My East Coast Excursion

For a multitude of reasons, I have not traveled far from home in years. Sure, there have been a night or two here and there, but never an extended getaway alone. Whenever I left, it seemed as if the flood gates were opened and I was summoned by phone to handle the crisis at hand. Now that my three boys are young adults, I decided to cruise the East Coast and see some old and dear friends and special places along the way.

My first stop was Point Lookout, New York which is the seaside community on southern Long Island where my college roommate, Lisa, has made her home. There I spent two delicious nights breathing in the ocean air, toasting to old times, and otherwise completely relaxing with Lisa, her exuberant extended family and another good college friend, Grace. To my utter surprise my brand spankin' new Prius only sipped on gasoline on the trip from Virginia to New York and I still had 1/3 of a tank left when I arrived.

Dee, Grace and Lisa in Point Lookout, New York

Next stop was Harwich, Massachusetts where another college friend, Maureen Green, is building a new life for herself. She was a successful news anchor in Syracuse, New York for 27 years and has recreated herself after the loss of her job. She has sold her primary inland home, moved to her favorite location on Cape Cod and is building a successful real estate career at Kinlin Grover Real Estate in Harwich Port.  She is living her dream, blogs about life on Cape Cod, and I couldn't be more proud. We wined and dined on cheap wine and fresh seafood. We caught sunsets at various spots around the Cape and I was amazed at the wonderful light of the Golden Hour. Anyone could take a good picture then, I swear. Even me, who scoffs at most photos of myself. Perhaps it was the company of my dear friend, the wine, the salt air or the golden lighting, but the photos read "pure joy" as one friend put it. The visit was such a special, special time and one I won't soon forget.

West Dennis Beach at sunset

Skaket Beach at sunset

Coastal Rhode Island

Mo and I then traveled to Rhode Island and cruised the coastline that we both knew so well from our college days. In Newport we lunched at The Black Pearl, walked down the Forty Steps to the ocean, looked at historic neighborhoods. It was fun to reminisce.  It seems as though it took both our brains to fill in all the blanks of our distant collegiate past, umpteenth years ago. This day trip served to settle many things in my head and took us both down memory lane.

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Family at Laragh's wedding

Last but not least was a trip to Rochester, New York to my sister's home where I witnessed my niece Laragh's wedding. It was special in all ways--from the unusual wedding location at the Seneca Park Zoo, to seeing family and friends, to witnessing a tender new love.  Weddings always give me pause; I don't think I'm that unusual in that regard. I wish Laragh and Pat a lifetime of happiness and love. From what I saw, I'm betting on these two.

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After 10 days on the road, it's back to reality. It's all about healthy, clean living, daily exercise and tending to my unpaid bills. I'm also planning my next excursion. I can't wait!