Wedding Season, Commence: Day 1 of East Coast Summer 2013
Friday was my first true day of official vacation. Alice and I both arrived a bit after 6am East Coast time, and I only awoke a few moments before that from my in-flight nap. I clearly needed it, based on the little amount of sleep I had Wednesday evening - after driving Simba to SB and returning to LA for a long day of work and travel. It was marked by a great last day of work, a bittersweet farewell to a longtime fruit colleague, and a spontaneous decision to splurge, treat myself, fulfill one of my consumerist goals for this year and finally buy an iPad mini - hence the in-flight journal entry (being written during my Sunday flight from Boston to DC). I love it so far!
Friday, I got off my plane and headed straight to baggage claim to find my hefty travel partner (his handle had already broke by Day 3 of my trip). Then, I found the signs pointing toward Rental Cars; this really only indicated the pick-up spot for a shuttle that would take me to pick up my Thrifty Rental Car. I saw it drive by, so I flagged it down very New York style of me and told Alice to meet me there. Our reunion was amazing! I checked in with the rental car salesman and asked him all of the necessary questions, including how much our fees would be if I drove, and how imperative it was that I was the primary driver. Alice is 25, after all! Turns out that since I used my rewards points, it had to be me... so taxes, underage fees and insurance (because you just never know with me) really added up. It was so worth it, though. The Nissan Altima we got was awesomely smooth, we ran errands freely with no stress, and we got to and from the hotel in New Bedford plus Salters Point in South Dartmouth super quickly. We had fun-filled days both Friday and Saturday.
After she and I got our car, we first hit Target for newlyweds greeting cards and a fittingly personal gag gift (E & N, I hope you've opened it by now if you're reading this!); we both decided to ship more elegant gifts from Pottery Barn to the lovely couple. Alice and I caught up incessantly, talking about boys (from old ones to new ones) and our jobs and our respective cities. She is subletting in SF now, like I'll perhaps need to in the near future! We laughed a lot, and it immediately felt like old times in both Annenberg and Hong Kong. We got to the hotel and looked around adorable New Bedford. The women at the concierge desk were so nice, they greeted us with our Em & Nick gift bag filled with seashells, fizzy drinks and personalized cookies that the family's friend Sam made! We were so excited that they spurred one of our first selfies, and our first Instagram.
After resting and plotting out our day for a moment, and a quick call to my Dad while Alice got us some water, the concierge let us know that they actually had a room available for us! It was nearing 11am by that time. We went up to the room, number 224, and were pleased with all the modern and clean fixtures... the hotel seemed new. We tried on our dresses for the following day, did some trading of both dresses and shoes, and layed on the soft cushy beds to lament our short bouts of sleep the night before our flights. This resulted in us deciding to shut our eyes for a moment, which progressed to "let's power nap," which ultimately ended up being about an hour of rock-hard sleep that was obviously much needed! Meanwhile, Emily and Alex (Em's brother) both had gotten back to us about their whereabouts and availability, so we were thrilled to wake to good news: Em recommended we stop by the house in Salter's Point for a quick catch-up between Bridal Party Brunch and Rehearsal activities! We decided we needed showers but stuck with our bathing-suit-clad outfits, did some research on where we could get Fish & Chips for lunch nearby, and walked over to the Waterfront Grille across from our Marriott before departing for the Magee's beachfront home in Salter's Point. Alice and I shared crispy white cod, sweet potato fries, shrimp angel hair scampi, and two beautiful strawberry sangrias courtesy of the Specials menu.
Our drive was spectacular and full of suspenseful excitement. We crossed a small bridge to exit New Bedford, and took a sharp waterside turn onto a road called SmithNeck drive. As we listened to the Maps directions and came upon beautiful farm houses with crisp waters sparkling behind them, Alice immediately began taking pictures out the window of the rental. There were numerous meadows that we planned to go back to and frolic around; we passed the infamous Salvadors which turned out to be a roadside, milk jug-shaped dessert stand with a large faux cow on top of it! That went straight onto our must-do list. When we entered the small gated community of Salter's Point, we nearly died of excitement upon seeing numerous large, white tents in the grassy center of the town's coastal cul-de-sac. We counted the house numbers and finally found that Emily's family home was down and around the winding road on the beach-facing side, with a large American flag hanging from the white porch and waving over a hammock matching those of all the neighboring beach houses. It was something out of a Nicholas Sparks book. Or Revenge.
