Let me begin with mentioning that 2018 has delivered me a very intense first half of the year.  I entered the world of real estate for the first time and am now the proud owner of  a tiny Condo on Maui with a peek-a-boo ocean view.  As anyone who has decided to start the homeownership process knows that I’ve been in a four month bubble of stress and uncertainty.  Therefore, I’ve neglected my favorite pastimes in the world: this blog and travel itself.

However, about two weeks into actually owning my Condo, I was sent on a trip I’d planned late in 2017.  A great diversion from the stresses of unpacking a home – I flew to New York City for a play,  then took a road trip up to Montreal for a few days and drove back to NYC through the amazingly beautiful Vermont.

The trip started out wonderfully – as I had purchased my first 180 degree lay down first class sleeper with Hawaiian Airlines.  I only booked it for the outbound flight – and it was SPEC-TAC-U-LAR.  Roomy enough for even me, you can immediately put your feet up and get uber comfy like you’re at home.  I popped a half an ambien and slept soundly all the way from Honolulu to New York City.  I landed rested and ready to hit the town!

While I’d been to New York City once before, this was my first time as a super fluff so it proved to be a harder city than I remember. Due to this and the heat as well as a lack of time I ended up using Lyft a lot while I was in the city.  However, I think most of you fluffs are more than up for doing the city the old fashioned way – with the subways, walking and an occasional cab or Lyft.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was just as magical in New York city as it was when I saw it in London.  Seats were tight, but I was the only fluff having issues.  Luckily I sat next to a very sweet friend, Jenny, who encourage me to just ‘lean in’ and not to worry.  The rest of NYC was mainly all about amazing museums, shopping and visiting must-do restaurants like Russ & Daughters, L & B Spumoni Gardens (my favorite), Butter as well as Katz Deli (twice).  Here is Traveling Adrienne and I at Russ and Daughters after THE MOST AMAZING bagels and lox ever made!

Unfortunately, due to poor shoe choices, my current weight as well as lack of recent exercize… my walking pace was too slow for my travel companions.  I found myself anywhere from 10-40 paces behind them at all times,  all by myself.  This made for incredibly lonely walks throughout the trip – with no one to converse with and the feeling of failure to keep up.  But as I always say, “so it goes”.  I travel a lot solo, so I just reverted to people watching and entertaining myself.  It will definitely encourage me to more solo travel in the future so I don’t end up slowing people down.

The drive up to Montreal was very beautiful!  I was born in Schenectady, so we stopped at a bakery/diner called Perreca’s for a lovely lunch.   We stopped at Lake George so I could put my feet in it’s glacially cold water – but it’s such a cute town I’ll likely visit again if I’m in the area.  Montreal was a very beautiful and very French City.. A mini Paris if you will.  Sadly we missed the light show at the Notre Dame Cathedral – but it’s an excuse to return again in the future!

The highlight for Montreal was being able to interview a veteran of the plus size travel bloggers, Ms. Edith of  The Plus Size Backpacker.  It was such a pleasure meeting someone who has worked so hard to make a name for plus sized travellers as well as being a voice for Body Positivity around the world.  You’ll get to hear our interview in the coming weeks on the Plus Size Traveler Podcast.

Now – the part of the trip I’d been looking forward to besides the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play on Broadway — was the drive through Vermont.  A must do would be taking the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory Tour as well as visiting the Cabot Cheese Store.  I also enjoyed one of my favorite meals of the whole trip at the Apple Core Luncheonette in Waterbury. Being the superfan that I am – I had booked a night in Northern Vermont to stay at the Trapp Family Lodge.  It was so beautifully set up in the Green Mountains that I was brimming with tears of joy the whole time I was there.  A must do if you’re a fan – especially due to the indoor pool, which I can never resist!!  After a lovely evening talking with the local sheep and breathing in the crisp mountain air – it was time to make my way back down New England to NYC.

Circumstances left me doing this on my own and it was a drive like no other I’ve experienced.  Vermont farm land as far as the eye can see, picturesque lakes and all the romance of the tree lined byways.  If you planning on doing Vermont, please do consider taking the byways and they are so charming you’ll be squeeing through every mile. I made it all the way to the Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vermont.

Once through Vermont, I just got off the byways and onto the more major highways the boogie back to JFK and HOME HOME HOME.

So the little nugget of advice of Plus Sized Advice I have for this recent adventure is that you can do any trip you want – just do it at your own pace. Don’t let anyone rush you if you cannot be rushed – and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL – even in May the Lilacs are in bloom at the Trapp Family Lodge.