Hey everyone, I’m back with the second half of my Massachusetts recap!

Check out the first part, with Boston and Cambridge, here.

So picking up where we left off, I had just had a LIFE-CHANGING bowl of pasta at the most perfect Italian restaurant.

I had marveled at the waterfront and the gorgeous water views that make me oh-so-happy.

I thought it couldn’t get any better.

And then the next day came. On the agenda, Martha’s Vineyard.

Martha’s Vineyard

 

I actually only found out about Martha’s Vineyard probably like 3 years ago, and to be honest, I had no idea what to expect. I knew it was a kind of high-end beachy vacation spot, but I’d never been to anything similar, having never visited the Hamptons or Montauk.

So I went in with a totally open mind, not really with any agenda, except for a couple places Roomie and I looked up ahead of time, just ready to relax and explore.

It takes kind of a while to get there; you need to drive to the Cape, and then you take a ferry for 45 minutes. I noticed, on this trip, that I was so zen and relaxed that sitting still for 45 minutes felt like nothing at all.

I’m usually a little antsy when I have nothing to do for that long. 😉

 

So we arrived at Martha’s Vineyard and instantly went to explore Vineyard Haven.

First stop? Mad Martha’s Ice Cream, duh. ‘Cause when you’re in Martha’s Vineyard, you eat ice cream.

We spent the next hour or so exploring Vineyard Haven, which is kind of the hub of the island. It’s where Main Street is with all the shops and tons of restaurants.

We obviously had to go to Vineyard Vines.

Roomie and I got a kick out of this because there’s a Vineyard Vines location right next to Georgetown that is VERY popular with the student body.

We obviously had to grab coffee, and I may have lost my beans when I saw that Nat’s Nook offers coffee ice cubes in their cold brew. CAN EVERY COFFEE SHOP DO THIS?!

Another highlight was this cool shop TownPool that was basically an interactive fun shopping experience. It had a cool little upside down photo room and lounge chairs and traditional Martha’s Vineyard attire (think: Vineyard Vines, Lily Pulitzer, Tuckernuck, etc.) Oh and a cool polka dot room.

After spending a bunch of time exploring, we got on a bus to go to Island Alpaca, an alpaca farm on the island that’s home to over 50 alpacas.

Roomie lost it because alpacas are her favorite animal. I couldn’t blame her because OMG LOOK HOW CUTE!

Next stop was Oak Bluffs, a neighborhood in Martha’s Vineyard that’s brimming with restaurants and small shops. It’s most famous, though, for its absolutely adorable “gingerbread” houses, which are Victorian homes that used to be Methodist camp meeting houses.

SO CUTE!

Also in Oak Bluffs is the oldest carousel in America.

Obviously we rode it.

After a yummy seafood dinner in a place that I can’t remember the name of (sorry! but honestly, any seafood restaurant in Martha’s Vineyard won’t disappoint!), we walked over to the waterfront.

It was so gorgeous and right around my favorite time of day, twilight.

And then when the sun set, the serenity factor just increased fivefold.

Ack, I know the pictures don’t do it justice, but please just trust me.

And then we took the ferry back, and we sat on the top, with the views and the breeze and all the feels from the day. It was lovely.

Concord

The next day I only had until 2pm before I had to catch my bus back to New York City. My gosh, it was so hard to leave. Usually, when I go someplace, I’m ready to go back home by the end because I’m craving routine and comfort and home, but the trip was so fulfilling for my soul, and Roomie’s family was so hospitable that I honestly felt I could stay there forever.

Those few hours on Sunday were every bit as wonderful as the rest of the trip.

So the agenda of the day was to explore Concord, slowly but fitting in as much as we could.

We first came to a sweet coffee shop called Haute Coffee for breakfast. I got an almond milk cappuccino and a delicious avocado toast.

We walked around Main Street for a bit, which was super cute, but a lot of places were sadly closed, since it was Sunday.

Concord is a very historic town, of course, made famous by the Battle of Lexington and Concord. We came to Minute Man National Historic Park, the most beautiful little oasis with incredible history and spectacular greenery.

And then I majorly nerded out when I found out that Concord is also home to many American literary geniuses, David Thoreaux, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne… What I was most excited about was Louisa May Alcott’s house, which served as the actual inspiration setting for Little Women, one of my most favorite novels of all time.

We visited the house, but we only had time to check out the gift shop, and I obviously bought a book. Next time, we’re definitely going to do the house tour.

 

And just like that, it was time to say goodbye, and I was on my bus going home.

This trip to me was a true testament to just how incredible life is when you are fully present and allow yourself to just be. No deadlines, no stress, no unrealistic expectations.

I made relaxation a real priority, and I only took out my phone to snap a few pictures for you guys. Sometimes I forget how exhausting it can be to constantly be “on.”

When I’m home, it’s so easy to always schedule plans or put an extra item on my to-do list or check my phone every time I’m idle.

But after coming back home, I’m really trying to hold on to that lesson of being present and really soaking up every moment. Hate to be that person, but summer will be drawing to a close soon, and rather than be in denial about that, I just want to make sure I treasure every second that remains of my favorite season.

So I’m resting a little more, saying yes a little less, and generally just making my mental clarity and happiness a priority.

And it feels really good.

 

Now tell me, have you ever been to any of the places I mentioned? Where would you want to go most?