A few weeks ago I found myself passing through Winchester, VA, a town for whom, I suppose, the Winchester gun company is named. The town has yet to be graced by the presence of a Starbucks, and it took me a few attempts to find someone who could direct me to a wireless internet connection. “Starbucks?” a helpful woman smiled quizzically, “we don’t have that here.” She directed me to a nearby mall.

Before I found my way online, I ended up on the beautiful campus of John Handley High School. The girl’s cross country team was just starting Summer practice. The coach, who was by then very pregnant, sat on a grand Jeffersonian staircase and chatted with a friend while her charges circled the track. I don’t often count myself among those who miss being in high school, but there is something enchanting about the feel a new school year. Or, maybe, you just had to be there.