Sunday in Maine started early early early. Like 4 a.m. early. We sleepily headed back up Cadillac Mountain for something that you really just don't get to see every day - the sunrise. From a mountain top. On an island. In the Atlantic. Wingman was chatty, everyone was a bit shivery, but when the sun rose? Wow. I got all weird-historian on Caitlin and wondered aloud how it would have felt to see something like that before, you know, we knew about science and how that all works. No wonder we had a sun god - it was pretty terrifying and impressive. And I spent a good ten minutes writing the scene for being the first person to see a sunrise (what is that blinding ball of fire oh my god why is there now a black spot everywhere I look?!)
After a three hour nap, we indulged in blueberry pancakes (blueberry everything!) and coffee before heading to the Bar Harbor Farmer's Market. See, we needed to stock up on some easily transportable and super delicious local food for later that evening.
We spent the afternoon perusing shops, participating in a free beer tasting at Bar Harbor Brewery (seriously, they have everything on this tiny island), and then taking in the "Indians and Rusticators: Wabanakis & Summer Visitors on Mt. Desert Island 1840s-1920s" exhibit at the Abbe Museum. This was really extraordinarily done. I was quite impressed (and a bit winsome for missed career opportunities - that is right in my preferred academic era).
But honestly, the highlight of the day, the apex of the trip, was our sunset sea kayaking trip. Walking boot be damned, I was going kayaking! So, sure, I was pretty nervous - the ocean is a bit intimidating. But after about an hour or so, we had this down. We were basically pros, paddling our kayak to the front of the group, CMM steering that thing like she drives a kayak to work everyday, and expertly landing on the beach for our snack break.
Terrible photo - delicious food. You win some, you lose some.
I maintain this is because CMM and I are both oldest children. We take direction well, learn quickly, and excel at pretty much everything. (Also apparently modest about our awesomeness.) I certainly got some real satisfaction from mastering how to paddle without splashing everyone in our group with gallons of water, and feeling the power of pushing that paddle through the water, and propelling our kayak forward. It's no surprise that I'm already set up with some kayak "lessons" here in Chicago, huh? I don't think it will compare to sea kayaking, but at least I can work on my form.
Kayakers! We'll see you next summer when we're leading out twice daily trips of our own.
One evening ice cream trip later and Maine kind of ended there. On a sweet, sweet note. I left around 9 the next morning, made it back to Boston around 3 p.m. and spent the late afternoon, early evening at Marina Bay - dinner and drinks with a new friend, discussing the life woes we Millennials have as we start to become full-fledged grown-ups, and admiring a new skyline. A skyline that impressed, and perhaps inspired, me more than I anticipated.
Disposable cameras are not "cute" and will give you terrible pictures.
If you ever forget your camera on vacation, buy a new camera.
I may have rushed through this a bit, but frankly - I kept great travel notes and this trip was so important to me, that I'm a bit selfish with those thoughts and feelings. Suffice to say that I fell in love with Mt. Desert Island, and fell harder still for Boston (sure, three trips in two months might have helped with that).
This weekend: look forward to some Jane Austen updates, confirmation that I am practicing the ukulele, and a countdown of getting out of this walking boot and into wearing both shoes of a pair again (7 days!)
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