Thursday 18 August 2011

Boston Trip

Last week, I had the great privilege of visiting Boston and surrounding area.  It was a trip full of a lot of first experiences and jumping out of my comfort zone.  I flew, saw the ocean, and rode subways for the first time and did a host of other things.  I know that's all a little shocking, but it's true.

When I first flew in and went into the city, it was a bit of a culture shock.  Where I live, I'm very unaccustomed to city life, and here I was in a different country, a big city and trying to take in all the things around me.  It was a little overwhelming.  There's vendors on many streets selling food, drinks, produce, pastries, souvenirs and it's almost like walking through a fair or farmer's market in some areas.

The first day I was able to make a far too short visit to the Museum of Fine Arts.  Beautiful!  You don't need a lot of knowledge or interest in art to enjoy a place like that.  A little appreciation for beauty and talent will do.  I came the day after the Chihuly exhibit ended, which was unfortunate, but they still had a few of his pieces on display.  That evening I went to a singles event at a Boston church and heard a professor from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary speak.  I wish I could have wrapped that whole talk up and taken it home with me.  I got to end the night by walking a long way through the city after dark in a torrential downpour.

I saw a lot of things in Boston, but the problem was there was so much to take in, I don't remember it all.  I did see a number of historical sites, the Freedom Trail, the City Hall, the Boston Library, a Steinway store and expensive fashion taste on Newbury Street.  I also climbed Beacon Hill and enjoyed stepping out of the busy city scene and relaxing in the Boston Common and Public Garden.  I feel like I saw a lot, but it was only a tiny portion of the city

For the remaining days of my stay I visited smaller towns in the area, which have some of the coolest shops, art galleries, taffy factories, restaurants, bakeries and more.  These are the kinds of towns I often saw in pictures, but rarely saw for myself.  I was going to bring back postcards, but couldn't find any that did the places justice. 

Last but not least, I got to spend a couple afternoons at the ocean.  The cold, clear water, sun and sand were so refreshing.  I enjoyed boogie boarding, as long as my head stayed above the water.  Salt water tastes nasty. I don't know how anybody could find that taste pleasant.  I saw a lot of jellyfish eggs on one beach, which was pretty neat. 

I even enjoyed the simple pleasure of sitting at the airport with coffee, a giant cookie and a book waiting for my flight home.  Home to heat and humidity I didn't miss at all.  But I loved coming home as well.

There's a random, brief snapshot of my vacation.  Envy me yet?

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