Life on Cape Cod……Hello November🍁🎉

Crazy how fast this chapter has flown by……I have been loving every moment of this simple, quiet, serene beautiful life. Feeling extreme gratitude for my freedom now more than ever before. Living on an island is definitely calmer then life in the big CITY. My writing slowed down here, partly due to the climate of the world and simply going inward. This chapter has served as a time of reflection and just being present with myself. My days are filled with work, while my nights have been so peaceful. Somehow the days fly by so fast here. To catch you all up and share some fun photos of this magical slice of heaven, let me back up a few weeks. My last entry was on October 8th, and in the blink of an eye, we are starting my favorite month- November, Scorpio season! 🎉🥳🍁🧚🏻‍♀️Time flies when ur life is a dream💫

So, as previously shared I have made The Chatham Bars Inn (CBI) my official afternoon office spot, I bounce between coffee shops, and occasionally work from the study room at the Snow Library, if not from my cute cottage kitchen table or deck. The absolute best part of living on Cape Cod is the scenery of nature surrounding me this time of year. I must oohhh and awe all day long over the trees, the water, the sunrise & sunsets, the trails, the friendly people, and all the hidden grocery stores & markets I stumble upon. I have the cutest wine store behind my house on Main st, and everything here closes by 9pm. Im certainly getting my rest and watching some TV (a total rarity for me). Inventing Anna & The Jonny Depp series have been my favs.

I have taken many beach walks on Nauset beach in the early morning to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic, and end my nights watching the sunset on the bayside at Skaket beach. Skaket beach is magical, as the tide goes out and you can walk the ocean floor through the uncovered sea grass, with ridges in the sand for what feels like miles. Its breath taking and soooooo peaceful. The crowd claps when the sun drops into the water, with dogs running around and kids (naked babies) crawling in the sand. The vibe of this sleepy town is so perfect for 1 month. Not a place I could live year-round, but a slice of heaven Im beyond grateful to be experiencing now.

Some highlights worth mentioning……I signed up for The Goat Experience w/Maureen, this was through Airbnb, which is like an amateur tour. I paid $25 to spend 2 hours at her farm in Barnstable. With 2 other participants, we learned all about her ducks, chickens, dogs, and the stars of the day- her 3 goats. Best part I got to milk a goat and we used the goat milk to make soap. Only me, finds this type of adventure. Ha ha….It made for a fun Sunday afternoon. Having become a regular at CBI, I have friends there now. This guy Michael, who is covered in tattoos, an ex-felon turned do-gooder, drives fancy race cars, and is dripping in huge gold sparkly diamond jewelry. I have learned his life story some from him and some from his Insta following. He is a regular there too. My Friday wk day ends at CBI with a cocktail in hand while listening to a live piano player who sings by the fireplace at this luxury $1300 a night hotel. These scenes are like out of a movie. Dreamy!!!

I saw the movie NYAD, a true story about the woman who swam from Cuba to Florida- starring Annette Benning & Jodie Foster, I highly recommend it. I got to spend more quality time with My aunt and Uncle, as they came to stay in the cape for 3 nights at their time share. We had a glorious beach day in the 70’s, got extremely lucky and shared a yummy dinner at an Italian restaurant. I got to have a sushi dinner with Max Klein & Samantha, as they drove up from Plymouth to have an evening together. I have explored Woods hole & Falmouth on my own, along with the Cape Cod winery at their fall festival party. So much to see if you like to submerge yourself in an area and see everything.

My one visitor to spend an entire week with me, Rachel from San Diego arrived for a true New England adventure. I have not laughed so hard for days in a row in a long time. I saved many destinations for her arrival. It was a mellow week, yet Dora style action packed. She arrived late on a Monday night, late as in 2am. Tues/Wed were work days for me, which she got to enjoy by the Chatham Bars Inn office, lol. I took off the rest of the week, Thursday started off with a bang. We boarded the 8:30 am ferry to Nantucket with morning cocktails while getting to know a large group of men on their way for an annual Nantucket golf outing. They were Americans vs Canadians. Soooo much fun from the start on the boat with their crew.

We walked the cobblestone streets upon arrival, walked in/out of stores, checked out the fancy well known hotels, shared a lobster quesadilla before our 2 hour tour began of the island.

Our tour guide, Val, a retired 85 yr old grandma who has lived on Nantucket for 50+ years drove us all around pointing out SO much history. She raised her 3 sons on the island after her husband passed when she was 35, today they all 3 still live here. She has many grandkids who were also raised here, but have since left for college. She was a speed demon in her mini van, quite a firecracker. She pointed out the oldest home from 1686, shared that she got her home in 1985 for 8k, by 1999 the value had gone up to $250k due to tourism changing the island completely. She says today a home by the water sells for 24 million on 1 acre of land. The yr round population is 18k, while summer time it increases to 70-80k. The views were breath taking, the homes stunning, it was everything you imagine and more. I had been here in my 20’s, and can return again. We went by the lighthouse, bought matching Nantucket sweatshirts, lol. Rach and I made our way to the Cisco brewery & Distillery for a cocktail before catching the ferry back to Hyannis. We had reservations at The Ocean House restaurant tonight, known to be one of the top places to eat in the area. I had eaten here once before with my CT fam. We celebrated Rachels birthday early together. It was a yummy meal…..fresh Seabass, a salad, creme brulee, and great cocktails…..delish! This place is on the water and the views out the window look pretend, like your on a cruise ship almost. It was a full packed day.

The next day being Friday, we headed out after breakfast at home to make our way to the tip top end of the Cape in Provincetown. We stopped in Truro at the winery for a fall tasting by the fire. Provincetown was quite the experience. If your not familiar it is a place where many LGBTQ live freely. The downtown main area is eclectic, filled with sex shops, art galleries, tourist shops, many bakeries, ice cream shops, and the famous Lobster Pot restaurant where Anthony Bourdain says has the best lobster roll on the Cape. We shared one, along with a yummy moist pink cupcake at a funky bakery. We did a dunes tour- learning more american history, saw cranberry boggs, lighthouses, seals on the beach, and watched the many people attending Trans Week. The people watching was fascinating, entertaining, and fun. We made our way back home. Saturday was farmers market day, we bought fresh haddock and vegetables to make a home cooked dinner. We walked 5 miles this morning, shopped around downtown Chatham, and enjoyed driving all around town to town exploring. We had one of those had to be there laughing nights sitting on my deck in the backyard with wine telling stories, making phone calls, etc. It felt like we were back in college.

Sunday was a full day in Boston. We toured both the Harvard & Tufts campuses, drove over the Charles River while a rowing competition was happening, like out of Dead Poets Society movie. It was a cool sight to see with the crowds cheering on the rowers. We ate lunch at a yummy french restaurant, voted the best onion soup in Boston. We wandered through Beacon Hill, walked Newberry St, and ended at The Seaport before going to bed early at an airport hotel. Rach had an early flight home. What an incredible week spent celebrating a 28+yr friendship and our Nov birthdays together. Miss you already Rach!

My last 2 weeks on the Cape solo have been quiet, rainy, and freezing…..I got pampered with mani/pedi time and a massage. I have continued to walk my Cape Cod rail trail, collect sea shells at the beach, and cook at home. Im wearing my gloves and ski hat. I attended an open mic night poetry event one evening at my local coffee shop (Pictured below) This was very cool. My neighborhood friends in this small town are wonderful. I have 3 full days left here before my next chapter begins. Stay tuned for the next update……miss you all

love Dora 💕🍁💫❤️🇮🇱

ps…..one last sunset at the bottom, cause I cannot capture enough of this beauty 🤩😍