Part of This World

After a few weeks of Nick talking about how much he loved Boston, and how it was so much fun, I was really hyped to finally go. I was not disappointed. In fact, I really really enjoyed myself the whole day. We woke up this morning a little bit later than last Saturday, and were in line by 8:15 AM. We hopped on the bus, and about an hour later, we were in Boston. 

One thing that I love about where we're staying is that we're so close to so many other states. Because California is so huge, and the East Bay is very west coast, driving for an hour could get us to the Jellybelly factory in Fairfield, not another state! Small states are almost a concept that's difficult for me to process. I have friends who live in New Jersey, and commute to New York whenever they feel like it. Going out of state for me would mean a month of planning, a week of packing, and loads of parental permission. 

Today, Boston could be described using two words: beautiful and HOT. Even at 11 AM, the temperature was high and only climbing. After getting my obligatory sneezes out of the way, we found a Dunkin' Donuts. This trip has been the first time I've ever been to a Dunkin', which is a staple for every East Coast kid I've met. Stomachs full with the late breakfast, we wandered around for about an hour before deciding to go to the aquarium. Hands down the best decision of the day. I've always been an aquarium person, so I was overjoyed that we were going to be able to go to the New England Aquarium. The building is huge, with floor after floor climbing over wach other. At any point, you could look down, over the staircases' bannister, and see directly into the penguin's habitat. We got to see a sea lion training, as well as the penguins being fed, which was adorable, if you discount the bloody fish and smell. 

Sanitarily washing our hands, we then went out to lunch in Quincy's Market. A long strip full of vendors, it's similar to Emeryville's Public Market, but offered a different variety of cuisines. At home, Mexican, Chinese, and burgers are really common; in Boston, an abundance of Greek, New English, and Italian stole the show. Even in the eateries, the differences between the coasts is always evident.