Boston, Mass

I got to Boston a day sooner than I expected. I was listening to an audiobook (Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis) and didn't realize I was so close to Boston until I was there. I had planned to camp outside the city then go in and explore in the morning, but I guess that wasn't meant to be. 

I decided I would drive around and find a safe looking place to sleep in my car since I told the girl that Andrew Wolfe found for me to crash with at Harvard that I wouldn't be there until the following night. 

As it turns out, Boston looks really scary at night and I couldn't find any big commercial looking hotels with free parking. I ended up calling Alice, the Harvard student that kindly offered up the futon inn her dorm to Stella and me. 

It was great! It turns out she is from San Jose and we had a really nice conversation that night. It was really cool staying at Harvard, too. I have never been there before but have heard so much about it! (My half sister went there and so did Elle Woods!)

The next day, armed with a really good map I drove from Cambridge into Boston. I drove because there was no good parking on campus and it just seemed like a good idea. It was not. 

You see, I never get lost. Never. I have an uncanny sense of direction. Except in Boston. It was horrible. None of the streets make sense and I swear they move from spot to spot totally disregarding the map. On top of that Boston drivers are at least 10 times worse than LA drivers. Believe it. 

I freaked out. I called Mom bawling cause I couldn't find parking for less than $1 million per hour and I couldn't get where I wanted to be. Se encouraged me to just park at Boston Commons, pay the $10 million to park for the day and forget about it and enjoy the city!

So I did and I did. I walked the freedom trail from the Commons to the Old North Church. I had lunch (of amazing wonderful yummy clam chowder and lobster) at Durgin Park and I sat on the steps on the side of Park Street Church where Grandma and Granddaddy got married. It was fun to walk in my families history. 

Though I loved Boston and really, really want to go back with Mom and Aunt Janet I don't think I can see myself living there. I kind of wish I had gone to college there, but what's done is done. 

I do love Massachusetts though I could totally live on Cape Ann. And I especially love calling it 'Mass'... but more on that later.