diana and dad visit

          The third weekend after classes started, my dad and Diana came to visit on Sunday--a much needed taste of home and family, and part of me wanted to return to Newburyport when they left later that night. It’s hard being in an unfamiliar place that is so urban and enormous without having loved ones nearby, though I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunities here in New York. 

While they were here, we had a great time wandering around Manhattan. We stopped into the Public Library (which currently has an excellent exhibit about the evolution of restaurants and fast food), had lunch and coffee, fit in a little bit of shopping, and returned to the Bronx for dinner on Arthur Avenue, the original Little Italy. 

Driving to New York and back in one day is exhausting, and I was really grateful to have my family visit. Seeing them made me feel a lot older and somehow very different; not seeing my sister everyday has been the strangest part of being away, and being able to function without my family and friends from home makes me really proud of myself. I love seeing my family and I make sure to phone home every few days, but I can’t deny that I’m enjoying having a life of my own.

sunday afternoon at the new york public library  

sweet sweet summertime

          Summer after senior year was the sweetest of them all, and I wished it would never end. Although I worked 20+ dreary hours every week at Market Basket, I spent a lot of time with friends and enjoyed the freedom, late nights, and later mornings. Summertime was filled with graduation and birthday parties, walks through Maudslay, trips to Little Neck, Salisbury, and Hampton beaches (and of course my beach, Plum Islans), adventures to Boston, and lots of ridiculously good food from Las Olas, Abe’s, and Riverview. I also feel like we spent a lot of time at Friendly’s, solely because it’s open until midnight.

          More than anything, this summer made me realize how much I love and appreciate my friends, and I have no idea how I’m functioning without them. We spread out across the U.S. and the globe, and I can’t wait to see most of them at Thanksgiving. 

Danielle with Becca at her graduation party

Klaudia and Gretchen on Plum Island for Gretch's birthday party

Gretchen's graduation party

Becca and I

boston adventures  

Keane concert at the House of Blues, Boston

Klaudia, Old Town Hill, Newbury, MA

Kennebunkport, ME

car rides to nowhere in particular

my beautiful sister

nora and klaudia

L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, ME

sunset at the artichoke

spring ahead

          At last, summer has nearly arrived and the school year is winding down, so these past couple of weeks have been crazy. It seems like a lot of school related events have sprung up (no pun intended), and everyone has made their final decisions about college. I've decided to commit to Fordham University, and I could not be more excited at the opportunity to live and go to school in New York City. In the meantime, I plan to enjoy all of the activities planned for senior week, and to spend a lot of time with friends.
          I cannot believe that I'm finally done with high school and am graduating on Sunday, but I definitely feel ready for my next adventure.

diana and i with our favorite art teacher at the National Art Honor Society induction ceremony.

diana and i at the National Honor Society induction

klaudia, diana, and i at the ceremony for academic excellence

the city that never sleeps

          During school vacation two weeks ago, my mom took Diana, our friend Galaxie, and I to New York City for a few days, between Christmas and New Years. I have mentioned my love for NYC various times, and I love being in Manhattan during the winter. All of the department stores are beautifully decorated, and the smell of roasted chestnuts only adds to the holiday charm of the city. It was extremely warm for December, and the weather was perfect when we arrived, though it rained for most of the second day. 

exploring NYU (me, galaxie, diana)

          I spent entirely too much money on clothes and other things I don't need or have room for in my closet, but New York is a great place to shop, as well as eat. My parents have already taken my sister and I to all of the major tourist attractions, mostly when we were younger, so it's nice to be able to focus on immersing myself in city life rather than waiting in line for an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building.
          Overall, it was a wonderful trip to New York City, filled with bargain hunting, frozen yogurt, and plenty of walking, and, as always, I can't wait to return.

ladurée macaron and chocolate shop (diana, galaxie, me)

                One of the new things we did this trip was visit Ladurée, a bakery famous for their macarons. Macarons are small, round cakes, and are currently a fad in the U.S. They come in every flavor imaginable (I tried dark chocolate, caramel and fleur-de-sel, rose, and black-currant violet), and are very expensive--I paid over ten dollars for four, but they are delicious. Ladurée is especially famous because their only other locations are scattered across Paris, besides this one on Madison Ave.

matt and kim (and car trouble)

house of blues, boston

          On Friday night, Diana, Klaudia, and I kicked off the weekend with the Matt and Kim concert at the House of Blues in Boston. I have gone to a bunch of shows at the House of Blues, and it's one of my favorite venues because the security tends to be pretty laid back (although on Friday we all received pat-downs before being allowed in), and we usually manage to make our way down into the mosh pit even though it's always sold out. Matt and Kim are an interesting band of two people (of the same names), and we've all been fans of them for the last few years. Based out of Brooklyn, NY, they have a really unique sound, and their live performance was impressive. 

