A Quiet Escape to Rhode Island: One Day, One Backpack, No Plan

 I didn’t expect much when I left Boston that Saturday morning.

 Just zipped up my 20L extend backpack, grabbed a coffee, and boarded a train heading south. I wasn’t chasing attractions — just looking for a day that felt nothing like the city.

Historic mansion and green gardens in Newport, Rhode Island

9:00 AM – Cliffwalk & Conversations with the Sea

Newport’s Cliffwalk was the first to reset me.

 Waves hit the rocks like punctuation. The wind was loud but the path was calm — 3.5 miles of ocean edge that felt cinematic without even trying.

 I walked until I forgot I was “doing” anything at all. Somewhere around the mansion gardens and weather-worn fences, I felt still.


12:30 PM – A Carbonara Pause in Little Italy

Providence came next, along with a bowl of ricotta-stuffed pasta and a tart too pretty to eat.

 The staff chatted in half-Italian, half-jokes. The espresso was strong. The city felt far behind me.

Strawberry tarts and pastries from a cafe in Providence’s Little Italy

3:00 PM – Drifting on the Providence River

By mid-afternoon, I’d found a kayak spot.

 The river was shallow and quiet, shells visible below. I paddled slowly, no destination.

 At one point, under a bridge, I heard violin. A street musician. It felt like a private moment I wasn’t supposed to catch — the best kind.


6:30 PM – Train Window, Sunset Light

On the ride back to Boston, I sat by the window, soft sun on my arms.

 Someone once told me: “Rhode Island isn’t a state. It’s a state of mind.”

 That finally made sense.


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