Sailing in the harbor!

Sept.21 - My roommates have a friend, Matt (in the green shirt), who is a member of MIT's sailing club and has access to the school's 37ft boat. Today I was invited to go sail the harbor with them. Little did they know, I have never been on a sailboat. As depicted in the above picture, when we boarded there were blue skies and the day was absolutely beautiful. We laughed and ate snacks and made our way out of the harbor. Matt asked me if I wanted to steer and I replied that I felt a little uncomfortable since this was my first time sailing. You would have thought that I said there was no such thing as Santa Clause! No one could believe that I had never sailed before so it was the new goal to teach me everything about sailing.

Now don't worry - I know you are looking at little me sail the big ship and are panicking slightly, but please note the professional standing closely nearby in case he needed to take over. I was doing a fantastic job if I do say so myself, when I saw this on the horizon and naively asked Matt what it was. He very politely and quickly took over steering the ship and the next thing we knew we were in this! I could not believe how quickly the fog had rolled in and it really seemed like it came out of nowhere. The temperature quickly dropped and we followed Matt’s orders to try and get us back to the harbor. Maps were pulled out and we literally had to navigate our way. I’m not going to lie, it was scary. There are large ferries traveling at high speeds and as you can see our visibility was limited. We had fun however and had amazing views of the city. In the above picture you can see the top of the skyscrapers peeking up over the fog. It took us ‘til nightfall to return, but the feeling in the air and the view of the city was priceless. So I survived my first sailing adventure and can’t wait for my next one!

Freedom Trail Part I

Sept.19- Today I started the Freedom Trail. For those that don't what it is, the trail is basically a red line on the sidewalk that begins at Boston commons and ends at Bunker Hill in Charlestown. Along the way are historical landmarks in the birthplace of American Independence. I love history so it will take me a couple days to complete the trail because I want to do all the tours along the way. I will do my best to summarize so you don't bored!

Boston Common is made up of 44 acres of open land in the middle of the city and has never been built upon. It is America's oldest public park.

The Massachusetts State House is located on Beacon Hill across the street from the park. The original structure was built in 1795 and was only 61 feet deep. Since 1895 the building has been added to, building on land where once stood John Hancock's mansion. Here are some pictures -



Granary Burying Ground is a two-acre plot that holds the remains of more famous people that any other small graveyard in America. Three signers of the Declaration of Independence, nine governors of Massachusetts, the victims of the Boston Massacre, Benjamin Franklin's parents, and Paul Revere all lie buried here.






King's Chapel is the result of King James II ordering the establishment of an Anglican parish in Boston. No Puritan would sell any suitable land, so Governor Adros seized a corner of the burying ground. The result is a church next to a tiny cemetery.




By this point I was exhausted and decided to take a break. The best place to do so? The ocean! I made my way to the Harbor and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon watching the ships come in and out. How tough, right?!

Boston!

Welcome to Boston! My travels went like clock work and I arrived with no troubles. I plan on staying with my friend Ally, but oddly enough she is in Haiti for another week. Matt, Ally's brother-in-law, was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. This is Ally's apartment-Apt. #1 in Brookline, MA and her roommates Emily and Sue. They were suprised to see me since Ally didn't tell them when or for sure if I was coming!! Sue just finished law school and Emily is just finishing her Masters Program. They are absolutly fabulous and I give thanks for them everyday! The apartment takes up the lower level and is a three bedroom one bath. There are tenants on the other levels.

I'm off on my adventure!

I am off to Boston tomorrow (Sept. 18, 2007) so my roommates threw me a going away party. Nothing fancy but a good 'ol time with fabulous friends. Really, who could ask for more? I did get a little sad when I realized the amazing people I would be leaving, but their support makes all the difference. Here are some shots of the get together.