Rain Boots & Hunter Hats

If there’s one thing I really enjoy about traveling, it’s spending the quality time with my friends while on the road. More often than not I get the typical, ‘rough life’ response from people when they learn I’m a travel writer, but those who have traveled with me know that it’s not always the glamorous lifestyle portrayed in movies and books. Still, I’m not complaining – I have a great job and I love every day of it.

My friend Kate joined me on the recent trip to Martha’s Vineyard. She’s traveled with me before and knows the ropes of the biz — do your thing, I’ll do mine and we’ll meet up for drinks. It’s always a bit of an adventure when we travel though, and this trip to Martha’s Vineyard was no exception. We were heading to an island as a Nor’Easter was approaching.

Our Saturday started off shopping, since we were ill-prepared to be stranded on an island in a storm. We made our way to Brickman’s in Oak Bluffs. I was in desperate need of rain boots and Kate needed something warm to cover her head and hands. We were both successful (one of us a little more subdued than the other…)

I found the perfect pair of black rain boots and made my way to the cashier just as Kate approached with her purchase — a bright orange $3 hat. And when I say it was bright orange, I mean BRIGHT ORANGE.

“With the gun laws in this country, I’ve got to do something to protect myself!” Kate exclaimed, when she saw the you’re-not-going-to-wear-that-out-in-public-with-me look on my face. For starters, neither one of us are hunters, but if for some reason we found ourselves in a situation wearing camouflage and running from animals in a forest, I’d be happy to have Kate and her orange hat with me.

Why the extra supplies you ask? When New England does a storm, we do it right! Thanks to torrential rains and high seas, we were wondering whether or not we’d even get off the island. As luck would have it, the Coast Guard allowed our 3:45 p.m. boat to depart for Cape Cod.

As we drove onto the ferry, the cute Coast Guard reminded us to put on the parking brake – it was going to be a rough ride.

The Storm

“You ready for a boat ride?” he asked me. “Hold on tight and try not to throw up.”

I think he was flirting a little — must have been my super sexy new rain boots.