Being back home has been an adjustment, to say the least. My mind and my body are still very much running on West Coast time, which has made my sleep and meal schedule a little off-balance, and I’ve been spending the last couple of days desperately hitting the “reset” button to try and get myself back on track leading up to my return to my office this morning. It’s also significantly chillier here in Massachusetts, so I had to speed up what is usually a gradual rotation in my wardrobe. Give me all of the sweaters, please and thank you!
But it’s nice to be around usual comforts again- even if it’s temporary (I fly to Maryland this weekend for a few days!)– and it’s even nicer to see some familiar faces and places in the midst of that aforementioned “reset.” A couple of days ago, Stef had reached out to me to see if I wanted to join her for dinner and to check out Southwick Zoo’s first ever “Jack O’Lantern Journey,” a haunted trail of sorts that wrapped around the zoo and featured an array of carved pumpkins, decorations, vendors, food, and a ‘Hocus Pocus’ live show.
The event is a more affordable, less crowded and more kid-friendly alternative to a similar event at Roger Williams Park Zoo, which I’ve written about before back in 2021. No disrespect to the RWPZ version, of course- I love it!- but it was nice to have a much slower-paced experience this time around.
Stef and I started the evening with drinks and dinner at Galliford’s, which is just steps away from the zoo’s entrance. I highly recommend stopping by to try their Autumn gnocchi before they switch up their menu for the Winter season. I’m still thinking about it. When we were done, it was time to hit the trail- after grabbing some apple cider, of course.
Overall, I had a great time. The weather was crisp but not cold, we got to see some of the animals who were still awake after dark and hanging around, and Stef & I got lost in a maze off of the trail despite our best efforts not to. We eventually made it out, even if we were on the verge of screaming for help in the process.
If I had to make one critique of the night, I’d add more Jack-O-Lanterns next year if the event continues. The pumpkins I saw were beautifully carved, but it didn’t feel like there were enough of them!
This past week/weekend also saw me venturing back into Connecticut for some last minute Halloween shopping- but I’m going to share one wonderful stop I made a little later on this week. It deserves it’s own post!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 