We parked our cars, squealed and jumped in the air as we waved to Nick and Em, who were coming back into the beach from the water along a narrow, wooden pier (see above). We hugged and kissed and shared a few tears, for even as I write this, my throat tingles with emotion over both how long its been since we celebrated with these two amazing friends but also how happy Alice and I were to see them celebrate their long, versatile and adventurous relationship by vowing their love! The ceremony was beautiful, but more on that later. We proceeded to get a brief, visual tour of their beach, which had been a summer home to Emily's and the entire Frost family since the 1950s. We got beach chairs from a crowded, communal bin that resembled a wooden bike rack for beach chaises. Em showed us her family's twin red kayaks, which we sadly didn't make time to take out, and she welcomed us to get their paddles from the house or retreat there for showers, beers, waters, etc. Then, we hit the water! We met Nick's stepmom, step sister - who was super fun to dance with the next night, and his sister and one of Em's bridesmaids, Zoe. After a short swim around the shallows, I took the pier while Alice and Em took the H2O route to the edge of the pier, where there was a ladder to climb and an inviting edge from which we could jump. I did it! There was also a floating dock nearby that reminded me of the ones at Carpenteria beach in Cali, and Alice and I free-styled out there once Em decided to turn in and get ready for her rehearsal-filled afternoon. We bid her farewell and she thanked us profusely for making it all the way to the East Coast for their big day. Our response throughout the entire weekend was that we felt honored to have been invited!
After a small nap on the sunny dock (my body was clearly sleep deprived), we braced the chilly waters and jumped in once again to go back to shore. We stretched out our chaise lounge beach chairs and took photos of the coastline, the big beautiful houses behind us, and of each other. We started our respective copies of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and read the Author's note out loud together. It's the perfect summer read so far, as its a story of self-discovery and perseverance and embarking upon adventure outside of her comfort zone. It's themed perfectly to fit the goal's of my summer, my year in 2013, this trip on the opposite side of the country and in the childhood home of my Dad, the capital of our country and the big Apple of the world!
Once we began to get sleepy, we packed up our chairs and explored the grassy meadows behind the beach and kayak-line, which turned out to be private front lawns that stretched so far we barely saw their ruling houses at first. The grassy was also a bit too pokey and itchy to allow for frolicking, and splinters abounded. We ventured toward the family home, got a glimpse of Em and Nick being driven to their rehearsal dinner by her little bro, Alex, and then said hi to all of the cousins who were camped out there - Maggie (and her bf), Stephen, Chris, Patrick, and Maggie's brother Trevor (the cutest one... who turned out to be 19. I also hope he's not reading this). They were all very nice, invited us to eat the meat they were grillin', and then included us in their game of croquet - which required swinging the small "bat" with only one hand considering the beers we were all mandated to drink! Alice and I stayed near the back, her red and me orange. It was fun, though, and I felt like I was indulging in one of Em's childhood pasttimes, particularly after seeing the photos of Nick playing the same game all over the wedding website I've been perusing and daydreaming about for almost a year!
Before heading home and after saying goodbye to Em's fam for a while, we parked our rental on the green grass around the wedding reception tents; they distinctly resembled the one magically raised by the Weasleys in the 6th Harry Potter film for Bill and Fleur's wedding. The sun was nearly setting and glowing a bright reddish chartreuse, which reminded ME of another wedding I was a part of: when I was 7! We explored the empty wooden dance floor, admired the vastness of tent #1 and tent #2, which would ultimately serve as the welcome, cocktail area followed by the main event's dinner and dancing setting. We took jumping pictures and handstand pictures off of said stage, which turned out as silhouettes against the sunset background. We also threw a few golfballs back to Em's neighbors and apologized in advance for the ruckus we'd be making the following night. Boy, were we right.
Then, it was time for snacks and dessert at Salvadors, which was only short-lived due to to the brisk wind that picked up in the evening around 8pm! Alice tried a quahog, which is a shellfish and stuffing-filled seashell and looks like a puffed up clam. Surprisingly yum. She also had a linguica sausage of a hotdog, and I chose grilled cheese, which all came after the dessert we shared: Fly Fishing Fudge featuring vanilla ice cream, MnMs and cookie dough bites, chocolate syrup and some quite creamy deliciousness. We spoke with some friends of Emily's who had rented a beach house very near the wedding site, discussed having a late night cocktail hour that ALMOST happened, but we ultimately missed paths-crossing and decided to convene at the wedding on Saturday. They ended up being wild and really fun to mingle and dance with, so we were bummed that Friday night didn't work out. At the same time, we were pooped and wanted to get a great night's rest so that we could maximize Saturday! We still squeezed in a few more (near-) full moon pics before heading back.
Alice and I found a Target on the way home (trip #2 of the two days in MA so far), so that she could get a curling iron for the next night and we both could get some healthy snacks to tide us over in the hotel room. We got back around 10:10pm, at which point the hotel pool would normally have just closed. However, the door wasn't locked, so we decided to seize the opportunity. It was the perfect, relaxing way to end the night and soothe our sore, adventurous and traveled muscles.
Up next: wedding day!
Friday, I got off my plane and headed straight to baggage claim to find my hefty travel partner (his handle had already broke by Day 3 of my trip). Then, I found the signs pointing toward Rental Cars; this really only indicated the pick-up spot for a shuttle that would take me to pick up my Thrifty Rental Car. I saw it drive by, so I flagged it down very New York style of me and told Alice to meet me there. Our reunion was amazing! I checked in with the rental car salesman and asked him all of the necessary questions, including how much our fees would be if I drove, and how imperative it was that I was the primary driver. Alice is 25, after all! Turns out that since I used my rewards points, it had to be me... so taxes, underage fees and insurance (because you just never know with me) really added up. It was so worth it, though. The Nissan Altima we got was awesomely smooth, we ran errands freely with no stress, and we got to and from the hotel in New Bedford plus Salters Point in South Dartmouth super quickly. We had fun-filled days both Friday and Saturday.
After she and I got our car, we first hit Target for newlyweds greeting cards and a fittingly personal gag gift (E & N, I hope you've opened it by now if you're reading this!); we both decided to ship more elegant gifts from Pottery Barn to the lovely couple. Alice and I caught up incessantly, talking about boys (from old ones to new ones) and our jobs and our respective cities. She is subletting in SF now, like I'll perhaps need to in the near future! We laughed a lot, and it immediately felt like old times in both Annenberg and Hong Kong. We got to the hotel and looked around adorable New Bedford. The women at the concierge desk were so nice, they greeted us with our Em & Nick gift bag filled with seashells, fizzy drinks and personalized cookies that the family's friend Sam made! We were so excited that they spurred one of our first selfies, and our first Instagram.
After resting and plotting out our day for a moment, and a quick call to my Dad while Alice got us some water, the concierge let us know that they actually had a room available for us! It was nearing 11am by that time. We went up to the room, number 224, and were pleased with all the modern and clean fixtures... the hotel seemed new. We tried on our dresses for the following day, did some trading of both dresses and shoes, and layed on the soft cushy beds to lament our short bouts of sleep the night before our flights. This resulted in us deciding to shut our eyes for a moment, which progressed to "let's power nap," which ultimately ended up being about an hour of rock-hard sleep that was obviously much needed! Meanwhile, Emily and Alex (Em's brother) both had gotten back to us about their whereabouts and availability, so we were thrilled to wake to good news: Em recommended we stop by the house in Salter's Point for a quick catch-up between Bridal Party Brunch and Rehearsal activities! We decided we needed showers but stuck with our bathing-suit-clad outfits, did some research on where we could get Fish & Chips for lunch nearby, and walked over to the Waterfront Grille across from our Marriott before departing for the Magee's beachfront home in Salter's Point. Alice and I shared crispy white cod, sweet potato fries, shrimp angel hair scampi, and two beautiful strawberry sangrias courtesy of the Specials menu.
Our drive was spectacular and full of suspenseful excitement. We crossed a small bridge to exit New Bedford, and took a sharp waterside turn onto a road called SmithNeck drive. As we listened to the Maps directions and came upon beautiful farm houses with crisp waters sparkling behind them, Alice immediately began taking pictures out the window of the rental. There were numerous meadows that we planned to go back to and frolic around; we passed the infamous Salvadors which turned out to be a roadside, milk jug-shaped dessert stand with a large faux cow on top of it! That went straight onto our must-do list. When we entered the small gated community of Salter's Point, we nearly died of excitement upon seeing numerous large, white tents in the grassy center of the town's coastal cul-de-sac. We counted the house numbers and finally found that Emily's family home was down and around the winding road on the beach-facing side, with a large American flag hanging from the white porch and waving over a hammock matching those of all the neighboring beach houses. It was something out of a Nicholas Sparks book. Or Revenge.
