East Coast adventures continue…..

After departing Maine…..first stop dinner at my cousin Adam’s in Ellington, CT with his sweetest family. Quality time spent with little Lincoln, Saige, and Melissa. 3 hour playdate with everyone including Sammi. We played outside, swinging on swings, admiring the garden, a walk in the neighborhood, where we spotted a frog. A yummy home cooked meal by Adam, and a quick good- bye.

Off to Cousin Jared’s in Burlington, CT for a 3 night stay. I always stay at my Aunt & Uncles that it was a change from my usual. It was so nice to have quality time with this 3some family…..Alex, Jared, and Elina. And there new addition Lexi the puppy. Jared and I got to work from The Hartford Club, a private fancy old school type business club. It was so awesome to wk from this truly New England feel good ol’ boys club. Tall ceilings, dark wood, red brick, fire places, fancy chandeliers, waitress service. I felt important today. And we had the entire place to ourselves. Jason, one of my cousins childhood friends stopped by to say hi. A home cooked meal by Elina and a lovely evening at home to play with Alex. She put on dance shows for me and we had nice bonding time. The next day, I worked from Sophia’s and got to see old friends in CT. Benji from last summer stopped by, and John my career coach/resume friend from 7 years ago said hi. So nice to meet up with friends while traveling around. Tonight was dinner at my favorite Treva in West Hartford Center. Jared had some friends join us, it was a beautiful evening spent eating outside on the sidewalk cafe in the middle of the action. Dessert was waiting for us at home, Elina made some kind of Armenian yummy goodness. Friday morning I got to tag along to drop Alex off at camp and say by good byes. I hit the rd for my next adventure in upstate NY/Rockland County- Suffern/Monsey/Spring Valley, my dads old stomping grounds.

I made my way to my yearly pilgrimage to visit my grandparents cemetery. I love driving around the East Coast. I had a wk call scheduled for while on the rd, that as it approached I searched for a nearby Starbucks to find wifi. The exit brought me alongside Croton Falls Lake in Westchester County. I could not believe the beauty I was dropped into right off the busy highway. Wow- talk about having your breath taken away. I was in awe by the scenery and water views. I spent 40 min inside a Starbucks on a call and got back on the rd. Made my way to SpringValley/Suffern, drove by my dad’s childhood home- which is under construction, his high school, and my cemetery visit. I got them all caught up on my family updates and enjoyed my time with their spirits in the most beautiful grounds in such a holy land.

My Aunt Marlenes nephew Chaim, and his newly married bride Estee live nearby. We had plans to meet up for a visit. I met them at Playa Bowls in a fancy shopping area and had a lovely visit. It was SO fun to meet them on their turf and hear more about the area. Tonight I was in for a treat. If you are a loyal reader, you might recall the family I met at the Portland Chabad Shabbat? Remember the musician and his wife the certified healthy coach/dietician….with 4 kids? Well they invited me to come stay with them and experience a true Shabbas. Meaning the full 24 hours from sundown on Fri to Sat when Shabbat ends. I was able to sneak in a few photos before the sun went down, as I wanted to cherish these memories with photographs. This was such a meaningful time spent with such a warm inviting family. They called me by my hebrew name, “Leah” the entire stay. Im planning to write my next Jewdicious article about the experience that Im saving the details to share. Im still filled with sincere gratitude to have been blessed with the experience. I learned SO much and had endless deep conversations about life, chabad, education, politics, being jewish, and prayers. It was magical. We bonded and Im certain we will visit again. Thanks to cousin Elina for letting me borrow 2 appropriate Shabbat dresses.

On Saturday at 430pm after Dinner, breakfast, and lunch spent all together I had to leave before the sun went down, I had a 2.5 hour drive to Pennsylvania and it was raining. I said my good byes and headed South. A cherished time I will never forget

I finally arrived in Phoenixville at Woodley’s by 7:30pm. The storm was brutal to drive through, but I made it safe and sound just in time for a yummy home cooked meal. Stay tuned for the PA update in the next few days. Im almost caught up….one destination behind, as I write this from my new home in Woodstock, NY on a rainy day. Time keeps flying by……nuts!

love you all….hugs and kisses!

love Laurie Sue AKA Dora❤️🧚🏻‍♀️🥰😘💫💕