Old friends, an autumn wedding & a weekend away.

I've been loving all the old autumn photos that keep resurfacing on my phone lately. Every few days, another little memory pops up — a place we visited, people we love, or a wonderful weekend I'd nearly forgotten about. And these photographs from November 2018 took me right back to New Haven, Connecticut.

We were there to celebrate the wedding of our dear friends Deb and Artur, and it was such a lovely excuse to reconnect with college friends from my years in Bristol, Rhode Island, and Rome, Italy. ❤️

There are some friendships that will always remind you of a particular time in your life — the places you went, the adventures you had, and the person you were back then. Seeing everyone again was such a treat.

A weekend away takes a village.

Of course, leaving James for a weekend is never particularly easy for me. As many parents and caregivers know, even the loveliest getaway comes with a fair amount of planning (and perhaps a little worrying!).

Thankfully, James was in wonderful hands with Mom-Mom and Grandpa Steve, who love him beyond measure and have always been such an important part of our village. Knowing he was with people who know and adore him made it easier to enjoy a little grown-up time. ❤️

We stayed at the beautiful Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, right downtown. It was such a treat to enjoy a lovely hotel, explore New Haven in autumn, catch up with old friends, and have a little time away from our everyday routines.

And the New Haven pizza? Oh, my goodness. 🍕 That's a whole 'nother delicious story, and one that absolutely deserves its own post!

The people are the best part.

Deb and Artur's wedding was beautiful, with heartfelt family tributes, wonderful food, lots of laughter, and some truly spectacular fashion choices once the novelty hats and oversized sunglasses made their appearance.

But I think what I loved most was simply being together again. There is something so special about friendships that stretch across years, countries, and completely different chapters of life. The people who knew you when you were young and figuring everything out, and who still feel like old friends no matter how much time has passed.

And as much as I love sharing adventures with James, these occasional grown-up getaways are part of our story, too. Being a caregiver is a huge part of my life, but so are the friendships, places, memories, and experiences that have helped make me who I am.