We parked our cars, squealed and jumped in the air as we waved to Nick and Em, who were coming back into the beach from the water along a narrow, wooden pier (see above). We hugged and kissed and shared a few tears, for even as I write this, my throat tingles with emotion over both how long its been since we celebrated with these two amazing friends but also how happy Alice and I were to see them celebrate their long, versatile and adventurous relationship by vowing their love! The ceremony was beautiful, but more on that later. We proceeded to get a brief, visual tour of their beach, which had been a summer home to Emily's and the entire Frost family since the 1950s. We got beach chairs from a crowded, communal bin that resembled a wooden bike rack for beach chaises. Em showed us her family's twin red kayaks, which we sadly didn't make time to take out, and she welcomed us to get their paddles from the house or retreat there for showers, beers, waters, etc. Then, we hit the water! We met Nick's stepmom, step sister - who was super fun to dance with the next night, and his sister and one of Em's bridesmaids, Zoe. After a short swim around the shallows, I took the pier while Alice and Em took the H2O route to the edge of the pier, where there was a ladder to climb and an inviting edge from which we could jump. I did it! There was also a floating dock nearby that reminded me of the ones at Carpenteria beach in Cali, and Alice and I free-styled out there once Em decided to turn in and get ready for her rehearsal-filled afternoon. We bid her farewell and she thanked us profusely for making it all the way to the East Coast for their big day. Our response throughout the entire weekend was that we felt honored to have been invited!
After a small nap on the sunny dock (my body was clearly sleep deprived), we braced the chilly waters and jumped in once again to go back to shore. We stretched out our chaise lounge beach chairs and took photos of the coastline, the big beautiful houses behind us, and of each other. We started our respective copies of Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and read the Author's note out loud together. It's the perfect summer read so far, as its a story of self-discovery and perseverance and embarking upon adventure outside of her comfort zone. It's themed perfectly to fit the goal's of my summer, my year in 2013, this trip on the opposite side of the country and in the childhood home of my Dad, the capital of our country and the big Apple of the world!
Once we began to get sleepy, we packed up our chairs and explored the grassy meadows behind the beach and kayak-line, which turned out to be private front lawns that stretched so far we barely saw their ruling houses at first. The grassy was also a bit too pokey and itchy to allow for frolicking, and splinters abounded. We ventured toward the family home, got a glimpse of Em and Nick being driven to their rehearsal dinner by her little bro, Alex, and then said hi to all of the cousins who were camped out there - Maggie (and her bf), Stephen, Chris, Patrick, and Maggie's brother Trevor (the cutest one... who turned out to be 19. I also hope he's not reading this). They were all very nice, invited us to eat the meat they were grillin', and then included us in their game of croquet - which required swinging the small "bat" with only one hand considering the beers we were all mandated to drink! Alice and I stayed near the back, her red and me orange. It was fun, though, and I felt like I was indulging in one of Em's childhood pasttimes, particularly after seeing the photos of Nick playing the same game all over the wedding website I've been perusing and daydreaming about for almost a year!
Before heading home and after saying goodbye to Em's fam for a while, we parked our rental on the green grass around the wedding reception tents; they distinctly resembled the one magically raised by the Weasleys in the 6th Harry Potter film for Bill and Fleur's wedding. The sun was nearly setting and glowing a bright reddish chartreuse, which reminded ME of another wedding I was a part of: when I was 7! We explored the empty wooden dance floor, admired the vastness of tent #1 and tent #2, which would ultimately serve as the welcome, cocktail area followed by the main event's dinner and dancing setting. We took jumping pictures and handstand pictures off of said stage, which turned out as silhouettes against the sunset background. We also threw a few golfballs back to Em's neighbors and apologized in advance for the ruckus we'd be making the following night. Boy, were we right.
Then, it was time for snacks and dessert at Salvadors, which was only short-lived due to to the brisk wind that picked up in the evening around 8pm! Alice tried a quahog, which is a shellfish and stuffing-filled seashell and looks like a puffed up clam. Surprisingly yum. She also had a linguica sausage of a hotdog, and I chose grilled cheese, which all came after the dessert we shared: Fly Fishing Fudge featuring vanilla ice cream, MnMs and cookie dough bites, chocolate syrup and some quite creamy deliciousness. We spoke with some friends of Emily's who had rented a beach house very near the wedding site, discussed having a late night cocktail hour that ALMOST happened, but we ultimately missed paths-crossing and decided to convene at the wedding on Saturday. They ended up being wild and really fun to mingle and dance with, so we were bummed that Friday night didn't work out. At the same time, we were pooped and wanted to get a great night's rest so that we could maximize Saturday! We still squeezed in a few more (near-) full moon pics before heading back.
Alice and I found a Target on the way home (trip #2 of the two days in MA so far), so that she could get a curling iron for the next night and we both could get some healthy snacks to tide us over in the hotel room. We got back around 10:10pm, at which point the hotel pool would normally have just closed. However, the door wasn't locked, so we decided to seize the opportunity. It was the perfect, relaxing way to end the night and soothe our sore, adventurous and traveled muscles.
Up next: wedding day!
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