother. She writes that it was love at first sight; her step-grandson immediately fell asleep in her arms, and she can’t wait for their future adventures and fun.

When Deborah Hayden’s son left for college, she remarried, leaving little time to consider an empty nest. And some of our classmates’ professions make the empty-nest syndrome impossible. Jim Ventre was recently named interim head of school for the 2019-20 school year at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, and will continue as assistant head of school for admission and financial aid. Congratulations, Jim!

Please continue to send news and announcements to dart838383mouth@gmail.com.

—Elliot Stultz, 421 West Melrose St., #8A, Chicago, IL 60657; elliotstultz@yahoo.com; Shanta Sullivan, 1541 North Sierra Bonita Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046; shantaesullivan@gmail.com