ack

          One of the most exciting and expensive things I did over the summer was go to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard with Klaudia. Though we travelled on the cheap, it was still pricey for us. Our original plan was to stay on Nantucket at the youth hostel for three nights, but that was before we arrived and learned that the hostel, though on a lovely, quiet oceanfront property, is in the middle of nowhere and all bus service stops at 5:30 pm. We only had bikes for the second day, so the first night we decided to try our luck on foot, thinking we would grab dinner at the first place we came to. 

          After walking in a straight line for half an hour, the sun was going down and I was ready to liven things up. Clearly, our only option was to rely on the kindness of strangers, so I stuck my thumb out and we were picked up in thirty seconds flat. Our new friend was a little creepy for my liking, but he brought us to a populated area and we thanked him profusely. (The look on my mother’s face when I told her this story was worth every second of the creepiness Klaudia and I endured.) We found a pizza place, spent all of our money so we couldn’t take a bus partway back, and set off on foot once again. We walked two miles in the wrong direction on a dimly lit road, but eventually made it back to the hostel an hour later. Always an adventure.

bestie on the island ferry

beautiful nantucket

en route to edgartown

The next day at the beach, we rethought our itinerary. We enjoyed two full days on Nantucket, shopping, eating, enjoying the general “waspy” atmosphere and wishing we had more money, before deciding to go back to the mainland and stay at the hostel in Hyannis. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Nantucket, but I need to wait until I’m a little wealthier before I go back. We bid adieu to the hostel, which really was lovely, especially the outdoor shower at sunset, and caught the last bus into town. 

The hostel in Hyannis was an adorable, renovated Victorian era house with small guest rooms--Klaudia and I shared ours with just one other girl, who was from China and didn’t speak English. We went for a late night swim and got some fried seafood before going to bed. The next day, we enjoyed downtown Hyannis, which is much more affordable and a little less snobby. But we got bored quickly and debated how we should spend our last night of vacation. On a whim, I checked the ferry schedule to Martha’s Vineyard, and discovered that we could make it to Woods Hole in time. We agreed, booking the hostel there, and hit the road again. 

biking is definitely the best way to get around

          

         

            The Vineyard is kind of a happy medium between the Cape and Nantucket. The ferry was $8 versus the $17 we paid for Nantucket, and we were able to get our own meals rather than share one. We got there mid afternoon, and spent the next two days shopping and exploring. 

Though our plans changed, being able to take care of ourselves made me feel really independent and confident that I can go places without my parents. Granted, we were in really safe places all three nights, but it was a nice taste of adventure, and I can’t wait to plan another trip for next summer.

downtown edgartown 

we found the lilly jeep!