Barreling Down the Northeast Corridor

I don’t think I’ve ever blogged from aboard a locomotive before, but I’m currently sitting on an Amtrak regional train, chugging down the northeast corridor en route from Boston to Philadelphia. My Villanova ten-year reunion is about to start, and I couldn’t be more excited. But the reunion really began a few days ago, so I’d like to take a few moments to recap my recent adventures. What better opportunity than a six-hour journey?

Looking out the window

You probably remember Jen and Shea, two of my best friends from Villanova who have made their fair share of appearances on the pages of this blog. I was one of Shea’s groomsmen at their phenomenal wedding back in 2014 and they both made their way to Hong Kong for a rip-roaring visit the following year.

Well, as fate would have it, Jen and Shea welcomed their second son, Max, a little over a month ago. The timing meant that it would be difficult (er, impossible) for them to make it down to Villanova for our reunion, but with them being among my closest pals from the class of 2009, I was determined to find some way to spend some time with them. I hadn't seen them in far too long, and I'd never had the chance to meet their fist son, JB, yet, either. So it seemed like a good opportunity!

JB! 

I reached out to see if they wanted a visitor to Cape Cod, where Shea grew up and where they recently relocated after several years living in Florida. To my delight, they seemed very excited at the suggestion. So I crafted an itinerary that saw me flying into Boston last Sunday and out of Newark at the end of my trip. Now firmly planted in my Amtrak seat, I’ll be in Philadelphia for the reunion until Monday, and then I’ll spend the rest of this vacation with my dad and sister in New Jersey before heading back to Hong Kong after Father’s Day.

Waiting to depart Hong Kong

I landed at Logan Airport slightly later than scheduled on Sunday night, but my good friend (and colleague) Kevin, who had very graciously offered to pick me up, was as chipper as ever when I emerged from the international arrivals gate. Kevin and his wife Erica are also great friends of mine, and since I was going to be in their ‘hood, it seemed fitting to spend some time with them, as well, while I had the chance.

Back at their home in Millis, Massachusetts, I finally got to meet the new family dog, Jonah, who Kevin and Erica recently adopted. Although it was already late, Kevin and I had a lot to catch up on, so over a few beers and a nice evening walk with the new pooch, we sped through what’s been going on in our lives over the past several months.

Hey, Jonah!

Bright and early Monday morning, I also got to spend some time with Erica, who had already gone to sleep by the time I arrived the night before. Alas, it was a short but sweet reunion before she had to head off to work. But I’m so glad we got to see one another.  

Kev had taken the day off work, so after breakfast sandwiches up the street from the house, we hit up the incredible Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston proper. This marvelous little stunner of a museum reminded me of the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania (before it was moved) and Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, because the way in which these museums’ designers display art alongside furniture, historic objects and personal items, which makes for very interesting strolling.

American breakfast, with great company!

The Gardner was also famously robbed in 1990, apparently the biggest art heist in history. The stolen works have yet to be recovered, and the museum continues to display the empty frames of the canvases that were purloined, a poignant reminder of the event.

Interior courtyard of Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

After a couple of hours in the museum, Kevin and I made our way to the Harpoon Brewery on the waterfront, where we indulged in a sampler of local beers and some tasty pretzels, while the beautiful afternoon drifted by.

A flight of beer at the Harpoon Brewery

Just before 4pm, I caught the Plymouth and Brockton express bus from South Station to the Sagamore Bridge, where Shea soon picked me up in his Jeep. After a few pit stops to stock up on beer, wine and whiskey, we went to his family’s home, where his parents, his brother, his two sons, the families gorgeous dogs and, of course, his wife Jen, were all waiting to welcome me.

Hey, Nova!

Of course, it was amazing to see such good friends again—and after such a long stretch, for I haven’t spent time with Shea and Jen since our friend Ryan’s wedding, only a month or so after their visit to Hong Kong nearly four years ago! I hadn’t seen his parents and brother since their own 2014 nuptials, and I’d never had the chance to meet the dogs or their sons, darling one-and-a-half-year-old J.B. and six-week-old Max.

Proud dad and his boys

Having relocated only a few months ago from West Palm Beach, Shea and Jen just bought an amazing house less than a ten-minute drive from his family’s home in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. It’s a massive project right now, as they get the house all fixed up and ready for their move in. For the next several months while the work gets underway, they’ll be living with Shea’s family, and the timing of my visit meant that I, too, would be staying there.

Shea’s parents cooked a tasty barbecued chicken dinner, complete with potatoes and salad. Washed down with the local brews we had just picked up, and catching up with such great people, it was an unforgettable dinner.

