Connecticut. A place that myself and Lorelai Gilmore call home. With spring break approaching I have been incredibly antsy to get out of the city and lay out among the trees, feeling that brisk breeze with my morning coffee. Although my family and I are new to the wooded state, it already feels like home in our charming town with one post office, one coffee shop, one library, one grocery store and a town hall — similar to the town of Stars Hollow.
Tree lined roads, red vintage barns and little woodpeckers bring me serenity as I sit by the fire pit built by my loved one. I keep replaying moments — driving through the towns with my mother and the trees appearing to be swallowing us. I yearn for that feeling where I’m so caught up in the scenery that I can barely think about anything else.
Growing up in California, I really romanticized the East Coast; the cold weather, the legends, the cute towns and the sweaters. Most of my knowledge of Connecticut came from watching Gilmore Girls; copious amounts of caffeine, junk food, movie nights, Ivy League schools, Jess and Dean were all factors I thought played into living in CT. And let me tell you, Gilmore Girls was not far off.
There was this one weekend when my boyfriend and I took a drive out to another part of town and had the perfect Rory & Dean (early years) day. We went to Grayville Falls for a simple walk through the woods and stumbled upon a memory tree where people who’d hiked before left mementos of loved ones tied onto the branches with small excerpts of the love letters they’d written to them. As we heard the water from the falls splash up against the rock, we noticed the way the trees moved and how much the buildings in the city mimic nature. We ran into a woman named Cheryl and her dog as we sat by an abandoned teepee hut reading the carvings in the wooden blocks we used as chairs. Back in town, he bought me hot chocolate, we walked through the historical society museum, and then we drove to the beach to watch the sunset.
Since time passes slowly, I always aspire to make my days in Connecticut memorable. I take my time walking through my town’s square with a coffee and pastry in hand as I devour the sun. I recognize that Connecticut may not be the ideal spring break hotspot for most, but for me it is and I can’t wait.