Archives for October 2012

on welcoming fall and bike riding dreams.

October 9, 2012

Well, fall. I guess you’re here.

And I guess we’ll keep you.

Yesterday was one of those rare (but sacred) Mondays where teachers everywhere got the day off. Now I don’t believe that Columbus should get any of the credit, but I do believe in a day off every once in awhile, so I went along with it. Hopped right on board that Columbus Day train.

This day yesterday was all about bike riding dreams and chocolate nutella covered waffles and loving Boston. This day was just what I needed.

I feel like I’ve been in kind of an inspiration rut since summer ended. It happens to me every year. It kind of feels like the day after Christmas. Or your birthday. Or an awesome weekend with your favorite friends. You know the feeling, right? You are so excited and the anticipation is amazing and then it (whatever it is) happens and you’re loving life and the experience and the world and then, BAM. The next day it’s over and that’s it.

Over and done and you kind of feel blah.

Well that’s how I always feel when summer ends and fall hits.

Just kind of blah.

I don’t like being cold and I don’t like how it gets dark so early and I just don’t like having to wear so many clothes.

Aaaaanyways. Enough complaining.

This weekend was good. It was chilly and it got dark early and I had to wear a lot of clothes, but it was good. My sister and I rode our bikes all the way into Boston. We breathed in the fresh air and chatted throughout our ride. We took a walk through the North End and walked into shops and stopped for some food (we tried Saus, per Rachael and Bridget’s recommendation), we met up with our old roommate (and awesome friend) Lauren, and we basically just had a day filled with good in this city that is ours.

Boston has a way of doing that. Giving you a reason to love the seasons.

The trees are turning and there is beauty simply everywhere you look. And I don’t like cold, but I do like cozy. So there’s that.

I guess I’ll keep you, fall. I’ll keep you and your colors and your weekends for bike riding through the city.

I’ll keep you til Christmas and it’ll be good.

Cozy and very, very good.

14 Comments · Filed Under: boston, boston photography, fall, life ·

new york city in september.

October 3, 2012

Two weekends ago we took a weekend trip to New York City. Zanner had some hotel points that he’d collected (he travels sometimes for work), and so we packed our bags and left Boston for Queens on the last weekend of September in 2012.

On the first day we took the subway in from Long Island City straight to Grand Central Station. We walked over to the Flat Iron District, had some Shake Shack (LOVED!) in Madison Square Park and then made our way to the High Line on the Lower West Side. This day was all about walking and just enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city. We stopped in bookstores and markets and rode the subway when we could. A few times we jumped in taxis when our feet needed a break, but mostly we just explored the city by foot all day.

After we walked most of the High Line (a long, elevated park on an old railroad track above the city streets in Manhattan) and did a little exploring at the UrbanSpace market in Meatpacking, we then took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge. We had dinner plans in Greenpoint with one of Zan’s cousins and my sister who was also visiting her boyfriend in the city for the weekend, and even though it was NOT in the same vicinity I still felt like a trip to Brooklyn deserved a walk on the Brooklyn Bridge.

What. A. View.

The whole experience is absolutely amazing.

You can see the Manhattan skyline and even catch a glimpse of Lady Liberty! The sun was shining on her so gloriously that day. Gave me goosebumps.

The second (and last day) of our trip we decided to ditch the subway to take the East River Ferry over to Manhattan (also amazing views!) to meet up with one of my besties from college, Kprime. I was suffering from a small case of “too-much-fun-from-the-night-before-syndrome” so I was slow to eat my grilled cheese, but the company was lovely and the ginger ale helped, too. When I think back, I believe it was ultimately the hot dog I ate from the stand on 34th street that really saved the day. And thank goodness for that.

After brunch we took a stroll through Central Park and then made our way down 5th Avenue, past Rockefeller Center, and back to Grand Central for our departure.

The weekend felt too short, but don’t all good weekends seem to work that way?

I loved every step I took and every sight I saw.

That city makes me feel like an adventurer. I just want to keep moving and see everything. I want to do it all. And when I get home, it’s wonderful and satisfying to finally take a breath, but when I’m there it sure is something special.

12 Comments · Filed Under: fall, life, travel ·
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