A sprawling, late nineteenth-century home comes up on my right, painted thick with a jewel-toned eggplant. I don’t even glance at the GPS. You can’t miss The Gilded Hotel.

Lark Hotels’ newest Newport destination stands out like a swan in a paddling of ducks. Eye-catching around every corner, the patterns and colors are a feast for the eyes and for Instagram. Whimsical touches like birdcage chandeliers, leopard-print rugs, and metallic lion statues fill the space with an eccentric mod and art deco design. I love it immediately. It feels like I’ve stepped into the home of one of Johnny Depp’s larger than life characters.

The hotel is located on an ideal corner, just far enough away from the crowds to be sleepily silent at night. It’s a ten minute walk to the restaurants and shops along the docks, which I end up doing regularly since there’s so much to see. I find a lot of the hidden gems on the hotel’s convenient itineraries on my complimentary iPad—it’s mine for the duration of my stay, and between the scavenger hunt for free nights and list of recommendations, I put it to good use.

Gilded's free breakfast the next morning is beautiful, small plate dishes like rosemary-basil frittata and blueberry-banana yogurt parfaits. I’m surprised to see the presentation efforts—most hotel breakfasts are DIY waffles and tubes of dry cereal.

The concierge tells me I’m in the best room in the hotel, which I understand since it isn’t quite high season for tourists. After a long day of travel and exploration, I’m extremely grateful for the fireplace and bathtub. The bathroom is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen, especially for a hotel. The bed might be deserving of its own blog post—I can easily say it was the best hotel bed I’ve ever slept in. I’m a person that likes to have a lot of blanket weight on top of me when I sleep, and the linens on my Gilded bed were what marshmallow bed dreams are made of.

Upon checkout, I feel like I’ve been at Gilded for much longer than one night. The welcoming and tailored experience makes me wish I were staying a full week more. Next time, I decide as the giant plum estate disappears in my rearview mirror, I just might.

Thank you to Lark Hotels for hosting my stay.

Boston is a city of great variety and great stature. My excitement about meeting it has grown exponentially in the last two or three years with a developing interest in American history—a subject I passively glazed over from grade school to high school—but it’s also a vivaciously dynamic city with much more going for it than just its revolutionary tales. I’m sharing five of the best places I visited during my week in town. Unintentionally, many of them do happen to have great historical significance; the city’s fabric is just woven too tightly with the thread of a nation’s beginning to ignore.

Boston Public Library — 1848

If you’re asking a librarian (which you are) it doesn’t get much more romantic than city libraries, and the Boston Public Library easily clinches a spot in the top three of several I’ve been lucky enough to visit. Established in 1848, everything from its art collections to the courtyard fountain to the building itself, its stateliness is overwhelming and beautiful, and an entire afternoon could easily be dedicated to combing through its extensive collection. Don’t miss Bates Hall to get the iconic and studious green lamp shot.

Beacon Hill — 1795

One of the oldest neighborhoods in America, there’s nothing to dislike about Beacon Hill. Also home to one of the most photographed streets in America (Acorn Street), prepare for perfection abound in every lane. Take a few minutes and stroll through each street for as long as you can handle it. Every exquisite home is unique in its façade, and some even stand out as historical gems with a bit of a back story. It presents itself as the ideal neighborhood, and it should be. It’s had the most practice out of anyone on the mainland.

Freedom Trail — 1634-1809

You can’t do Boston without doing the Freedom Trail. A major revolutionary hub, just about everything happened in this city short of signing the Declaration. It’s extremely entertaining to start at the head of the green line—there’s a literal paint line along the sidewalk that takes you by each landmark—and follow the crowd along the 3 mile stretch of history. The highlights? The Old Granary Burial Ground, where you can pay your respects to Paul Revere and Mother Goose; The Old North Church; and my personal favorite, the Old Corner Bookstore (frequent visitor Louisa May Alcott’s work was published here!) which is now, sadly, a Chipotle.

Regina’s Pizza — 1926

Not everything in Boston is as old as the hills. Like every other city in the world, everyone in Boston has their own opinion about the best slice. The only one I made time for was Regina’s Pizza, and I can still taste the perfectly seasoned sauce. A small, always-bustling space in the lively and cozy North End, the atmosphere is warm and joyful because everyone sitting there wants to be (be prepared to wait in an outdoor line). The pizza is served fast and hot, and the bathrooms are laughably small. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a family-run space tucked into a city corner, draped in twinkle lights and autographed celebrity headshots.  

