Why I love living in New England . . .

I have officially lived in Boston for a little over a year, and today I spent some time reflecting on my experience here. In an effort to share with you my thoughts and feelings about living here. Here are some pictures of some of my favorite moments and places.

My first activity in Boston - the YSA campout at Camp Joseph. This is where I spent the first chunk of quality time with my wonderful roommates, and I had my first taste of authentic vermont maple syrup.

Trips to the Finnish Sauna in Pembroke, MA. The sauna is a little shack in the middle of the woods, on the edge of a lake. You sit in the little room until you can't handle it anymore and then you go outside and jump into the cool lake and swim around until you are ready to go back inside. There is a floating dock about 60 feet out from the shore, and my favorite thing to do is sit and watch the sunset on the dock. It is one of the most serene and peaceful experiences.

Walden Pond in the Fall. I don't think I have ever seen anything so beautiful. It was quite the experience sitting on the shore, looking out over the beauty of the changing foliage and thinking about what Thoreau said about living life deliberatley.

Watching how maple syrup is made, up at Lake Winnepasaukee in New Hampshire. Amazing.

Night swimming in Walden Pond - this may not be the most legal thing I have ever done.

A night in Fenway park watching the Sox play, the atmosphere was delicious.

* Just a side note: I am in a fight with the Red Sox right now. Because they are in the playoffs, they have suddenly taken precedence in EVERYONE's life - excluding mine. For example, I haven't been able to watch my favorite shows for the past week because no one is willing to change the station away from the game, I have friends canceling plans on me because they would rather watch the game. I am not happy with the Sox. I guess you could say I'm a fickle fan, and that's ok, at least I am being honest.Apple picking in Harvard, MA. Many yummy apple pies and crisps were made from these beauties.

I'm not sure how much longer I will be in Boston - maybe a year, maybe longer. Regardless of how much time I have left here, I am so grateful for the time that I have had and for the memories I have been able to create.