Showing a side you think no one wants to see
First snow this morning reminded me of when I fell in love. Nah, not that love... my love for Newport.
Everyone loves Newport in the summer. The sun, the beach, the boats, the booze… but not me.
I fell in love in the winter.
9 years ago, I saw an ad in the train station or Holidays at the Mansions. I’d never been to Newport so I asked my husband, Erik, to take me for my birthday in December.
His response: “You know people go to Newport in the summer, right?”
No matter, we booked an apartment downtown with a fireplace. It proceeded to snow for two days straight.
It was the quirky winter "beach vibe" I never knew I needed.
We got bacon egg and cheeses at Franklin Spa.
We walked over 7 miles in the snow.
We did the Cliff Walk end to end.
We hit three mansions in all their holiday glory.
We sat in the bar at Clark Cooke House watching a snowy sunset while we ate endless oysters.
Enjoyed endless bottles of wine.
It was what I imagine it would be like living inside a snow globe - this village in the city by the sea in winter.
That was it for me. We moved two months later.
This is authenticity.
When you show a side of you that you think no one wants to see - and it makes your true fans love you more. Not in spite of your quirks and eccentricities but because of them.
It's the way I fell in love with the winter side of Newport
It’s the way people respond to my beach walk and talks
My Adidas tracksuit wearing family
My stories about “where did you go to school”
Real isn’t perfect. Sometimes real is messy. And snowy. But that’s where real connection happens. Here’s to authenticity… Let it show, let it show, let it show.
