I lived in Boston twice. Once for a year just out of college but couldn't hack it as a California girl in the brutal winter. The winter only increased my sense of dislocation and lonliness; I had to get out. I headed to Newport Beach, California where I licked my wounds in the jacuzzi and visited Malibu on New Year's. Later that year I moved back to Northern California and joined the gold rush of internet start-ups.
My second stint in Boston, from 1999 to the end of 2002 when I moved to France was a completely different story. I was no longer green. I wasn't poor. I had a good job with people that I liked. I lived in the heart of the city, in Back Bay. I ran, even in winter, along the river. I adapted successfully to the winter and gained a closet full of coats for all weather. I fell in love with the New England light - what you see in some Hopper paintings.
It was, believe it or not, hard to leave Boston for the south of France and if we ever move back the US it would be there.
The last time I visited Boston was 4 years ago for a friend's wedding. Last fall (before the christmas trip) we decided to make this trip. I didn't know yet about traveling with a baby. My big lesson learned: Although I fretted about the confined space of the airplane and airport logistics the biggest problem is the jet-lag. The plane ride, though long, is bearable. The jet-lag goes on for days. I am beginning to think summertime trips home, for a month, are the way to go.
Boston itself was delicious as always. We experienced all weather except sleet and snow in our short stay. We criss-crossed Back Bay over and over. We took early morning, jet-lagged walked through the south end. We ate breakfast at Charlie's. E and I both managed to get in a riverside run. We visited Cambridge. Best of all we saw friends we haven't seen in a long time.
Makes me miss Boston, where we lived for five years. I've been back to the US multiple times since we moved to Paris in 2003, but always back "home" to Seattle and never back to my old New England stomping grounds. Sigh.
Ack, I'm a bit concerned to hear my fears about babies and jetlag confirmed. We're planning to go back to Seattle in October (nine hours of jetlag, and le Petit will be 15 months old) and I'm really worried about his adjusting.
On the other hand, he sleeps poorly here, too, and we manage to survive, so maybe it won't be so bad. And if it is, well, we'll have lots of family to help us out, so we'll at least be able to nap during the day.
Posted by: parisienne mais presque | June 06, 2008 at 09:56 AM