My First Time in New England

 

 Hello! I am so glad you're back! In honor of it being the 4th of July, which is also the 12th anniversary of my first trip to New England, today's post will be about my first time up here! I was 16 years old and my mom decided to let me go on this long, far away vacation with my boyfriend (now husband) and his family. Thomas' extended family has been going to Ogunquit ME every other year for at least the last 30+ years. It's something they talk about at all family gatherings for the holidays. "Do you remember the trip to Maine when...", "Who's rooming with who this year...", "we should definitely eat at ____ again". This trip has been a big part of the family for a long time. I was so happy to get to go. I could go on and on about all of the adventures, but I'll highlight 3 things about it: the culture, the beach, and the lighthouses. 

The Culture

So every single person in NE is a Red Sox fan. It is a fact. It is the way it is. Before I started dating Thomas, I just thought there were sports games, different sports in different seasons and that was it. But no. Sports, more specifically, sports teams are eternal. They are around all year. I had no idea the love of these teams was so intense. Everywhere we went, you'd see at least 10 New England teams shirts/jerseys. Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins. Everywhere. I have to say, I do love cheering on a team. Of course, we stopped in Boston on the way home from Ogunquit. This was my first time walking around in a larger city, and I LOVED it. 

The Beach

Until this point, I had only been to a handful of beaches, all farther south. I love any beach, don't get me wrong, but the coast up here is just different. It feels different, looks different, smells different. I am so grateful that we live just a 10 minute drive from the beach now. 

The Lighthouses

I had never been to a light house before this trip. We went to the Cape Neddick Nubble Lighthouse and Portland Head Light. Now, whenever we have friends or my family visit, we take them to the Nubble Lighthouse in York since it's pretty close to Portsmouth NH, where we live now. I don't really know what I was expecting, but I was surprised. It was like looking at a beautiful, framed picture, except I was in it. Everyone is out taking pictures of it or in front of it, but it doesn't feel overly tourist-y. 

This trip was what kick-started my love for New England. I love living here so much. I'll share some more pictures I took on this trip. Keep in mind it was 2013 so my phone camera wasn't super awesome and I used a filter on almost every single photo. 🙃

Anyway, enjoy! And have a happy 4th of July weekend!

See what I mean about the Sports stuff?!