Loving The Familiar: A Maine Cottage

Arriving at the Maine cottage we've stayed in for the past three summers felt like seeing an old friend again.  There is a comforting ease in visiting a place you're familiar with and I like that.  What I noticed this time, more than during previous stays, is how we always manage to make it our own.  Sheer necessities, like a favorite pillow, a brand of coffee, sea salt flakes and even a sharp knife now travel with us.  Certain things are moved around to our liking and others stay put to remind us of just why we love this space as much as we do. As the beds get slept on and the morning and evening rituals are established, the rented cottage suddenly feels like a second home.

Even the familiarity of the landscape surrounding the cottage lends itself to exploration, whether one goes at it alone or with others.  Many thanks to JG for yet another unforgettable Maine adventure.

Today we leave Boston and head back home to the Bay Area.  We've had an amazing month visiting friends and family.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity to stay connected and remain part of so many people's lives regardless of the distance between us.

Life Lately

For the past 2 weeks we've been visiting friends and family on the East Coast, some of whom we haven't seen since our move to California a year ago.  Each day has been a reunion of sorts.  Our children have reconnected with old classmates, cousins, friends and places that have reminded them of their earliest childhood days.  It's been wonderful to witness friendships [young and old] pick right up where they left off, as if time and distance never came between them.

We began our adventure in Cambridge, then headed to the Cape to visit with great friends for a few days.  On the way to my NJ childhood home, we stopped at a great place  in RI for a bite to eat .  We crossed my [once] favorite bridge  [there's a new fav] to spend time with my 94 year old grandmother and the rest of the family.   Our children loved being around their cousins and grandparents.  On the way back to MA, we visited good friends in CT that we hadn't seen in quite a while.  Today, after hanging out in Cambridge for a couple of days with old neighbors and friends, we're off to Maine (our next destination).  Stay tuned for updates and exciting posts on places that I found inspirational during our summer's travels.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer (we sure are)!   A big, hearty thank you to all our hosts and hostesses along the way!