Of course, I’m sure you can guess that we stayed up late into the night, gathered around their homey kitchen table, continuing to reminisce and catch up, dropping names, sharing stories, and basking in glorious company.

Tuesday started with breakfast at home, simple but wonderful. Jen had a doctor’s appointment, but Shea and I took Nova and Riptide for walks around the cranberry bog that sits just behind the house. We then strolled along a glorious bike path, the golden New England sun shining strong.

Waking up in Cape Cod

Once Jen was ready, it was nearing lunchtime. We loaded the kids in the car and headed to a local favorite called the Daily Brew, where we stocked up on great sandwiches, which we took to Magansett Beach for our feast.

Later that afternoon, we went to a little secret spot called the Knob, a peninsula that juts into the sea near Wood’s Hole. And we also stopped at a waterfront restaurant called Shuckers, where I was treated to my first stuffed Quahog, a large local clam filled with spices and breadcrumbs, before being baked. Shea and I also ordered a half dozen oysters. It was, in a word, heaven.

As we turned down Shea’s street heading home, his new truck was being delivered: an enormous black pickup that he was partially financing by trading in his Jeep. He was clearly enamored with his new toy, and all of us ogled over the massive vehicle, as he showed off its functions.

When Shea and Jen asked me what the one thing I wanted to eat for dinner was, I answered a classic New England lobster roll. Shea, Jen and his mother seemed to run through the litany of all the town’s restaurants trying to brainstorm the best option. We wound up at Liam’s, and Jen and I both ordered the signature delicacy, hers hot and served with drawn butter, mine cold with mayo. It’s such an indulgent treat, and I always feel a tad gluttonous when I pamper myself, but how could I spend two and a half days on Cape Cod and not sample the iconic classic?

A delicious lobster roll

The treat of the morning on Wednesday was getting to visit their new home. You see, a contractor was coming by to give a quote on windows and trims, and that gave us a perfect opportunity to visit the house. I can’t wait to visit again, possibly in December, to see how they’ve done the place up. I know some day, years from now, we’ll all look back on that morning as a very special occasion, and I know my dear friends have found a perfect home for J.B. and Max to grow up.

My new buddy

We had a celebratory lunch at a local tea room on Main Street in Falmouth, complete with scones, New England clam chowder and sandwiches, mine being called Thanksgiving and featuring fresh turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing all packed into two slices of delicious whole wheat bread.

And after lunch, we migrated a few feet down the road to Ben and Bill’s, a local ice cream hotspot. They are famous in Falmouth for their lobster ice cream, and Shea has literally been talking about it for years. Our freshman year, in fact, which was 2005, meaning I’ve heard my buddy talk about the stuff for fourteen years now.

So it was with a great feeling of fulfilment that I ordered a cup that afternoon. It had a creamy, buttery base, complete with huge chunks of fresh lobster meat, and believe it or not, it really worked. I’d order it again in a heartbeat.

Our afternoon consisted of a few rounds of drinks at the waterfront Chart Room, with famous mudslides, and the Courtyard, a friendly outdoor sports bar, where I taught young J.B. how to cheers his drinking buddies. We even nicked the first glass he successfully toasted!

Outside the Chart Room

I really loved just sitting out there with everybody, adding new memories to our ever-growing list of things to talk about. I was sad it was already my last night, but so glad to realize Shea and Jen are now here for good, and I get to fly into Boston multiple times each year. I hope we never go four more years without seeing each other.

Jen playing with JB

It’s a rare occasion for me to get to enjoy a home-cooked dinner. In Hong Kong, I eat out pretty much every day. And even when I’m home, I am often planning which restaurants I want to go to. Of course, the exception is when my dad whips up one of his legendary Italian feasts. But that night, in Cape Cod, Shea’s mom had gone out of her way to spoil me with silky cod filets, perfectly baked in a garlic butter sauce, served with a delicious creamy rice.

As a last hurrah—and the second ice cream visit of the day—we drove in Shea’s new truck to the nearby Somerset Creamery, the best ice cream parlor in Falmouth according to just about everybody in the house. My peanut butter Oreo ice cream made a believer out of me.

It was another early rise this morning, and I didn’t have time to do much except say goodbye to my wonderful friends before Shea drove me back to the Sagamore Bridge to head back to South Station. But with Cathay Pacific’s daily direct flight between Hong Kong and Boston, I sincerely hope many future visits out to Cape Cod are in my future!

Next stop, Villanova!