Boston Stroll

Excitement was in the air!

Last night, or should I say this morning, I could hear birds chirping outside my dorm as I finally got to bed. There was some doubt as to whether I would be able to get up this morning in time for the Summer@Brown Boston trip. Since the meeting point was right outside the Grad Centers, it didn't take too much trouble to make it. As we waited in the crowded line of students to board the buses, I thought about what we might do once in Boston. After being handed maps, I saw that it was impossible to plan—the area was too huge. I think it’s great how Brown provides these opportunities for its students to go out and expand their experiences with the outside world during their time here.

Sprawling Boston

At Boston it felt even hotter than in Providence, but that might have just been me. We started out by exploring the bustling Quincy Market and its surrounding stores. It was filled with interesting vendors and multi-talented street-performers. We learned a bit of history about the city by listening in on a couple of tours following the ‘Freedom Trail’, which traces through some historical sites from colonial times. I think that Boston has its own unique feel, with a mix of historical buildings among skyscrapers.

 

I soon found out why Boston is called ”America’s Walking City”. Most of the streets seemed desolate with close to no cars on the road. Pretty much everyone walks to get to the various attractions around the city. Scattered throughout the city there are also numerous little ‘parks’ which people can enjoy. Looking at the map, these places include Quincy market, the Paul Revere Mall, New England Aquarium, Newbury Street, and so on. Cambridge, the area encompassing Harvard and MIT was also on the map. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go to most of these sites during our time there, but it was a great time nonetheless. I spent the day touring downtown Boston and exploring from place to place with David and some friends.

 

New England Aquarium

I had a fun time sightseeing in Boston. Overall, I thought it was a beautiful city with its classic yet modern atmosphere, abundance of small parks, and clear water. The only thing that bothered us was the winding streets that split in different directions and were confusing to navigate.

 

Streets of Boston: no cars!

One of several mini-forests in downtown Boston

Square by Quincy Market

Getting back from another eventful day I really started to feel the fatigue building up inside me, and decided to retire to my dorm and rest up. Tomorrow will be a day to catch up on sleep, and to finish the class assignments in preparation for the last week of class.