Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
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If you’ve spent enough time in Maine, you’ve probably heard someone refer to times past as “1800 and froze to death.” As in, “the last time I saw her was 1800 and froze to death!” While it might be used as a funny way to refer to a very, very long time ago the phrase comes from a very real time in Maine’s history. The year 1816 is also referred to as the “Year Without a Summer” in Maine or “The Starvation Year.” It was during this time that the summer months saw snow and ice.
A typical June day in Maine might look something like this, but a volcanic eruption thousands of miles away changed that in 1816.
Without any reason to believe this summer would be any different than others, sheep shearing took place which meant farmers had to find a way to keep the flock warm! Some wore their own fleeces!
In places like Maine, a shortage of crops meant high prices and a serious hunger problem. Many say that without ample fishing and wild game, Mainers would have starved to death.
Authors Lord Byron and Mary Shelly had planned a summer holiday in Switzerland in 1816. But, due to the weather Shelly was forced to remain indoors for much of that time. There was some good to come of this. It was during this time that she penned her famous novel, Frankenstein!
During the year without a summer, many feared the end of the world and turned to prayer for help.
It took climate experts nearly 150 years to determine that the end of the world was not eminent.
As we now know, Maine was experiencing a "volcanic winter" which caused sulfur dioxide to form aerosols in the stratosphere, blocking solar radiation and resulting in winter-like conditions.
In time, things got back to normal, but Mainers have not forgotten the "Year Without a Summer."
This wasn’t the only weather disaster in Maine. Does anyone remember the year 1969 and the absolutely miserable blizzard that took Maine by surprise? Check it out here.
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