A new place

This last weekend, I traveled to Massachusetts, where I spent some time in Amherst, the Cape Ann area, and the Boston area. Of course there was way too much to do and not nearly enough time to do it in and so there had to be some picking and choosing. So, how do you decide what to see when there is so much to choose from?

Given the fact that I'm an archivist and Massachusetts is jam-packed with history, you'd think I would want to hit up all the museums and historical locations. And it's not that I don't like any of that. But lately (meaning the last few years-ish) when I travel, I just want to see the place, get a feel for what it is. I don't really want to see the tourist attractions, at least not if it comes down to seeing the place or seeing the tourist sites. I have just been really into seeing the world as it is, rather than curated stories of the past. It may be a phase--check back in in another 5 years or so.

One of the reasons (one of the very important reasons!) for going to Boston was to visit some friends and they were very kind and patient with my constantly shifting plans. I kind of picked out a couple of things that I really wanted to do and we filled in the blank from there. So, what does a weird traveler like me do when there's a million things to choose from?

• look for lighthouses on Cape Ann, fail to find them, but see some nice beaches anyway and take that opportunity to get some photos.
• get a tour of the National Archives in Waltham, where my friends are working. 
• visit Lexington, which is historic but it was a historic where you could be in the place, know what happened without having to be told a ton, and just kind of take it in.
• swing by the Lexington Cemetery, which is really fascinating in terms of layout and led to curiosity about symbolism in headstone decoration.
• visit the Boston Common and the Public Garden I particularly enjoyed the flags put up for Memorial day. It was very touching. 

A flag for each Massachusettsan who died in a war

• check out the Boston Public Library, which also counted as visiting an art gallery.
• tour the Mapparium. This was one of the very few things that was an absolute must on my list. It was awesome! Somehow, looking at the globe from the inside really changes your perspective on how big things are, and how close or far apart they are. Maps are always disproportional, globes do better, but from the inside out is a whole new perspective.
• amble through Back Bay then eat at Uno's, because what better place to visit a Chicago-based pizza restaurant than Boston.
• play some board games with your friends, which was delightful. It was nice to have some down time and I love playing games! 
• walk along the Charles River, which is very scenic.
• go to Mount Auburn Cemetery. This was a totally unplanned stop--I didn't even know it was a thing, but we went and it was beautiful. Then I came home and looked it up on Wikipedia and am even more impressed! Also, super thrilled that I got to see it even though I hadn't planned on it at all. And we got to go up in the tower, which gave me a great view of the city (which I missed out on at the Skywalk Observatory, because $21? Really? But it worked out perfectly because the Tower did the job). And there were a lot of cool experiences as we ran into people.

So, probably not what anyone else would have done but for me, it was the perfect trip, but still too short. I got home and just wished I could have spent another week--not a week of sightseeing, but just a week with good friends, enjoying a new place, but mostly being with friends. 

My only regret? I didn't eat any lobster. Guess I'll have to go back.