After a lot of hot sun (yes there’s sun in Maine just a little chillier than Florida) & lots of tiki bar live music sessions with amazing girlfriends, I was excited for a solo trip into the woods of Maine. My goals for this trip…. to acknowledge my thoughts & breathe in the silence with no one’s agenda but my own. However, starting the trip in Portland did not leave room for much quiet reflection. Silence starts tomorrow then.
I stumbled across the Eastern Promenade & Fort Allen Trail because what else is there to do in a new city but drive around until you find no one…because starting a solo trip feels a lot easier when you don’t have to feel like you’re sticking out in a crowd. After spending hours roaming around trying to avoid my hunger because that meant eating alone, I found the courage (right there in the pit of my stomach) to tackle my first obstacle. I asked my hostel host for lobster roll recommendations because when in Maine you HAVE to have a lobster roll… or that’s just what I read. I made my way to Gilbert’s which felt like a little safe haven with all the shack like decor & the sweetest waitress that made me feel like I had a new boisterous New England mother. I learned my line for solo eating when they asked how many it was going to be…. “Just one..I’ll take a seat at the bar I don’t want to take a whole table just for me.” I don’t know if it was my feeling like a burden trauma or the West Virginia hospitality that made a barstool feel a lot less intrusive & exposed than a table. So barstool it was and a beer. A beer definitely helped. Had my first lobster roll & it was an amazing first taste of all this trip would have to offer. With a little more confidence & a full stomach, I made my way back to the Black Elephant Hostel to make a game plan for the next day.
Places To Go – Fort Allen Trail & Eastern Promenade
Things To Eat – Gilbert’s
Where To Sleep – Black Elephant Hostel
Journey with Jessica Leigh 