Nostalgia

Going back to places that loom large in your youth triggers memories, of course – but also a deep well of feelings. The person you were then, their experiences, and their dreams rush back to reinhabit body and mind. When you are blessed to have good memories, that swell of nostalgia can be reinvigorating. It prompts you to examine your life’s path and consider the choices that have shaped it – and the choices that will chart your journey into the future.

Such was my trip to Cape May, NJ this past week for a short 3-day post-election vacation with Maryellen, lifelong BFF. In our tweens and early teens, I got to tag along for several summers when Maryellen was invited to spend a week with her Aunt Min and Uncle Russ, who had a lovely cottage all the way down on Second Ave, just a few blocks from the beach.

My sepia reel of memories includes taking the Ferry across the bay (chauffeured by Maryellen’s Aunt Dee-de with her much-loved Chihuahua in a booster seat up front), Aunt Min’s huge collection of owl figurines (smiley face) arranged side-by-side on shelves along all the ceilings of the main rooms, and sleeping on the porch with the cooling breeze blowing and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing in the distance. Our days were filled with what young girls do at the beach… walking the promenade, shopping the Washington Street Mall, going to the movies, hanging on the beach reading, and playing games on the porch.

I also remember taking in the view of Congress Hall – an old-fashioned sprawling hotel right on the beach, with its stately columns, large windows, breezy balconies, inviting rocking chairs, and expansive lawn. We chose to stay there for our trip down memory lane.

While I recall it looking just a bit worn back in the day, Congress Hall was completely refurbished in a near-decade-long project culminating in a 2002 reopening. It does not disappoint – filled with a storied history and modern amenities. It has many historical flourishes, several lovely restaurants, and still the array of white rocking chairs facing the pool and the ocean. And as a bonus during our stay, the Christmas decorations kept multiplying!

During our visit, we sought to relive our youth as we could. We marveled at how we had the run of the place at such a young age, without adult supervision or cell phones. Like those summers of long ago, we took an architecture tour and walked the promenade, the beach, the Victorian streets, and the shopping district. We even spent part of an afternoon playing cards. And always and ever, talking about anything and everything.

As we visited old haunts, we noted what matched our memories and what did not. Aunt Min’s house was unfortunately replaced with a nondescript ranch home. (Boo!) But backed by a resolute town council, many of Cape May’s lovely Victorian homes and dashing B&Bs still stand, with their wide porches, decorative architectural embellishments, and their bold color schemes. And the beach was beautiful in the stunning fall weather. (That last picture shows the on-the-beach hard plastic walkway – brilliant idea! And the sunset was kinda brilliant, too!)

The joy of spending long days with your best friend never gets old, even after so much life lived since we walked these roads before.

While our trip was an amazing and relaxing interlude, the fact is that it took place in the days immediately after Donald Trump’s re-election. I am heart-broken and filled with dread. And I recognize that I need to do more to bring into being the kind of world I want to live in.

To keep that resolve front of mind, my souvenir from this trip is this little nugget – a most adorable tiny owl I have named Acorn (for obvious reasons). Acorn sits on my desk to remind me that little seeds can grow into strong trees with many branches. I want to look for opportunities to plant seeds, to encourage specific branches to bloom, and to stand among the trees that grow toward the light.

Political causes were not on my mind in the Cape May summers of my youth, but they are certainly on my mind during this Cape May fall on the cusp of my retirement.

This nostalgic trip was a restorative: I got to spend time with Maryellen, to reminisce about a lovely waypoint in our lives, and to begin to process my deep dismay about election results. Now it’s time to work toward a joyful, inclusive, prosperous, and connected world that can provide stirring sepia scenes for future memory reels.