Harvard University — 1636

I went to Harvard for Legally Blonde, and I stayed for all the other reasons. Harvard surpassed any expectations I may have set for it (I don’t recall if I had any, now that I’ve been), but I felt its importance in every step on the pavement. Besides the fact that it’s Frasier Crane’s alma mater, thousands of vastly important (real) people have attended and walking in the footsteps of some of the smartest people in the world made me wish I had a sliver of their commitment to learning. It’s been around since 1636. Let that sink in. It’s also home to the second largest collection of secular stained glass in the world, which happens to be housed in the freshman dining hall. It’s this kind of weighted casualness that makes walking the campus a progressively humbling experience. Learning historical facts about a place when you’re standing literally in the middle of it always tends to strike a stronger chord.

“I fall into a flow of personal distance among strangers when I’m home. Sometimes I feel like I’m a better version of myself when I’m away, whether I’m asking for help or learning someone’s story.”

Most questions I get about my travels are why I go it alone. I get inquiries from girls all over the world asking for tips and advice on how or what it’s like to travel on my own, which thrills me to hear that so many of you are interested in doing it. Besides my most worthwhile advice to just do it, I’ve compiled a list of the best and worst things I've felt about solo travel that might be on the minds of the dreamers out there.

Pros

Total freedom

When you travel with a friend or your family, people are bound to have differing opinions and itineraries. Even with plans in place, so much of a positive experience in a new place is listening to your instincts and allowing for modifications. I’ve been en route to coffee shops before and run into a local on the way, who of course knows the best place to get a cappuccino, and off I go on an unplanned route for a better cup of coffee. Trying to accommodate everyone’s needs and interests when traveling with a group often becomes a stressful challenge.

Total immersion

Strolling city streets or hiking a trail alone leaves no room between you and your adventure. Traveling with another individual or group automatically puts the priority on the relationship, and a lot of time is spent in conversation or thinking about things back home because you have that familiar connection. You might miss a scene or a sight that could have enhanced the experience. Of course, traveling with another person can often enhance your travel experience, but that’s not always the case. There's a lot to be learned about yourself on a lonely road, whether you're twenty years old or fifty. Self-discovery is a lovely and powerful thing.

Vulnerability

I’m very intentionally making this a pro because it’s a good way to grow. If you’re scared of going somewhere by yourself, so what? Get over it. If you’re not comfortable spending time with yourself, how are you even a person right now? To quote the very wise Samantha Jones, you’ve been in a relationship with yourself for 24 years (replace with your own age), and that’s the one you need to work on. By principle, solo travel makes you take care of yourself. If you’re traveling alone, you have to eat and you have to get places, and you’ll have to do it all yourself. You might even realize you enjoy the time alone.

Cons

More expensive

One of the great joys of traveling with a friend is splitting the cost of lodging. Whether you’re camping or living the suite life, being able to split the pricey cost of an overnight stay is definitely something to think about if you’re looking to travel on the cheap. However, traveling solo does give you more flexibility with options for where to stay, since all you basically need is a twin bed and a roof over your head.  Plus, you can cut costs in other areas like food or public transportation since you’re the one making all the decisions.

Loneliness

Honestly, unless you’re intentionally going to get away from it all, social media and strangers easily solve this problem. I’m constantly on Snapchat and Instagram while I travel to share the experience with my friends, family, and you, and it makes me feel like the world is right there with me. The other thing is being on your own often lends itself to conversation much more easily. People are more inclined to be kind to a single pleasant soul perusing the menu, asking for recommendations for what to eat or where to go than someone sitting in their own little world with a friend.

Safety

I was hesitant to add this one to the cons list, because traveling alone is technically no more unsafe than traveling with a girlfriend, especially abroad. However, it’s the anticipation and the anxiety about traveling alone that makes it a con. It is scary to think about being out there with no one to take care of you, but that’s essentially what you do when you leave home for the first time. You’re heading out into the unknown. You can still call your mom if you need to. Doing it in an unfamiliar city or country makes you just makes you braver for it.

All of this is to say that I’m a big proponent of traveling alone and enjoy it thoroughly. It’s not for everyone, but if it’s ever crossed your mind, I encourage you to book a ticket to that place you’ve always wanted to go and start putting together an itinerary. It’s just as liberating as you think it’s going to be.