It is almost a tradition now that annually, my grandparents, cousins, and my family will go on a trip together every summer. This year, we opted for a New England and Canada cruise.
June 18– Our flight from LAX was quite delayed...therefore, it impacted the rest of our travel plans greatly. Once we finally landed at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), I had an experience that seemed like it would be straight out of Home Alone. If you are familiar with these films, you will likely remember that one iconic scene of the McCallister Family running through the international terminal at ORD. As a result of our plane and its delays, you could say my family and I reenacted this chaotic scene. (Travel luck really did not seem to be with us) After a long, eventful travel day, we finally made it to one of my absolute favorite places on Earth, New York City. Flying into JFK makes me feel like a little kid again...full of excitement, joy, and curiosity.
June 19– The following day, we all slept in, exhausted from the travels/time difference. We ate lunch at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, a restaurant where your waiters and waitresses sing to you while you eat...basically a little party with all of the super festive lights and confetti. Following lunch, we explored Rockefeller Center, where they film Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon...I had a bit of a fangirl moment. We then walked several blocks to Central Park. While NYC can be quite chaotic at times, I enjoy how peaceful Central Park is. I took a minute to breathe amidst the bustling concrete jungle. To finish off the day, my family and I went to go see Hamilton the musical, which was absolutely incredible and exceeded my expectations greatly.
June 20– Most of the day was spent strolling and shopping in the boroughs of Soho and Greenwich Village. To complete the day we went to see the musical, Mean Girls, such an incredible production (Tina Fey made a surprise appearance, which hello, how cool!)
June 21– We drove out of the city to the cruise ship terminal located in Cape Liberty, New Jersey. The day was filled with unpacking and exploring the Adventure of the Seas ship.
June 22– I woke up and the Adventure of the Seas was docked in the beautiful harbor of Bar Harbor, Maine. My family and I went for a little stroll in the quaint village of downtown Bar Harbor. I then had a delicious local delicacy, lobster rolls! You literally cannot go to Maine without eating lobster. It’s a MUST!
June 23– The ship docked in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The day was filled with a bunch of sightseeing...from visiting a local farmers market to going for a nice walk on the beach. The day was finished the right way, eating poutine.
June 24– Last stop of the cruise was Halifax, Nova Scotia. This was hands down, my favorite stop of the trip. Not only was the weather nice and chilly, but we had such an amazing tour guide that made the day even more memorable. His name was David and he wore a kilt. Yes…you read that right. An Irish kilt. The day was spent exploring Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, a maple syrup factory, and the Titanic Memorial. Before my family and I boarded the ship for the last time, we of course shopped at Roots and stopped Tim Horton’s (a classic).
After one day at sea, and a late night dancing it up onboard, the Adventure of the Seas docked into the harbor of Cape Liberty, New Jersey, where our cruise journey all began.
During this trip, I was able to disconnect from social media for a bit, which was much needed and is always so refreshing. I was able to truly live in the moment instead of through my phone. This is an experience I will definitely never forget.