In class, we have been talking a lot about romanticism, and the difference between the ideal and reality. Often times, there is so much build-up to something, so much anticipation, that the outcome falls short of one’s expectations. Or perhaps it is not that the outcome falls short, but rather it is simply different from one’s expectations. My experience of Walden Pond falls under the second category.

I thought that the trip to Walden was meant to be, first and foremost, a time for Thoreau-like self reflection. Although I knew that the topic of going there and “hearing the owls” was a bit of a joke in class, I did expect Walden to be some kind of serene, untouched haven for transcendentalism enthusiasts such as ourselves. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I was expecting to step into the shady woods of Walden and somehow feel the insightful thoughts of Thoreau radiating from the trees. I expected to awe over the house-site, in wonderment of the fact that I was standing just where Henry David Thoreau had stood. I even expected some kind of mini transcendental moment. But none of this happened. In reality, I felt no emotional or intellectual connection to Walden Pond whatsoever.

Several factors contributed to my unexpected experience of Walden Pond. First was the tourist-y feel I got from the place. Between the model of the home, the memorial site of the real house, and the souvenir shop, it felt like a trip to Plymouth Plantation. I also didn’t expect the pond to be recreational. I was very surprised to learn that the same pond I had read about in Thoreau’s Walden was also being used by motor-boat fisherman. The amount of people that were there surprised me as well. I learned some really cool things from Mr. Devlin, such as Thoreau’s 80-ft garden. Unfortunately, his teachings did deter from my experience just a little, because he felt to me like a tour guide. This only added to the tourist-y feeling of the place that I had not expected.

It is hard for me to describe by feelings about the trip into one or two words. Certainly, I was not, “disappointed”. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the rain. I got to skip a day of school, hang out with friends, and go for a nice walk. But it was not the meditational afternoon that I had expected. I suppose that the trip should be considered a “service learning” project. Indeed, we were not in a traditional classroom setting. We learned some interesting facts from Mr. Devlin. But I do not think we experienced Walden as Thoreau would have wanted us to experience it. If I could have one piece of advice for future trips, it would be to take a few moments of silence to listen to the sounds of the woods, and reflect on it not out loud, but in your own individual minds as Thoreau did.