Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to “make a home.”
For me and Josh, home is somewhat transient concept. We have a home in Cambridge, two loving homes in Colorado, and we spend a notable chunk of our lives on the road. The concept of “home” is also complicated because we know we’ll only spend another year and a half in Cambridge. That short period will be further broken up by the three months over the summer when we’ll be living in London, NYC, and DC for Josh’s summer internship.
Can all these places be “home?” Is it possible to make a home somewhere, even if you know you’ll only be there for a few years, months, or even weeks?
It isn’t easy to make a temporary living situation feel like home, but I’ve found that connecting with others and embracing local experiences are two of the best ways to make any place feel like home.
We are blessed to have a wonderful and close-knit group of friends here in Cambridge. We are members at our local church (Hope Fellowship Church) and Josh and I are part of a Christian fellowship group at HLS. I am also part of a Bible study with young women and “law wives” in Cambridge, and Winston and I meet up with a group of moms and kids from the law school every few weeks. These groups, and the real relationships that we’ve formed through them, help us feel like Cambridge is home.
If you’re new somewhere, I encourage you to be proactive in pursuing relationships (even if you’re slightly introverted, like me!). You won’t regret it.
Another way we’ve made Cambridge our home is by embracing local experiences. Fall is my favorite season (unless Christmas counts as a season???). This Fall, I’ve made a conscience effort to embrace all things “New England Fall.” This includes playing in the crisp leaves, apple picking (+ sweet cider and donuts!), and breathing in the beautiful New England weather during my walks to the grocery store and the park. Sometimes, being happy and present is all that’s required to make a place feel a bit more homey. 🙂
Last weekend, Josh’s family came to town and we got to show them some of the highlights of Fall in New England!
One day, we took a trip up the coast. We stopped at a few small towns and lighthouses on our way to Portland, Maine!
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is best known for the Salem Witch Trials, so it was a little “Halloween-y” for my taste at this time of the year. But we still enjoyed seeing the lighthouse and cute downtown area!
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and Fort Constitution, New Hampshire
We got there right as the Fort was closing, but Winston still enjoyed riding in this boat (even on dry land!), and Wilber got to chase around his tennis ball for a bit. A successful stop, all in all!
Nubble Lighthouse, Maine
Our last scenic stop—and my favorite lighthouse of the day!—was Nubble Lighthouse in Maine (funny name, right?). It was so picturesque and very New England.
From there, we drove up to Portland and enjoyed delicious panini and fries at our favorite spot in Portland, DuckFat!
Apple Picking in Massachusetts
A few days later, we drove out to Smolak Farms. Smolak is a great family farm in North Andover, about 45 minutes outside of Boston/Cambridge.
Of course we had to stop on the way to the orchard to take some pictures in front of the barn and the flag. Very patriotic, much American…
Winston was quite an avid apple picker, even if he did stop to sneak a bite every few minutes.Who doesn’t do that when they’re apple picking??
I made Winston stop for a mid-apple-picking photoshoot. Maybe he’ll thank me for it someday? Maybe not. Either way, I know his Grandma and Grandpa in Colorado appreciate the pictures, so that’s my excuse! 😉
More shenanigans (and snacking) in between actual apple picking. It’s all about the “experience!”
Squinty family photo and me being as happy as can be with a pumpkin spice coffee and THE CUTEST LITTLE APPLE EVER. It was so cute, I almost didn’t want to eat it… but then I did. And it was delicious too.
Proof that we did actually pick some apples! A lot of them! I’ve been baking apple stuff all week and I still have 3/4 of the bag left. What to bake next…
Smolak also has a little petting zoo, which Winston half enjoyed and half was terrified of. He’s a sensitive soul, and the llamas were just a bit too much for him to handle 😛
When did my baby boy grow up to be such a mature toddler? It all happened too fast!
Well that’s a wrap on my Fall musings and our Columbus Day weekend photos. I hope ya’ll have been enjoying Fall and embracing local experiences wherever you call “home!” 🙂
Ta-ta for now, my friend!
The Stroller Saga 
I love these pictures! Margaret is sitting next to me as I read and she is commenting about how sweet Winston looks in each picture. Your perspective on making the most of “home” is so refreshing and encouraging to me. You’re so right; investing in friendships and experiences unique to the homes and areas in which we currently find ourselves is the best way to make the most of this unique season of each of our families’ lives. Recently I was regretting how it feels we’re leaving again as soon as we’re finally “settled”, but your post gave me fresh perspective!
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