i miss autumn in New England

dramatic skies over the '92 theater

This weekend I went back to Middletown, Connecticut to visit my cousin for family weekend at Wesleyan, and was treated to a most idyllic taste of autumn. I've always loved fall in the northeast (my favorite season, no contest) but having lived in LA for two decades now, it's become a rare treat. Another rare treat was being able to spend the day with my two cousins Franny and Finn and we had a great time walking around campus and sharing funny stories about our respective Wesleyan experiences. I also got to spend time with two great friends from my own '90s era of Wesleyan- Sascha and Sadia. I got a stupid expensive pocketsize digital camera to document the trip, with a plan to return it when I got home, but the photos look so good that I'm thinking of keeping it? Here's a photographic record of the weekend and let's just assume I miss all of these things unless I say otherwise:

buying snacks at weshop with points

almost all of the culinary offerings at Weshop are better now than they were during my era, except I do miss the bulk gummy candy bins

the Wesleyan Film Series

Foss Hill

flyers for campus events. I'm glad they still do these

Middletown canonically runs on Dunkin

trips to Lyman Orchards, you cannot get more autumn than this

ridiculous levels of autumn right here

And a pumpkin patch?!? get outta here

an extra vivid full rainbow over Brainerd Ave. I guess this could've happened in spring, but personally I think it's even better in autumn

okay, here's one thing I don't miss because I don't know that it was a thing until recently- a huge tailgate setup for the homecoming football game. it was giving D1 vibes in a way that I don't think was a thing back in '90s era Wesleyan. It looked like everyone was having a great time though, so as Mel Robbins says, "Let Them" (I haven't read that book, but I really enjoy saying "let them" about literally everything)

A campus protest? Now you're speaking my language

And now it comes time for the thing I probably miss the most about autumn in New England, going out for New Haven style pizza. It may be my favorite food in the world, especially when paired with a Foxon Park white birch beer, probably my favorite soft drink in the world. If you're hungry and not within driving distance of New Haven, you may want to stop reading now...

Grand Apizza in Madison, CT. We got the eggplant ricotta and it was incredible.

Last night Finn and I were the only ones dining in at Olde World Apizza in North Haven. If I had more than 7 readers of this blog I would gatekeep this place. For me it's right up there with all of the iconic pizzerias in the area but without the line out the door. I was thinking about it my whole flight home.

We got a red pie, half with ricotta and broccoli rabe. There are no words that could do justice to how delicious this pizza was. It made me so happy.

Calzones.

I'm realizing now that two of the happiest memories for me in Connecticut are #1: falling in love with my college sweetheart for life and #2: pizza. And I debated which one to put first (jk, love you Lynn!). So the final two Middletown spots I had to document were:

180 College Street, where Lynn lived when we first started dating in 1997

And finally, the site of the former pizzeria Sorelle's, where my roommates and I worked as delivery drivers and got to take home any unsold pizza, spinach rolls, and arancini at the end of the night. Now it's Asian Restaurant.

The only downside of the trip was having to wake up in the middle of the night for my 6AM flight back from Bradley Airport this morning, but I truly had a great time hangin out in Connecticut.