ECLT: Final Stop – Ipswich/Little Neck!

For the final trip on the ECLT, we headed to Ipswich, MA, about 30 miles north of Boston, where our friend Matt has a summer home in the small, tight-knit community of Little Neck Island.  Since this home is where he met the love of his life, Leslie, that's where they decided to get married!  Isn't that so romantic? We were in Ipswich/Little Neck for 6 days where we spent some time sunning (once the sun...

ECLT: 4th Stop: Boston!

Let me tell you a little not-so-secret about my time in Boston.  I hated it.  I was miserable.  I barely had any friends, I had just ended a 4 year relationship, and although I liked my job, I worked long hours but made barely enough money to live in the expensive city.  I was not happy.  Coming into to Boston as a young professional, not a student, made it really hard to meet people.  Most (and I stress, most...

ECLT: 3rd Stop, Providence!

Before heading out to Ipswich for the second wedding of the ECLT, The Hub and I made a pit stop in Providence.  As any map will tell you, Providence is not exactly on the way from Burlington to Ipswich, so many friends were confused as to why we were going there.  Well, we simply had to.  You see, Rhode Island was the 4th to last state that The Hub had to visit before he can say he's been to all 50.  We were...

ECLT: 2nd Stop, Burlington!

After the epicness of Albany, The Hub and I along with our friends David & Tessa, decided to head up to Burlington, VT for the night.  Because, why not?!  Burlington is a really cool town and I'd actually been there a few times in a past life when Vermont was part of my sales territory, but I'd never really set out to properly explore it like a tourist.  So we drove the few hours up to Essex, NY and took the...

ECLT: First Stop, Albany!

Our first stop on the East Coast Love Tour was to Albany/East Greenbush, NY for Shawn and Kate's wedding.  It was my first time in upstate NY, and I must say, I quite enjoyed it!  You can tell that the city of Albany was once bumpin', but now it's a bit more quiet.  It's true, there are some unsavory areas, but for the most part it's college-y, cute, and full of beautiful historic buildings.  Here are some of...

Onward

On a cold Ohio evening in November 2002, I signed an offer letter that put me on a path to where I am today.  The letter that I signed that early winter morning promised me to a city I knew very little about.  A city I'd never experienced.  A city that, for a small town Ohio girl, seemed as far away as Siberia and as foreign as Tokyo.  But it was neither of those places - it was Boston.  Signing that letter was...

My Husband, The Hero

I have to apologize for my radio silence last week.  On the days that we weren't hosting our fabulous, honeymooning guests, Shawn and Kate, I couldn't move.  That's because it was so hot here that even typing on a computer would make me sweat.  It typically doesn't get this hot in Montpellier until mid-July, but I heard rumors that some strange winds coming in from Africa caused the temperatures to climb to the...

Celebration Vacation: Part 1

Hello Everyone!  We're back from our epic trip of celebrations back in the U.S.  I've spent the last week recovering from jetlag and a nasty cold, but I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better and in good shape for our visitors later this week - our besties Shawn and Kate.  We are so excited to finally get to show them our town and hang out like old times. But first - a trip recap!  The travel back and...

FOMO

You all know what FOMO is, right?  I like to think my friends and I made up the term, but I'm not really sure.  Regardless, I've had a bad case of the FOMOs lately. The whole purpose of the blog is to document our time here, both the good and the bad, so I feel like I need you all to know that while we are loving our experience here, it's not all amazing vacations and delicious food.  Sometimes I get homesick....

2011: Year in Review

It's hard to believe that another year has gone by since last year's Year in Review.  I had a rough start to 2011, but it was an important reminder of my mantra, no day but today.  As 2011 comes to a close, I feel very grateful for how this year has turned around and I'd like to share my thoughts with you all. I am grateful for my family.  For my family by blood, my family by marriage, and my family of...