One Year in New England
Yesterday marked one year since we arrived in Massachusetts! It’s truly hard to believe that it has already been a year. I’ve spent the past few days reminiscing and wow, has it been a wild one!
Looking back, thank goodness February 2020 looked a little different than the winter wonderland of February 2021! It was definitely cold, but there was no snow, which helped make traveling those 14 hours and moving into our new place much easier. It also gave me a false sense of hope that New England winters wouldn’t be as brutal as Michigan winters. ;)
Arriving right before the start of a pandemic was not ideal, but no one had an ideal year. I recognize that we’ve been fortunate in so many ways and still managed to have some pretty great experiences in our first year as New Englanders. We may have done less this year, but because of that, we have enjoyed and appreciated our experiences more than ever. For today’s post, I wanted to share some of the highlights from our first year here. I am so looking forward to seeing what our second year brings!
Highlights of our first year in Massachusetts:
1. Lobster Rolls
In April and May, we pretty much hunkered down and avoided any unnecessary outings, so when Memorial Day neared and our beach vacation plans were canceled I decided my only mission that weekend was to find a delicious lobster roll. After some research, we decided that the Clam Shack Salem was a good bet. I do not know if it was just because we had been cooped up the last two months, but honestly, that lobster roll was incredible, and I have yet to try one that beats it. They are closed for the winter, but I’m already dreaming about going back in a few months!
2. Massachusetts Adventures
Some of my favorite memories from the last year were from the weekend getaways that we were able to take. Our summer trips to Rockport (which I wrote about last week) and Cape Cod are where I started to fall in love with the ocean. The sunsets, the sea creatures, and that ocean breeze are hard to beat. We also had a great escape to the Berkshires to see the beautiful fall colors. I’m looking forward to many more adventures in the next year.
3. Boardgames
We’ve always loved board games, but during the last year, we have especially enjoyed finding two-player games to help us pass the time. Our favorites have been Arboretum, Everdell, and The Castles of Burgandy. I highly recommend any of the three but I am especially a fan of The Castles of Burgundy. Any of these games can also be played with larger groups if you’re lucky enough to have a larger quarantine crew!
4. Tennis
This is more of a personal highlight, but a highlight nonetheless. It’s been a good 10 years since I’ve been serious about tennis. I’ve played a handful of times over those years, but always wanted to devote more time and get back into it. This summer I finally took the leap and joined a local group. It was the perfect way to resharpen my skills! By the end of the season (which by the way was in December when the nets were taken down!) I was feeling almost back to my previous peak. It’s also amazing how much a few hours of fresh air helped me keep a positive attitude through the dark days of the pandemic.
5. Hiking in the Fells
We live just a stone’s throw away from the eastern side of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. As I’ve mentioned before, this has been an enormous blessing. There are so many fun hikes with a range of difficulties so if you just need a short walk for some fresh air or if you want to get your blood pumping there are great options! The Rock Circuit trail has been our favorite hike thus far because of the awesome views – including some great Boston skyline views.
