After much anticipation, I had the pleasure of returning to the Berkshires for a romp through the MASS MoCA universe a few weeks ago. I landed in Providence, Rhode Island, where I met with Margaret, one of the loveliest on the planet. We hung out in Providence for a bit, taking a long walk, and the next day we drove to North Adams. There we met up with Kacey K! She and her (awesome) guy Ryan shacked up with us at the posh Porches, a hotel near the museum that we had before, with intern eyes, looked at adoringly. There were creepy paint by number pieces and ugly lamps in the room, but it was great to stay there nonetheless.
We got to tour through the MASS MoCA space, which is always filled with such fantastic work. We wandered around, past the Sol Lewitt paintings, by a film piece by Sanford Biggers, and on through our old stomping grounds... it felt really nice. We got to see all the people we had hoped to, and ended the night with a performance by Justin Townes Earle, beer with friends, and an outdoor hot tub. The next day, we stopped by Williamstown and toured the Williams College Museum of Art, which had an engaging retrospective on Asco that I was really into.After bidding goodbye to Kacey and Ryan, Margaret and I continued on to Portland, Maine. By this time (for the whole trip really), I had this horrible sinus infection, but I was determined to enjoy this stolen time! We arrived in Portland at night, after nearly everything had closed down. In the morning, we walked around, most notably by the water, and through the little shops in the historical district. We went along Maine's coast, past the the Portland Head Light and I thought about something a friend had told me, about how some people running the lighthouses would get so lonely that they'd kill their family if they had one. That it was lonely, and they probably only wanted someone to hang out with or make love to. Anyway, it was a beautiful day. I'm pretty sure I had had a dream about that place before seeing it in real life.
For the drive back, we made our way quickly from Portland to Providence, driving through towns (including Wells Beach!), stopping by an antique store/house, and underneath Boston's belly.
I'm always so happy to see Margaret and Kacey, and am lucky for those opportunities to go on adventures with them. When I got back from the airport that night, Patrick rolled up in my Jetta blasting hot jams. Despite how great the journey was, it was good to be home.