With my boyfriend traveling back to the West Coast as of yesterday to prepare for some upcoming and exciting career moves, I wanted to make sure I was fully present and savoring my last couple of days with him here in New England, hence why this post is going up today instead of on Wednesday morning as initially planed (but my blogging schedule goes back to normal as of next week!)
It’s been an incredible month or so of having him here, and I’ve shared plenty of stories and photos of our recent adventures together over the past few weeks. With his stay having been extended for as long as it was, we were able to do so many things – including celebrating friends’ birthdays, having Easter dinner with my family down in Rhode Island, and spending a lot of time visiting both our longtime favorite places and discovering new ones side-by-side.
For example, we had recently taken an afternoon hike out in the Berkshires where we came across the ruins of Ashintully Gardens – a former early 20th century mansion located on the hillside in Tyringham, Massachusetts. All that remains over the years of it being abandoned, a fire that roared through the area many years ago, and the elements slowly but gradually reclaiming the land are scattered pieces of the foundation and four huge, ominous columns that still stand tall.
The trail itself is lovely, and we came across deer and blooming flowers as we strolled. It wasn’t until I saw a tick crawling on my sneaker that we decided to cut the day a little short. Be careful out there, everyone! It’s the season of nasty bugs resurfacing!
More recently, we celebrated my friend Stef’s birthday with a bonfire at her house where we cooked up some burgers and hot dogs, listened to music, and shared stories – some of which Troy had never heard before. I’m so grateful for the time we all got to spend together since all of our schedules are typically all over the place at any given time. It was nice to have more opportunities to just all be in the same space and having fun as a group in recent weeks.
I also got to introduce Troy to one of my favorite Italian restaurants in my hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts right before he had to leave – Mare E Monti. While nothing will ever compare to the food we enjoyed together while vacationing in Italy together last May, this place is pretty phenomenal in terms of quality and quantity.
I insisted we have Alfredo made tableside inside a gigantic cheese wheel since he had never seen it made before – and it was worth it for his reaction alone (but it tasted great, too!)
It’s been such a great few weeks and I am admittedly still adjusting to Troy not being here while we wait to figure out when we can plan more time together down the road. I’m just so very thankful for all of the moments and memories we got to make together this time around. I’ve had such a blast, and am thrilled he got to share in those experiences.
Next week, I’ll be talking about a recipe (that I meant to share this week! Oy!), some more Springtime scenery, as well as another seasonal outfit I’ve been wearing through these early, breezy days of April.
But until then – enjoy your weekend, everyone!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 