forgive me boston

so i'm beginning to feel slightly ashamed at the way i've treated boston. the way i've talked about her behind her back, flashed my angry eyes and sighed in frustrtion at her shortcomings. it's not really her fault. she's actually a beautiful city. it's only my perception of her that's been so ugly. today, for example, is a glorious, crisp autumn day. the sun is shining on the church across from my house, the air is fresh and the birds are chirping outside. the red and orange leaves are cascading to the ground and swirling in the small breeze. it's the first day that i've turned the heater on since the weather has chilled and i'm actually enjoying the warmth of inside and the gurgling of the pipes. there's something cozy about today.

i was just in the laudromat talking with a bolivian woman about boston. she loves the city but hates the weather. i told her i was going to africa in the spring and she smiled, saying she always wanted to go to africa, her doctor is african and he is such a nice man. (i told her i was looking forward to being a minority for awhile, and she looked at me as though i'd said i was looking forward to getting cancer, perhaps that was indulging her in a little too much). i also spoke to a 38 year old woman who already had 7 kids, her oldest being 22 and youngest being 12. she's looking forward to grandkids this year. imagine that. but that's what you get when you work from home and do laundry in the mornings - a smattering of locals with stories. and there are all sorts of locals like that in this neighborhood. a small part of me might miss that when i leave. but only a small part.

i've also been enjoying the boston skyline of late. i've been running near the charles 4-5 times in the last few weeks and i bike over the harvard bridge every day on my way to work. i'm trying to remember to look up and take in the views. especially on my way home with the pinks and yellows of the sunset reflecting on the river. she really does have a spectacular skyline - the prudential, john hancock, the gold dome of the capital and beacon hill neighborhood ... all of the buildings that make boston unique. i wonder if i'll miss the skyline.

so this is my ode to boston. a catalyst in my pond crossings. a bridge connecting me to the west (or will it be the middle west next? stay tuned, dear readers!) but the city that taught me about my own american history and my own personal american revolution.

how can it be the end of october already?

wasn't it just early september?

and now the leaves are changing into glorious reds and oranges and yellows. i've been walking all over town this weekend, most of the time, forgetting to look up and around, but every so often, i see a tree whose color just stops me in my tracks and forces me to acknowledge the changing seasons. and it's amazing every time. a picture wouldn't do it justice.

my sister has been here since thursday - and we've had a fun time kicking around boston, doing some shopping, watching movies, and eating a ton of food. we may head over to try some yoga tonight, she's never done hot yoga before. (and then we'll get a burrito on the way home!)

it's all happening!

i booked my tickets today to the gambia. so it's really happening! i leave from london on feb 1, and return to london on may 2. yipee! i have yet to get a guidebook and can't tell you the name of the currency or really all that much more - but i'm super excited! i've got my vaccinations booked for november, and am reading a book called 'shadow of the sun' by a polish author who was an african correspondent for years. so it's a start! any suggestions for how to prepare for a) africa and b) teaching small children math and english would be MUCH appreciated!

another friday

has a week passed already? where is the time going? before you know it, i'll be out of boston (hooray!) and beginning the next adventure. i got my briefing pack for the gambia last week and it sounds amazing. scary and challenging and uncomfortable, at times, but amazing, nontheless. i haven't really thought much about the actual day-to-day experience of teaching 4-8 year olds - and that part has me slightly nervous as i've not taught before. but i think i've got enough ideas and creative games in my head to last a few months!

last weekend i went to chicago ... and got to see my cousins while there. it was lovely to catch up. and looking forward to seeing them both again at thanksgiving (no pressure, ha ha - GET your ticket sum!) here's a pic:


summer was in town to watch her friend run the chicago marathon - which sadly got cancelled half way through because it was such an unexpectedly hot day and the city wasn't prepared for the number of casualties of the race. a shame for all the runners that spent months preparing, no doubt. and jenny lives in chicago - so came to meet us for a drink.

and here we are again at friday - this week has gone by quickly. and another fun weekend ahead.
but more on that on monday.
happy weekend!

village life

so i've just found a few videos of the village i'll be going to this spring. they sent through my packet of information, so i need to find some time to settle in and read through all of the prep materials they've sent. i'm getting excited about this - doesn't quite feel like reality because it's not till february that i'll be going - but time is flying by. check out the you tube video of the classroom where i'll be teaching. the woman i met in SF who put me in touch with this organisation was teaching in this video. and here's another one of the classroom under the mango trees. i still think it's mad that i'm going to be there - and it's probably one of those things that i won't properly think about until i'm on the plane ride over - that has been my travel style of late. book the ticket and think later.

i've also decided that i'm going to be leaving boston at the end of november. with a possible return in january, but then again, possibly not. i'm giving up the apartment at the end of nov when i head to london for 2 weeks, and then going straight to california for christmas in mid-december. and there's really no need for me to go back to boston - apart from to hang with my office here - but that's hardly a need when the cost of living and subletting for 2-3 weeks would be silly. i think i'll propose working from CA, maybe spending some last minute time with my colleague in our SF office, and then head to london (and then the gambia) from mid-jan. all speculation at the moment, and need approval first, but those are the latest thoughts.

and off to chicago tomorrow morning. yipee! hope you all enjoy the weekend as well! happy friday!

carbon footprints across the pond

so i've been leaving my fair share of carbon footprints of late.
i've got a new character to introduce to my blog, but not QUITE ready yet. in any case, this character lives somewhere in middle america and i've been back and forth several times to say hello. hence the inactivity on this blog. but take note, dear readers, i am very happy.

apart from that-which-is-all-consuming these days, i'm working to wrap things up with EUSA, to make sure i leave them in as good a state as when i found them. (ha, they didn't exist when i found them!) and also doing some volunteer work for this organization called the posse foundation. they award scholarships to highschool kids and i'm helping them with the process of widdling down the students from 1100 to 60. the kids come for an afternoon of 'interviewing' where they participate in team building exercises, skits and exercises while 10 volunteers wander around the room taking notes on how well they cooperate, listen, lead, and encourage. it's been very inspiring and a good reminder that i am doing the right thing by going back to school to work with kids this age. although it's a hard task, because all of the kids are deserving.

i'm back to chicago this weekend where i'll see my cousin summer, and hopefully my other cousins as well. already can't wait. the miles are racking up - which is a good thing on one hand because it takes quite a few of them to get to africa!