Weekend Getaway

We left the city over Labor Day weekend, and traded buildings for trees and roads for dirt paths. When we lived in a small town we went to a bigger city for nonstop entertainment, crowds of people, and a jam-packed schedule. But, now that we live in a big city, we just want the peace and quiet only found in a small town. Less people and more green space.

So, we escaped to Princeton, New Jersey and stayed at the Marriott at Forrestal. We stayed for free at the Marriott thanks to Ben and the Marriott points he racked up from traveling for work. Free lodging is how couples, like us, on a budget live large.

Our hotel room was approximately the size of our first studio apartment, and we welcomed the extra space of the king size bed since we usually squeeze into a full. We got professional massages for the first time ever, and we rented a car. We forgot how FUN driving is!

On Saturday, we walked around Princeton University's campus and felt a little old as nervous freshman moved into the dorms for their first weekend of college. Parents proudly hauled boxes from minivans with soaped windows declaring, "Frosh in front" and "Princeton Tiger Cub on Board". Obviously, we're too weathered to be considered 18, but maybe the youngins mistook us for one of the nontraditional-post doctoral-married student housing couples.

We started each day with chocolate chip and banana pancakes at PJ's Pancake House. We then biked along the D&R Canal and later relaxed with some brewskies at a locally famous bar called Alchemist & Barrister, owned by a chemist and a lawyer. Supposedly the actor Andrew Shue lives in Princeton. I never saw him, but as we biked along the canal I couldn't help but continually scan the river for Joshua Jackson with a crew team reenacting his role from The Skulls. Even at the bar, I expected Matt Damon and Ben Affleck from Good Will Hunting to show up and quote some famous authors to only then take my Ben out back and rough him up South Boston style. Blame Hollywood for my twisted Ivy League perspective.

Overall, the weekend was great. Quiet and relaxing. Princeton was awesome, and definitely excited us for our one day departure to suburbia.