{...Miles to go before we sleep}

Our Boston adventure began on the way to the airport when we got a tad lost and arrived just 30 minutes before our scheduled takeoff. We jumped on the nearest parking lot shuttle and told our trusty driver to book it to the terminal.

Now, if any of you know Emily, you know that she’s not exactly the “athletic” type. Watching her run in normal circumstances is entertaining enough, but strap on a 10 pound backpack and an oversized purse, coat and scarf in one hand and plane ticket in the other, and you’ll get a visual display that leaves no question as to why she left any athletic pursuits behind in the third grade after a traumatizing season of YMCA basketball. Luckily, we made it just in the nick of time.



We were greeted in Boston by our friend and gracious host Amanda. She recently moved to the area to start business school at a little place called Harvard University. She’s only been there a few weeks, but has made a seamless transition and seems to be right at home in her new environment with friends and classmates. She fits in so well that it’s hard to believe she hasn’t been there all along.



We started out with lovely breakfast and a tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum. The museum was an art-filled home of a woman who donated the residence to the city when she died, with the only stipulation being that nothing could be moved or changed from how she left it. The 4-story home was built with a breathtaking atrium in the center that gives the impression you're in the heart of the Secret Garden rather than downtown Boston.




Did I mention that it was POURING rain outside? Because it was. But due to our limited time in the city, we weren’t going to let a little thing like the weather slow us down or ruin our plans. With map in hand, Brittany served as chief navigator as we moseyed along the Freedom Trail sipping our caramel apple ciders and white hot chocolates. We didn’t bother trying to fit in with the locals, but instead embraced our role as tourists and read each landmark description and called on strangers to take our photos at every possible opportunity.





The trail led us to sites we remember learning about in history class but never comprehended as real events until seeing them in person. Just to name a few, we saw the home of Paul Revere, Bunker Hill, the Boston Massacre memorial, and a cemetery where colonialists such as John Hancock and others are buried.







By this point we had done a LOT of walking, so much that Brittany got a hole in the bottom of her shoe that formed a sponge in the sole. Her poor little toesies were like raisins by the end of the day (now that’s some serious dedication!).

After dinner we headed to a party that Amanda heard about through friends. Even though we didn’t know anyone going in, it was no surprise that we ran into several familiar faces from our BYU and University of Utah days. One of these faces was B-Money, a Provo rap-legend that is well-known by anyone who has spent any time in Happy Valley. We were lucky enough to snag a photo with him.





We topped off the night with some dessert at Finale with Amanda and some of her classmates. When we returned to her apartment, we found ourselves with blistered feet, sopping clothes and drooping eyelids. All evidence of a very busy and fun-filled day.


After a solid 4 hours of sleep, we got up to attend the 7:45 AM service at Trinity Church to catch a glimpse of the building that the architecture community has ranked in its top 10 list of significant buildings for over 100 years. The building lived up to its reputation with its intricate details and endless panes of stained glass.


After the service, we headed to the Boston Harbor to have our very own “Tea Party.” We decided to take the Function over Fashion route this leg of the trip, and sported our tennies and socks with our church dresses. Our poor, battered feet simply wouldn’t have it any other way. Fashion faux pas? Yes. Slightly embarrassing? Yes.



The rest of the day consisted of church at Amanda’s ward followed by a tour of the Harvard Business School. The campus was just how we imagined, with its massive red brick buildings, cherry wood furnishings and JFK, Jr. look-a-like dreamboats around every corner (sigh). Amanda is one lucky girl to be spending the next two years on that campus.



So, it's official. We love Boston.



Thanks to Amanda for being a wonderful hostess, to Juan for personally escorting us through Boston's public transportation from the airport (turns out he thought we were still in high school), to the man on the airplane for his unsolicited dating advice, and to Dunkin Donuts for being on every other corner and providing us with much needed sugar boosts multiple times over the weekend. You all made this a very memorable trip.


We're now in rest mode in preparation for this weekend. D.C.--here we come!


B&E



Soundtrack from this trip: I Would Walk 500 Miles and Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.