23 May 2013

Destination: Northeast




In our twenties My Sweets and I were classic weekenders. We lived and breathed the city M-F and then jumped ship come weekend. And by that I mean we found our silver Escape (parked on some road in Queens) and wrestled all the bridges, tunnels and tolls until we were OUT. 


Out chowing fish and fries at a New England clam shack. Weaving around Lake Champlain on bicycles. Walking the line with friends in Boston. Eating pizza on a curb in Mystic. Spying mansions in Providence. Dancing on thin ice in the Poconos. Climbing lighthouses in Portland. Leaping from one ocean boulder to the next. Skiing out the back door of our chalet. Window shopping in Montreal. Boogie boarding off New Hampshire beaches. Fly fishing the Delaware. White-water rafting in Quebec. Braving a private island in Saranac. Sipping cappuccinos in a happy cafe in the middle of nowhere. Now that I think about it, we did a lot in those first five years of marriage (plus Ireland, France and Spain)... while climbing our respective corporate ladders in Manhattan.


Then we bought this 1800's house in the country and had three cute babes in five years. (Things seem to happen in five-year increments for us.) My Sweets suddenly had a hefty commute, so our weekends at home became sacred. We became classic day trippers soaking up life with little ones in tow. Fishing. Hiking. Exploring quirky festivals in neighboring counties. Garlic ice cream, anyone?


Raising three children means making room in our schedule for free play, down time, birthday parties, soccer practice, religion class. If the weather cooperates, maybe we can do some of that with the Jeep top off, music blaring, hair whipping in the wind. But the reality is our weekdays are now busier and "vacations" longer, more cushy and planned down to a science to ensure smooth sailing. As the kids get a little bit older we'll all be able to enjoy more spontaneity again.


Anyway, the point of this post is to share one of my favorite books with you. I keep it on the coffee table for inspiration. The Northeast is an amazing place to hunker down or keep moving, whatever season of life you happen to be in. We absolutely love it here.


On Monday Tom and I celebrated our 13-year wedding anniversary and took off (alone!) for Manchester, VT while Grandma DJ held down the fort. It was such a lovely trip, and I'm already thinking about the next one. Photos to come!

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