Over the Last Week and a Half: An Outfit Post and a Recap

This is- essentially- what I wore the entire time we were away:

In this outfit:
Top: Avalon Ex. ($10)
Shorts: Swapped and chopped
Sandals: Marshall's ($24)
Earrings c/o Noble Town Vintage (2011)
Bella Tote c/o BaliELF

Where I wore it: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and back again with some substitutions...

The next time I go on vacation, will someone please remind me that I don't need to pack anything but cut offs, sandals, and a few tops? Despite being excellent at doling out packing advice, I'm terrible at taking it, I was delusional enough to think that I would wear dresses on a trip that involved a good bit of carousing, scrambling, hiking, and messing around. Unrealistic. Comfort is king. Remember that, self.

Rather than breaking this up into a bunch of little posts, I'm doing this all at once, like ripping off a band-aid. Because, I want to go back now please. Ten days spent in all of my favorite places, with all of my favorite people wasn't nearly enough time:

Because the cost of airfare is so high this summer, we decided to rent a car and drive. After all, when Chris and I moved to Pennsylvania it was so hurried, we didn't have the chance to enjoy driving through the state (let alone drive together as he was in charge of the truck and I the car). We left for Massachusetts last Wednesday morning, and arrived that evening. After 11 hours behind the wheel, reuniting with friends over beer at our favorite dive was exactly what we needed.  

In the weeks leading up to our trip, something that I had become acutely aware of was how much I missed walking into a cafe or bar- or even just walking down the street- and seeing familiar faces, whether it be the face of an old friend or simply a face I had seen in passing a million times. I know this unfamiliarity is to be expected when you move to a new place (it would be completely insane to not expect that, right?), but even so, being consistently surrounded by strangers can take its toll, bum you out. Back in Beverly, I was home again. In less than 24 hours, we ran into almost every single person we knew there: old landlords, coworkers, college friends, Northshore friends, friends of friends, random strangers that I had passed on the street 1,000 times before and considered friends. It was the perfect way to begin a vacation that centered around us reuniting with everyone we love, all over New England.

From Beverly, we moved on to New Hampshire and Maine to finally see our families after a very long seven months. Before doing so, however, we made a stop at the Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, NH. Because, along with missing our people, we missed our old haunts too. This trip was a food fest, let me tell you.

In the interest of avoiding a what I did on my summer vacation-style novel, I'll paraphrase the rest: breakfast in Belfast, a visit to the Maine State Prison Showroom in Thomaston, all my favorite thrift stores, four bonfires, too much wine, too many s'mores, swimming-holes, two barbeques, one hike around Black Point, one much needed ferry ride, not enough time with the ocean, never enough time with family.

It was incredibly painful to leave, and I'll admit, there were tears. But this trip also made me realize that, not only do I need to make more of an effort to call friends and family on a regular basis, but I also need to be making more of an effort to get to know our new home, to enjoy it.

In total we drove over 2,500 miles in ten days.