          Earlier the same night, we had been hoping to get into Boston on the early side to finish some Christmas shopping and have a nice dinner, but upon leaving school we discovered that my car had a flat tire. I drove to the closest gas station, which was, of course, out of business, so my sister ran over to the Park Lunch, a popular hang out spot for Newburyport townies, to procure some assistance. She came back with two middle-aged men who had been sitting at the bar, and seemed more than happy to put on the spare tire. We then drove to a service station so they could fix the damaged tire (the cause of the flat = a tiny nail) and give me a new inspection sticker, and we were finally on our way.    

          Even though we started out with some difficulties, we all had a great night, and it was a much needed mental break from school. On our way home, we stopped at Sonic for limeade and grilled cheese sandwiches, sung along to Diana's new Matt and Kim CD, and pulled into the driveway at 2 am. Perfect night. 

it wouldn't be a concert without a 1 am stop at sonic

boston black friday

christmas tree in the north end

diana and i

klaudia being a model, as usual.

       Last night, my parents took Diana, Klaudia, and I into Boston to see the tree lighting at Macy's and to do some shopping. The previous day, on Thanksgiving, after a morning football game (which Newburyport won!), a family walk in Maudslay State Park, and, of course, a turkey dinner, some friends came over to relax before we left at 11:30 to begin Black Friday shopping.
       My goal for the night/morning was to get a Kindle at Target, so we went there first and waited outside in 34 degree weather for two hours, and stood in line for another hour once we got inside. It was entertaining at first, when friendly employees in red shirts passed out energy bars and Klaudia and I listened to all of the crazed shoppers' conversations, but it got old pretty quickly and I was visibly upset by the time I made it to the check-out.
       After finishing our shopping, we drove home, slept for six hours, and then trekked into Boston. I was really tired, but I absolutely love Boston, especially during the holidays. The weather was surprisingly nice--all of us were freezing that morning, but the evening in the city was beautiful. We shopped for a few hours before having a lackluster dinner at a Mexican restaurant and strolling through the North End, festively lit with holiday lights, probably left over from a feast. Thanksgiving this year was a lot of fun, and aside from the stress of purchasing my Kindle, it was a welcome break from college applications and homework. And now the countdown to Christmas begins.

martha's vineyard

       After we were finished exploring the mansions in Newport, we made our way back to Massachusetts and found a place to spend the night about an hour away from Wood's Hole, where the ferry to the Vineyard leaves. We got up very early, made a quick stop for breakfast, and caught the bus to the Steamship Authority. Since we had to wait for the next boat, we wandered around the little town, taking pictures with a wall of buoys and getting tea from the local coffee shop.
       It was a cloudy morning, but it was the perfect temperature in Vineyard Haven. Honestly, when we got to the Vineyard, I fell in love. It's one of the cutest places I have ever been, and within this small island lies everything 'New England.' After wandering around and poking into the adorable shops, we decided to stick with a Martha's Vineyard original for lunch, so we headed over to the Black Dog Tavern.
       The Black Dog has become an icon for the Vineyard, and there is actually a store in Newburyport. It was more expensive than our lunch in Newport, but even though it was a little touristy, it was worth it. The side of the restaurant facing the water was all open, and the view was beautiful. I'm not a huge fan of fish, so maybe it was something in the salt air that made me order a codfish sandwich. It was delicious, and came with these enormous fries and delicious cole slaw--it was the perfect New England meal.
       After lunch, we had been planning to rent bikes and let my mom have a break from us, but we were disappointed to learn that hourly rentals weren't available anywhere, and the day rate was $25. After spending $16 each on the ferry, we weren't really up for paying so much, especially when we would probably only ride them for an hour or two. Instead, we took the island bus to Edgartown, which is a little quieter than Vineyard Haven, and only cost a few dollars. My mom found a charming little park to read her book in (so she did get a break from us!), and Diana, Klaudia, and I went exploring. We got matching sweatshirts, in different colors, and got dessert before taking the bus to Oak Bluffs.
       I really didn't want to leave. It was too beautiful and too peaceful, and I actually felt like I was on vacation. I get this feeling a lot when I travel, like at these places, where it just seems tragic to have to go home to Newburyport. Even if it won't be this summer, I know that I will make go back to the Vineyard very soon.

klaudia with the real black dogs

carousel in oak bluffs

"gingerbread houses" in oak bluffs