two years

We spent three glorious fall days in Portland, Maine last October, a tag-on anniversary celebration after spending a few days in Boston visiting grad schools.

And, two years of marriage! (Two years and four months, now.) I tried to write about marriage so much in our first six months being married before realizing I had absolutely nothing to say. It was all so new, so unknown, and there was so much to process and try to understand about myself, much less another human being. I just didn't know how to think about it yet. When people asked me how married life was going, I found I just told them made-up things to assuage their questioning.

But, maybe, now – I'd like to think – I'm coming into it. I know I can say this, at least: marriage has been a safe place for me to grow in confidence in myself, and for that I am grateful. I think that is what marriage should be – not your everything, but the most safe kind of love, along with being a marked reminder of dying to yourself anew every day. I think of this line from Auden: "Afraid of our living task, the dying / which the coming day will ask." Marriage is a risk, a stepping boldly into that fear, into that risk of dying to self, even still as you grow more deeply into yourself. (Of course, there are plenty of ways to do that besides marriage – but it is one way.)

That's my two cents for two years, anyhow. Mainly, I like being married to Austin.

[all 35mm from Portland and some surrounding islands]

maine | ogunquit

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We only spent just a little over a week in the quaint little New England beach town of Ogunquit, but I sort of fell in love with it. As promised, these are a few of my favorite spots there . . .

Food

The Wild Blueberry
The best place in Ogunquit, in my opinion. Seriously. This little restaurant was right down the road from our hotel and we ate breakfast there three times - it was that good. Try the Belgian waffles with blueberries. It's like summer in your mouth! Their organic granola and yogurt parfait was excellent too, as well as the fruit selection. And the best part is that as soon as you sit down, they bring everyone at the table a buttery blueberry muffin. They serve lunch and dinner as well, but we only ever went for breakfast.

Amore Cafe
This was another favorite breakfast spot. It's a bit less classy and a bit more kitschy than The Wild Blueberry, but the food was just as good. Their granola was excellent too (I have a bit of an obsession with granola, if you haven't noticed) and you can even buy a container of it to take with you. My dad also raved about their raisin bread and omelets. They had a really broad menu with every breakfast option you can imagine. They are just open for breakfast and only on certain days during the off-season.

Caffe Prego
We had our first meal in Ogunquit at this casual Italian restaurant and it was scrumptious. I had delicious vegetable lasagna and we sat outside in a covered porch area. They also have a wide variety of desserts and gelato and it seemed like a lot of people stopped by just for dessert. We kept meaning to go back to try the gelato, but never got around to it - if it was anything like the rest of the food, I'm sure it would be delightful, especially on a hot summer day.

The Front Porch
I was a bit skeptical of this place from the outside decor, to be honest, but the inside was lovely and the food even better. The prices weren't terribly high, yet the restaurant itself has a fairly classy and refined feel to it (square white plates, anyone?). I had a tomato and basil flatbread on whole wheat crust and it was one of the best meals I had all week - light and delicious.

Bread and Roses Bakery
We stopped by this bakery quite a few times throughout the week - it's right on Main Street, so you pass it a lot - and I admittedly never actually tried anything. But from staring at all the breads and treats in the cases and seeing how crowded it was every day, I have no doubt that it is a good place to go. My mom also claimed that the iced coffee there was excellent. And if I am back in Ogunquit, I definitely want to try one of their blueberry oat bars . . .

Places to Stay

Anchorage By the Sea
Central location right near the center of the main street. Small but comfortable rooms. Extraordinarily clean. Right along the Marginal Way and just a seven-minute walk to the sandy beach. Excellent views of the sea. And, as far as I can tell, fairly good prices, especially during the off-season. Ask to stay in the Starboard building - it has the nicest views of the ocean.

Things to Do

Go antique shopping. My mom and sister and I spent one afternoon stopping by the many antique shops along Route 1. There are tons of them and they all seemed to have quite good prices. I scored a beautiful piece of flower-printed vintage fabric that was supposed to be $25 for just $1! Some of it was junk, but that's just a part of antiquing.

Take a walk on the Marginal Way. The Marginal Way is a 1.25 mile paved path along the rocky coast in Ogunquit, starting off in the center of town and taking you all the way to Perkins Cove, a little wharf area with more restaurants and shops. It's not a long or strenuous path whatsoever, but the views are incredible. And if you get up early enough to beat all the elderly couples out for their morning walks, it also makes a great running path.

See a show at the Ogunquit Playhouse. We didn't go, but apparently their plays are top of the line. And it does seem like a very summery thing to do to see a show at the beach's playhouse, if you ask me . . .

There are also some great nature reserves and hiking areas around apparently, although we didn't take as much advantage of these as I would have wished. Check out the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge or the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region - we heard excellent things about both places.

The town of Kennebunkport is also an easy 45-minutes away. There were a lot of opportunities for sea-kayaking and so forth there, as well as more shops and restaurants. If you go, definitely eat at the Kennebunkport Inn and visit the wonderful little store, the Daytrip Society.

And of course what do you go to the beach for but to sit on the beach and wade in the water and read books on the cliffs? That's pretty much what I spent most of my time doing while we were there, and it was perfect in every way.

More pictures from our trip here . . .

[picture of the beach in ogunquit]
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the monster with a lace hem

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I still find myself at times transporting myself back to Maine - sitting on the cliffs, sun's heat pressing down on my arms and shoulders, breathing in wind-full gulps of ocean air. I miss sitting alone, reading and praying aloud and just being. I think I've decided that some day, some place, I need to live near the ocean - that "monster with a lace hem," as Annie Dillard so perfectly describes it.

I am now back in Chicago, landlocked and far from the Atlantic, spending a week in classes before leaving for travels abroad in England. And I am excited, but I miss the sea. So before this blog becomes deluged with all-things-British, I plan to post about a few of my favorite spots in Maine . . . and my summer gallivanting with this one lovely lady. More to come!

[pictures of a sea cottage in the fog one morning (can I live here please?), the wharf in ogunquit, me taking in the view (pc: amy), a little chowder spot on the wharf, and some lobster traps]
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and this is maine

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Spending a week on the coast and soaking up all the sunshine and beauty that I can. I've always wanted to come to Maine and my first visit has been more delightful than I even imagined. Early morning runs along the cliff paths, elaborate breakfasts with the family, and finding quiet places to read nestled among the rocks . . . can I stay here all summer please?

"The sun was out and every second the sky's hues perished with no fuss."
(Annie Dillard, The Maytrees)

[brother, dad, and I out on some rocks yesterday]
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