The culmination of a year’s worth of work took the form of a deeply satisfying performance weekend (more on that soon, promise) and a less-than-satisfying surprise: a week of layoff!

Always making lemonade from lemons, etc. etc., M and I have taken full advantage of this time off to reconnect with each other (he spent the past few weeks in California) and our favorite little state. A staycation in PVD led to Australian brekkie, and Italian pantry staple shopping on Federal Hill. We swung by the new North (GET THE PARSNIPS), crashed our favorite rooftop, and celebrated the Avon’s 80th birthday with I, Tonya and vegan licorice and our favorite dark chocolate, crafted in Boulder and scouted from the choco-wall of the best secret spot.

Our next adventure day brought us outside the city to Rhode Island’s South County. Ever just need to look at the ocean? Maybe it’s an Ocean State kid thing. We bundled up and M took me for a hike around Long Pond. Have you seen Moonrise Kingdom? I’m an official Wes Fanderson. I’m embarrassed by this joke, but M told me to put it on the blog so, here we are!

Post hike hunger led us towards Crazy Burger. Naturally you can’t pass through Charlestown without stopping at the original Dave’s Coffee (try the granola bar!) and letting the waves roll over your snow boots at Blue Shutters. We finished the night off parked at the mouth of Narragansett beach, debating the merits of plant-based eating while the Atlantic lapped in and out and soft snowflakes blurred together, filming over the windshield with winter weekend magic.