Party like it's 1776: Weekend in Boston

This weekend I went to visit a friend of mine in Boston. It's been a rough couple of weeks and I was grateful when she called to offer me a chance to get out of town for the long weekend and celebrate the Fourth with her. I flew out Friday morning super early (5:00 exists in the a.m. too???) so I had almost a full day when I landed.

Knowing me as she does, our first stop was coffee and lots of it. We got an early lunch and then she took me to see her apartment. She lives in this awesome converted mill outside Boston- exposed brickwork and beams, tons of windows. It's gorgeous. After that, we spent the afternoon/evening at their friends' cookout. Unfortunately, it rained so we couldn't swim and the fireworks were cancelled, but we still made the most of it inside.

On Saturday, we went to Boston Common and walked around. We followed the Freedom Trail through the historic district and up to the North End for lunch, where the smell of garlic pervaded the streets. We ate an absurd amount of delicious pasta at a tiny corner restaurant until I could barely move. Nonetheless, I found it within me to eat cannolis from Mike's Pastry, which were so good and definitely worth having to cross the Mason-Dixon to taste. There wasn't room to eat there with the crowd, so we took them to the Harbor (that's hah-bah) and ate on a bench overlooking the boats. It was an absolutely perfect afternoon.

No, I didn't eat all four myself!

I love you Mike, whoever you are!

It's pronounced 'hah-bah.'

So delicious.

After my sugar crash subsided, we made our way to catch the T to Fenway Park. We were still a little early for baseball, so we went to a place called the Cask and Flagon to get a quick drink and watch the end of the World Cup game between the Netherlands and Costa Rica. I was glad we stopped since the game went to penalty kicks and an exciting finish. After cheering the Netherlands to victory, we walked on to Fenway. Even though the Red Sox lost to the Orioles, it was still a super fun experience and I'm so glad we got tickets so I could visit the 'Green Monstah.'

Those are our new friends photobombing us. They were so amused by the fact that I call my friend's boyfriend 'Yankee.'

Yesterday, I had to be back at the airport around 3, so we shopped around a little bit and got a late lunch at Legal Seafoods. My crab cake was delicious and the perfect last New England meal! All in all, my first foray to Boston was great. It was so nice to see my friend, be shown around her city, see new sights, and eat new things. Even if people kept looking at me funny when I said ya'll!

What fun things did you do this past holiday weekend?

Travel Is The Only Thing You Buy That Makes You Richer

This has long been one of my favorite quotes and has resounded more forcefully with me throughout this semester. One of the best things about living abroad this semester was the ease with which I could travel to any number of countries, even if just for a long weekend. That was made even easier by the fact that school gave us a two-week Spring Break- I was able to spend a week in Italy seeing Florence and relaxing in Cinque Terre, spend the weekend back in London and then do a whirlwind tour of Amsterdam, Brussels, Bruges, and Luxembourg. I even got to take my boyfriend to Dublin as surprise for his birthday and spend a weekend in Deauville, France.

After finals ended on Thursday, my boyfriend and I were able to catch a Eurostar train to Paris for the long weekend. Apart from getting to go to one of my favorite cities, it was so exciting to have the new experience of taking a train through the Chunnel. Even though it was so stressful to plan a trip while I was still taking exams, it was the best possible final trip for the semester. Paris is always beautiful; Paris in the Spring is even better. More so than just that, it’s wonderful to immerse yourself in the language and the culture for a few days. From the farmers markets to the très delicious croissants, and the gorgeous sites, France makes for a great trip. The experience of being able to go to countries with a cultural history stretching back so much earlier than America’s founding is truly an education in itself, and one that everyone should experience!

While this semester has undoubtedly been an expensive experience, I'm so grateful for the worldly education it has provided me. I could easily have stayed home and spent the money on new clothes or shoes or something. The memories I've acquired while I've been here will last much longer than any of those material things. Learning from other people, learning new languages, (poorly, mind you!) trying new foods and seeing new things is a growing experience. Spending time in so many countries has definitely widened my worldview, exposed me to different cultures, and yes, made me richer in the most important ways.