Our New England Experience (Nicole's Perspective)

This blog post was written by Nicole Dankemeyer.

Never before had I ever experienced the freedom and independence of traveling alone until now. Of course, in this day and age, with so much evil in the world, it’s easy to get caught up in the news and always assume the worst when being alone. However, I unexpectedly did not overthink my situation and actually felt quite at ease. The stimulating feeling of mental/spiritual growth caused me to walk through the Milwaukee airport with my head held high and a small grin on my face. Not only was I traveling alone, but I was traveling somewhere I have never gone before, New England!

As the nightly sky rotated, the sun bidding a farewell for the evening while each star, one by one, had made their greetings, my plane was immersed in the change from light to dark. Once I arrived, I ventured through the vacant Boston airport to find our host, Christina, waiting for me outside. Although the city of Boston was glowing with nightlife, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself at the fact that immediately after I got off the plane, I was greeted by the scent of seafood. “Welcome to Boston”, I can still hear Christina saying.

When we arrived at our destination, I was briefly introduced to some of the family members that also lived at the residence, which included a sassy corgi named Duncan that would ultimately win my heart. I won’t deny, I was bashful, staying with people I’ve never met before is not something I’m foreign to, however it can be nerve wracking to a degree. This feeling did not last long at all though since Christina's family had been very welcoming and I soon comfortably settled in.

My first day in New England was quite occupied! Filled with running errands and killing time until Whitney and Swan arrived that night, it was rather enjoyable. I honestly loved running around with Christina and little 10 month old Emersyn, gathering supplies for the Keene Pumpkin Fest that was quickly approaching that Saturday. I don’t spend a lot of time around babies, but I did enjoy goofing around with Emersyn, making faces and participating in one of her new discoveries…”pointing”. I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to have my own child.

I loved riding around and getting a feel for the area. The New England foliage was at its peak, the trees mixed of crimson and gold, lining the roads with a fiery aesthetic.

Whitney and Swan’s flight was arriving early, so before I knew it, I was accompanied by Christina’s husband, Jake along with Emersyn as we made our journey to the Boston airport. The ride consisted of talking about music with the appearance of a live porcupine in the road! Eventually, we made it to the airport and were able to pick up the girls safely. Once we got back to the house, we enjoyed some delicious local pizza and settled in for the night!

The next day was jam packed full of fun. We started off our morning with a mall run! I was definitely being tested on not spending money on things I don’t need, I passed, but it was extremely difficult. After venturing through various stores, from crystals to candles, we decided on finding some chow.

After more conversation, we opted on our next destination being the ocean. To my surprise, Whitney had never been to the ocean, and I’d say that we were all due for a little seaside experience.

As we journeyed through a cute little beach town, we were soon greeted by the immense sapphire waters.

Running through the soft sand with a refreshing crisp breeze dancing through our hair, the ocean’s roars gradually got louder as our distance between us and the sea grew smaller. The water was cold, yet tolerable, and although most of us fear the ocean and her mysteries, for that short time, we all felt at peace. Watching the waves claw at the land, in those moments I felt so calm, so at ease. As though all my worries and problems were miles away. Situations being completely absent from my mind, I was just there, just me and the water.

Of course, we couldn’t stay at the beach forever, after exploring around the boardwalk and taking everything in, we eventually made our adventure back inland. As the sun crept behind the horizon and dusk slowly followed, we came across a cemetery that was only a few minutes away from the house. Christina had mentioned that the gate was still open and suggested we all go check it out. Everyone knows the cemetery rules of gates being closed by sundown, and we won’t lie, it was past sundown by that point. Alas, we parked the car a few feet away and proceeded to the cemetery. The only thing illuminating our path was the orange street light that glowed softly over the zone.

Not too long after we left the vehicle, we were greeted by two bright blue LED headlights that would later be exposed to being on the front of none other than a police car. The officer had stopped and asked us what we were doing. Respectfully, we had explained that we had just wanted to check out the cemetery. The cop gave us a smirk and questioned if we were looking for ghosts, we all looked at each other, and then nodded. He then continued to share with us other haunted locations in the area, and then kindly explained that as long as we were respectful, we were allowed to go into the cemetery. Unfortunately, we did not get the officer's name, but I know we are all incredibly grateful for him allowing us to venture into the burial place after dark! To whoever you are, thank you!

We made our way past the old creaking metal gates and into the darkened plot. As the dimly blue sky transitioned into black, the once comforting woods that hugged the property soon became ominous. With mysterious sounds and shadows that lurked around us, we only went so far inward. The surrounding tombstones were dating back to 1700s-1800s. I was fascinated to be around this historic aura, however it didn’t take very long for us to be warned by the spirits to leave. After exploring for a short time, we heard unusual noises coming from the woods, followed immediately by the words “look back'' coming over the Necrometer app. We took that as our sign for departure.

Later that night, after a long, adventurous day, I decided to accompany Christina in experiencing some east coast night life while Whitney and Swan stayed in. I’m glad that I went along, I even met some people she knew and overall it was very enjoyable to spend time with her and her friends!

For the last two days we enjoyed a mixture of places. First, we went to the main event that was Salem, Massachusetts. A town full of so much history, it was an incredible experience. Although it was jam packed with the tourists, we still got to witness many witchy shops and other attractions. My favorite place was The Burying Point Cemetery. Complete with memorials of those who were wrongfully hung during the witch trials and the graves of those responsible for the hangings, to say that the energy was only heavy is an understatement. There were graves dating back all the way to the late 1600s, one of the graves even belonging to a Mayflower Pilgrim! It’s just so impactful and incredible to see historic scenes similar to this, I hope to experience more opportunities like this in the future.

Lastly, was the day of the Keene Pumpkin Festival in Keene, New Hampshire. The day was glacial, and the rain was not sympathetic towards our shivering bodies. However, the day was still full of entertainment, exploring the small town, seeing all the different Halloween costumes, checking out the local shops and surrounding booths that were also participating in the festival. I’m glad that we were also able to help out Christina and Jake with their booth for their incredible organization; Jollycations!

In conclusion, I’m so incredibly thankful that I was able to go on this adventure and share these experiences with my sister witches, Whitney and Swan! If you ever have the opportunity to travel to the New England area, especially during the crisp season of autumn, I highly recommend it! Along with traveling alone safely, if given the chance to do so! I’m thankful for Christina and Jake along with the rest of the family for welcoming me into their home! I’m looking forward to more adventures with everyone again soon!