The major reason to move to the northeast was to be closer to our daughter. Making regular trips to New Jersey is part of the purpose of living here. With Janet here, it makes sense to be visiting as soon as possible. This was our first summer trip and we got to enjoy some of the touristy beach activities in New Jersey like mini-golf and bowling.

After visiting Jim and Autumn, we headed back to New Hampshire, but decided to take a more scenic route home. Our normal route is to travel north on I-95 to New Haven, and then travel north on I-91 to Hartford and then I-84 to the Mass Pike.  This trip we decided to take I-95 all the way to Boston to enjoy the Connecticut coast and see Rhode Island. When we reached New Haven, we decided to stop at the IKEA store and check out this phenomena that seemed to be the new thing in furniture and home decor. From memes and jokes, I knew that most of the furniture bought at IKEA required assembly, similar to the particle board entertainment cabinets I’d purchased through the years. What I didn’t know was how IKEA was the master at space saving arrangements perfect for apartment living.  Janet & I had lived in apartments in the first few years of our marriage, but had gotten used to living in houses for the last twenty years. When I moved all of our stuff from the house into the apartment it was apparent that we needed to rethink our style of living. IKEA is an experience as much as it is a shopping destination, and I loved every minute of it. Seeing all the arrangements and furniture options made my head spin with ideas. I am relieved to know that an IKEA exists in MA near my brother-in-law’s home. I know I’ll be down soon to start my IKEA collection.

After IKEA we continued our drive up I-95 and the coast. Connecticut has a beautiful coast line dotted with fishing villages. We stopped at one and found a cozy seafood shack to enjoy a local favorite.  One thing I learned today was that even the ordinary things, like a furniture store, can become an adventure.

 

 

 

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller