Dear Mom: Meet Me in Rhode Island
epic mother-daughter Trip to Newport, Rhode Island
I flew my mom out to Newport, Rhode Island to celebrate the fact that she is simply the best mother and a beautiful human. When I first started working and making my own money, I promised myself that someday I would fly her out on vacation with me on the regular to spoil her and spend quality time together, as a small token of appreciation for all she has done for me throughout my life. To be able to see this goal and vision I set for myself early on in my career come to life is something I am very proud of.
This Mother’s Day, I surprised my mom with a long girls weekend (complete with flight, hotel, and itinerary, in true Renee fashion) in one of the cutest, most quintessential New England towns. I flew her out from California on a Friday and let her have the hotel room to herself that evening to relax and get good sleep. I booked us at the cutest boutique hotel, right on the pier in downtown Newport next to the famous Thames street. It was the perfect location. On Saturday morning, I packed a backpack and walked to the train station to board the 7am train to Newport from NYC Penn Station. It was so easy and such a relaxing, gorgeous train ride with great views of the city.
When we finally reunited in the hotel room, she was sitting by the window, in classy all-white attire, relaxed as could be in true Ka-Ling fashion. It was already close to noon, and we were SO excited for our girls weekend to officially commence!
First things first, I set up a lunch reservation for us at the famous Castle Hill Inn, a fancy B&B established in 1875. I had to make sure that my mom, lover of seafood and especially lobster rolls, tried some of the fresh seafood that Newport had to offer. The meal did not disappoint - it was healthy, fresh, and super yummy! We caught up on all the critical things, especially our favorite reality shows (Love Is Blind Season 4!) before heading out to sit in the Adirondack chairs overlooking the ocean. At that moment in time, all of my worries and stresses washed away. I was in my happy place: overlooking the water, with my best friend, and the sun shining on me. If that’s not happiness, I don’t know what is.
We had so much fun taking tons of pictures on the lawn at Castle Hill Inn. It got a little chilly and windy, so we decided to head back to Thames Street to do some shopping and get gelato (as one does when in Newport!) It was the perfect end to the day, and we even got to catch the sunset on the pier outside our hotel before returning to the room, washing up, watching more reality TV together, and falling asleep.
The next morning, I walked along Bellevue Avenue in awe of the stunning mansions. I stumbled upon the end of the Cliff Walk, and ended up walking the entire length of it (about an hour and a half). It was absolutely amazing (the photos don’t do it justice) and the perfect way to start the day with some fresh salt air and sunshine.
Our first stop of the day was a tour of The Breakers, a famous Gilded Age mansion built in 1893 as a summer residence for the wealthy Vanderbilt family. My mom and I LOVED it. It felt like we took a time machine to the 1800s to tour an open house for American royalty! We got to see all of the bedrooms for the children and the mother and father, including their individual bathrooms, closets, etc. They had a billiards room, huge kitchen, a library, a music room, and even a “morning” room. The terrace overlooking the water was so pretty. For some reason, we were obsessed with the little pot and pan ornaments in the gift shop, reminiscent of the real pots and pans they had in their huge kitchen. It was so neat to be able to see old American wealth like that! It was definitely a highlight of the trip for us. Plus, we had so much fun wearing our dresses and taking cute pics in them overlooking their backyard view over the water. Are you ever too old to stop wearing matching outfits with your mother? I think not!
After the tour, we enjoyed a nice long walk back into town to eat at Roots, our go-to place for very healthy smoothies, juices, and salads. We went a few times throughout the trip. We loved our meal (even got to watch a parade while we ate) and spent the rest of the day shopping and walking around. We were so excited to stumble upon a whole new set of shops along the wharf, and my mom scored big finding some adorable new shoes and staples for the summer. It was so fun to shop together and give her my fashion advice. That evening, we did some self-care by putting on some under-eye patches and watching Love Is Blind finale. It was SO much fun to cozily watch in bed together and be able to chit chat about all the drama!
The next day was our last full day in Newport. I booked us in at the Bodhi Spa for some relaxing shoulder, back and head massages. It was heavenly and just what we needed! From there, we got delicious acai bowls and snacks from the supermarket, and made our way to see “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret” at the movies. It was very wholesome and we loved watching our all-time favorite actress, Rachel McAdams, while laughing at all the nostalgia it brought back for my mom since the movie took place in the 70s/80s. We went to the most random movie theatre in the middle of nowhere, which made it all the more memorable of an experience. It was the best afternoon spent doing all of my favorite things, with my favorite person. After the movie, we headed back to downtown to revisit some shops and get ready to head back home (with VERY heavy hearts given we were both having the best time ever). We got up in the middle of the night to head to the airport and train station together (luckily we managed to find the only taxi driver awake at 4am to take us) before saying our dreaded goodbye to the literal best weekend EVER.
My mom and I have always had a very special bond and connection. It is very difficult to put into words, but we are of the same mind, heart, spirit, and soul. True kindred spirits. She is my role model, and the first person that comes to mind when I think about what it means to be a strong, classy woman. She has always made me feel safe, loved, and supported through her words, but most importantly, her actions. We could be doing absolutely nothing at all, or the craziest activity together, and I am content just being near her. She is fiercely protective of her children, and would do literally anything (and I mean ANYTHING) for us. She is independent, wise, funny, loyal, kind, and could make conversation with a 5 year old, a 15 year old, a 50 year old, or a 100 year old - and somehow make them feel special too. She is just that kind of person.
She is the closest thing to an angel on earth that I have ever known, and it is not lost on me that the privilege of getting to be her daughter means that I have won the mom lottery. Anyone who knows her knows what I mean when I say that she is simply a beautiful person who you always want to be around. She has the kind of energy and aura that I can only describe as being light, easy, and fun-loving.
Here’s to the best mom in the world, and to many more weekends like this with her. This is what life is all about. I love you, Mom. I hope you know that you are my everything. Xoxo
