I like it here
Three weeks ago today, I got on a plane to Boston. Three days after that, I started A JOB. And not just any job! The kind of job that I had been working toward for three years. When I quit my job in DC, when I spent all that money on international travel, when I went to grad school and did all those internships, it was all so I could work in the field of study abroad. It’s a very satisfying feeling to know that all of that work and all of those choices led me to where I wanted to be.
But if you would have told me a few months ago that “where” also meant Boston, I would have disagreed with you. I had been applying to dozens of jobs in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. I only applied to one job in Boston, but apparently it was the right one. I’m a great fit for this job for many reasons, and they are a great fit for me. And Boston, it turns out, is looking to be my new favorite city.
When I first arrived in Boston, I stayed with family in the South End. Then a friend in the South End. Then another. Then family in Braintree. Now family in Woburn. The point of that story is to show you how much moving I did in two short weeks and to demonstrate how lucky I am to have so many great people around me in New England. I got to spend Thanksgiving on a farm in Vermont. I will soon be visiting with cousins in Connecticut and New Hampshire. It turns out Boston was the perfect place for me to end up.
family at the Ben and Jerry's factory in Waterbury, Vermont
My life right now is still pretty transient and strange. Every day I learn new skills at work, and then on my long commute home I learn how to pronounce words like a Bostonian. I am learning how to negotiate the Boston rental market as well as the bus and train system. I’m learning the reasons why Bostonians are so proud of their city; I’m also learning that their reputation for being “cold” and “rude” is just wrong. Their friendliness is their best kept secret.
As I continue to learn about my new city and my new life, I will try to update the blog as much as I can. I’ll probably have more free time in December than after, since I am currently without a Jon and a Marshall!
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