windy roads & rhode island

The sun was barely showing as we drove through the city that morning, eyes half open, too little sleep, not enough caffeine. We had decided to go somewhere new, somewhere by the water, somewhere with less noise and people and buildings, more breeze and green and quaint homes. It was our one year anniversary, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to do what we both loved most, travel, explore, meet new people, create, capture. So we took turns sleeping in the passenger seat until the sun climbed higher and we winded through tree-lined highways and rolled across two long bridges, upright over the brightest blue water you’ve ever seen, speckled with white boats and itty bitty islands. As P slept next to me in the passenger seat, I thought to myself “I’ve always underestimated Rhode Island.”

E A T I N G 

Our first stop was Belles Cafe, a sprawling outdoor space (spilling out of a cute, nautical interior) on what looked almost like a landing strip, right on the water. Surrounded on all sides by some of the largest sail boats I’d ever seen, are families with massive, majestic dogs, eating savory eggs benedict and perfectly round, warm pancakes in the sunshine. P and I waited along the water, finishing filming a series of videos to send to the people in our lives who have significantly impacted our relationship, thanking them for their help in getting us to one year of dating (it takes a village, people, let me tell you). We ate, and chatted, then walked hand in hand to the tiny, colorful little town by the sea. 

 S H O P P I N G 

Fresh seafood wafted through the air as we passed by on cobblestone streets. We stopped in a few stores, a few of them so beautifully designed, with curated goods - skincare and candles and lotions and pillows - some of my favorite things. Light spilled in through the huge windows, glinting off the water, and I remarked to P how dreamy this place was. We stopped in Saltwater Living, where we both bought cactus-infused washcloths and rose clay soap, and then in Wald & Sea where I bought a few pieces to build out a charcuterie board- tiny knives and baby spoons and a little bowl shaped like a clam shell. We walked through a coffee spot that overlooked the water, called the Coffee Grinder, and stopped in a shop called Keil James Patrick where I wanted to buy every sailor-esque dress. 

E X P L O R I N G

We wandered the town, stopping for ice cream and sparkling water and fudge, and somehow found ourselves in a playground, pushing each other on swings, and P nearly killing me on a seesaw. We hopped in the car as the weather cooled, and the sun began to dip, and drove along the cliff walk to see the mansions towering over the water. Newport is famous for the massive homes that line the windy road, old, historic summer cottages for the wealthy. We stopped for dinner at The Reef, eating chickpea fries and herb-crusted salmon right on the water, as live music floated in off the patio. We spoke about the year, the best and worst of it all, and toasted with champagne (they also offered us eight cookies instead of the alcohol, which I was upset P denied). We decided to eat dinner here, but had many other recommendations that looked just as beautiful, Castle Inn, The Mooring, and Clarke Cooke House to name a few. 

S T A Y I N G 

We ventured off to our hotel, windows down as the sun set over the water, full of food and gratitude. The NYLO was an industrial style hotel right on the river in Warwick, a short drive away. The room was concrete with tall ceilings, overlooking the water. We chatted late into the evening and exchanged gifts, before the morning when we headed out for a beach day down on Scarborough beach. We stopped for bagels with egg and avocado and some strong coffee, and we sat along the water as the wind whipped our hair and sand fluttered into our food. It was a beautiful trip. It’s been a beautiful year. Not without its hardship and struggle, which I think is important to note. No relationship is perfect, despite how much energy the internet will exert trying to convince you otherwise. As good as we are together, there are still many things we are learning, and we are falling hard along the way. But we get up, and we let the bumps and bruises be reminders of what we have overcome. We choose grace and joy over and over again, and we laugh a lot along the way. 

Photos by: Paolo Verzani and Lauren Franco