Pleased to Meet You

Me training at Stonefield's Confectionery

As a history major about to start her junior year at the University of Wisconsin Platteville, one would assume that the subject of history encompasses my life. It would be safe to think that I spend my summer vacations traveling from museum to museum in hopes of garnering knowledge about my surroundings or any other topic that may whet my appetite. You might also think that my TV is perpetually set to the History Channel, but I must inform you, dear readers, that none of the above are true, or should I say, at least not yet.

It wasn’t until I landed an internship working at both Pendarvis in Mineral Point, and Stonefield in Cassville this summer that I felt the motivation to get out and explore my home state of Wisconsin. It seems, however, that the only times I have visited historically significant places or museums in my lifetime was either for a school field trip, or, my mother was forcing me to spend an entire Sunday afternoon with her outside the comforts of our home, so we could do some mother-daughter bonding. Needless to say, I have never personally chosen to visit places like the ones I will be working at this summer for two reasons: first and most simply, I'm a poor college student. Secondly, I somehow have unfortunately associated museums with discomfort, due to the fact that every time I have ever gone to one as a child or teenager was always against my own will. But this summer is going to be different.

You see, it wasn’t until last year, when I actually started working as an interpreter at three museums in the Tri-State area, that I began to realize the fun in seeing such places. Now, I am truly prepared, both mentally and financially (One perk of working for the Wisconsin Historical Society is the staff membership pass that grants me free access to certain museums in the state.), to start my summer journey, a magical history tour, if you will. In order to share my adventures, observations, and interviews, I have decided to write this very blog to offer a fresh perspective to those who are already familiar with the locations I plan to talk about, by writing from the eyes of a person who plainly is not. And for the rest of you who can relate to my inexperience of museum-going, I propose that we discover Wisconsin together.