“During the Civil War, Rhode Island was the first Union state to send troops in response to President Lincoln’s request for help from the states. Additionally, although Rhode Island has the smallest total area of all fifty states, it has the second highest population density of any state in the Union, second only to New Jersey.” (see Wickipedia).
At the beginning of June, my dear FH and I took another big trip. We continued our jet-setting lifestyle and hopped a plane to Rhode Island by way of Boston Logan International Airport to visit my Aunt and Godmother. Now, Auntie is actually the woman who was my mother’s college roommate at The University of Rhode Island and was in my mother’s wedding when she married my father. Auntie was also the person my parents had entrusted with the care of me and my brother should anything tragic happen to the both of them. It was always really nice for me to have that sort of security growing up.
So, first we hit up Boston Logan International Airport. After crashing at our hotel and sleeping from the time we arrived until fairly late the next morning, my mom’s older brother (ie: my uncle) and his wife picked us up in the lobby of our hotel and took us out to lunch. Hooray for the first of my ‘real’ family members to meet my FH.
Lunch with Uncle and Aunt
After lunch, Uncle and Aunt drove me and FH to the train station and put us on the train to Providence. Hoorah. I actually like travel by train. It is much less stressful for me than driving or flying is. We texted Auntie we were on our way and sat in the train playing around with our Macs and iPad.
We had arrived at the station and were waiting outside for Auntie to come pick us up when a lovely black lady came up signing. “Hello! Are you Deaf? I am an interpreter from … My parents are Deaf! Where are you from? Who are you?” FH and I chatted with this lady for a little bit, telling her we were waiting for my Aunt to come pick us up. Auntie pulls up across the street and comes to retrieve us, giving me a big hug. The lady goes ” oh! this is your Aunt? I see the resemblance!” We laughed and said our goodbyes and went on our way to do all the fun things I had heard about RI for so long.
Our first stop was very important! Caserta’s Pizzeria! This is one of my family’s and Auntie’s favorite places to get pizza in the area. So we got pizzas and Wimpy Skippys (which are spinach pies stuffed with cheese and pepperoni, kind of like calzones).
FH with the stack of boxes from Caserta's Pizzeria.
Then we all loaded up in Auntie’s Cadillac, taking a lovely drive to Island Park where Auntie and Uncle have a beautiful property right off the beach. Asti was quite happy to see us as well. I was saddened to see Asti at this advanced stage of age, however, as I had heard stories of the bubbly bouncy puppy as far back as my own childhood. Asti was the dog my Aunt and Uncle rescued as a puppy and was named after one of their favorite effervescent wines.
When we arrived we had a time of it trying to figure out where best FH would sleep. See, FH is TALL. He is six foot six. Your standard bed doesn’t really fit him well though he fits well enough of a queen sized bed. Well, Auntie and Uncle’s beach house has two very winding staircases to get to the upstairs bedrooms so only beds of a certain size would fit up there. One room had a (supposedly) XL Twin bed, while the other had a full sized bed. FH went up and lay down on each of these beds to discover that he would only barely fit on the full bed if he laid on it diagonally. So he got that bed, and I had the Twin.
Asti was a sweet dog. It is a lovely thing that my FH and I both love dogs so very much! She hit it off with both of us right away! Auntie told me after the first night that Asti started doing something she only does with people she likes a lot. She started wandering around the house looking for me and FH. We would usually both go to bed before my Aunt and Uncle would with Asti, even if we weren’t actually asleep in our separate rooms. When Auntie would take Asti up to go to bed, she would stick her nose in the doorways of each of the bedrooms that FH and I were staying in, checking to make sure that we were still there and still alright. It was so sweet for me to hear this! I really adore that doggie.
Anyway. The rest of the trip was full of walks on the beach.
Rhode Island Sunset
Visits to Auntie’s favorite shops and restaurants. Iced Coffees, ice creams (Newport Creamery), meeting co-workers and relatives, and seeing all the places Auntie and my parents frequented both growing up and in their college days.
Iced coffees with Auntie
Yum, Auntie and Uncle and me at Anthony's Seafood for chowdah
Quinn Hall with me and FH by the sign.
Uncle wearing the Highland Meadows hat my parents sent him.
Auntie and her brother. I love this photo.
FH talking with Babcia (Polska for Grandma)
It was truly an enjoyable trip. I am so thankful for Auntie. It was good to see her, to have her and Uncle approve of and even begin to get to know my FH. We had such a good time. Auntie and I did some fun girly shopping too. We got hair things for my wedding day, and both FH and I got awesome new shoes at Clarks.
It was nice to get reacquainted with Auntie as an adult. The last time I spent any real time with her was when I was a senior in high school and she traveled out to Colorado for my high school graduation. My brother and parents actually got to go to RI about two summers ago now to work on cleaning out my grandmother’s house. But my brother also got to stay with Auntie and Uncle for four weeks! I am glad that we had the week we did. We didn’t do as much as I would have liked but at the same time we talked endlessly. And we learned that now that I am an adult we are not only ‘family’ but we are truly friends. FH and I are looking forward to the next time we can go out to RI and spend time with Uncle and Auntie!
