Rediscovering Home.
We've been out here just about a year now. It's the first time I ever moved away from Rhode Island, so for my slightly sheltered self, it has created "home" into a word that has multiple locations and meanings. Is home the place where I grew up? The place from which I type these words now?
While Connecticut has been the place where Chris and I have taken our relationship to new levels, where careers have found roots, and where my car is parked outside, it's not completely home. It's not entirely familiar.
Home is in Rhode Island, where I rode my bike fast and furiously down the big hills, played in the woods with my brother and sister, and grew up in our family home by the beach. While I mutter on about how SmallTown my hometown is, with the people that never leave and the "if it's not here, you don't need it" mentality, I miss it.
Since Chris's project is keeping him in flux between Rhode Island and New York (with a sojourn to CA coming soon - I'll need many kind distractions those weeks...), we are spending most of our weekends in RI again. Lately, with the weather warming up and RI blooming into it's finest season, I feel like a tourist in my own state, rediscovering my home.
We ventured up to Federal Hill in Providence and had lunch at Cafe Dolce Vita. A nice antipasto, some ice water, and finishing off with a chocolate lava cake at Jessie's. (Granted, my fiance had the lava cake. I opted for a tamer version, indulging in some chocolate ice cream instead. And a cappucino. One and a half hours later - 124 mg/dl. Take that, blood sugars!)
Later in the weekend, we ended up in Newport, where we saw the beautiful early summer flowers...
... and, of course, the great blooming bear. (I have no idea what the deal is with this bear, but it was distracting. And there was a second one riding an electric scooter. Those Newporters are odd indeed.)
We capped off the weekend with a quick wine tasting at the Newport Vineyards. (Having eaten lightly all day long, this tasting went straight to my head and I rambled on to Chris the whole car ride home. Poor guy.)
It was strange, exploring our homestate as though it were new. There was something about seeing the towns through "different" eyes that made us appreciate our true RI home even more.
Maybe I'm a little homesick lately.
Comments
You've become a tourist in your own homestate.
Posted by: Shannon | June 5, 2007 08:40 AM
I've never been to RI, it's a shame because I'm so close. It looks so lovely- glad you had a nice time rediscovering!
Posted by: Lea | June 5, 2007 09:12 AM
It has been a while since I have been to Providence. When I was there last I really enjoyed it. The amount of new construction and build up was amazing. Most people used to say Providence was rundown but I think that is a very old rumor. I know I could live there and it is close to everything.
Posted by: Dave | June 5, 2007 09:13 AM
Home is a place you never really leave. Incidentally, I grew up in CT, so thats home for me, but having started my career in NYC, then moving to the San Francisco Bay Area for 8 years, followed by a stint in Philadelphia, and more recently, back to New York City again, I find that while home changes with the times, it also remains a place you know in spite of new construction and new stores on Main Street.
Posted by: Scott | June 5, 2007 09:45 AM
You're lucky to live so close. :)
We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wines at Newport Vineyards when we were there a couple years ago. (Just think, a whole NE trip a few months before I started reading OC blogs...sigh!)
Posted by: Rachel | June 5, 2007 09:46 AM
As cliche as it sounds, I think of home "as where the heart is." For me, that's definitely San Diego, where I met my husband, became my own person, and fell in love with the city.
The "home" I lived in for my first 18 years is 800 miles, and a lifetime away. I appreciate my visits, though they're often only once a year these days. I refer to Eureka as "where I'm from," but no longer as "home."
It's definitely a identifying aspect of a person, where one considers home. I think the coolest thing is, people can recreate home wherever they choose.
Posted by: Kelsey | June 5, 2007 10:47 AM
Kerri,
I'm about to get married and move about 5 hours away from my hometown. In some ways, I already feel homesick just thinking about it. I've been fortunate, though, to live in my hometown for 25 years. For me, moving means a new teaching position, a new family (my soon-to-be-husband), and a new place to call "home." I often wonder if it'll ever truly resonate as "home" in my heart, but it'll be my first home with the love of my life, so I'm hoping that will ease the homesickness...! Thank goodness for visits home, right? :)
Laura
Posted by: Laura | June 5, 2007 12:02 PM
Nice job on the ice cream! Olive Oil gellato is my next stop on my insulin hit parade :).
No matter how far from home you travel and how weird you feel when you go back - it will always be home nonetheless.
Posted by: Ed | June 5, 2007 12:33 PM
FYI - I still call RI home and have not lived there in 10 years. My mom does not even live there any more. Ha! I do still have a 401 cell number though.
Who knew such a small state was so undiscovered. ;-)
Posted by: JILL | June 6, 2007 01:48 PM
My family and I moved from Providence 2 years ago this weekend to be closer to my family in Toronto. We all still miss Providence very much - even my family misses visiting us there! Doesn't hurt that there's no sales tax on clothes there vs. 14% here (grumble)!
Posted by: Lee in Toronto | June 26, 2007 09:44 AM