The Big City, thoughts from the Suburbs

When Ryan and I decided to live in South instead of Boston two years ago, we vowed to spend time there every summer to make up for our lost city adventure. We realized that this would be a dangerous tradition; summer is a beautiful time in Boston, as opposed to the winter, which my dad attests was long and cold and rainy. Yes, we should probably visit in the winter so we don't spend the entire visit wishing we lived there. Fortunately, hauling an additional sixty pounds of kid around with you makes the whole car-free urban fantasy slightly less appealing.

Some highs and lows:

*Playgrounds surrounded by a fence with a gate? GENIUS. Having walked approximately thirty-seven miles to get to this playground in Boston Common, it was really nice to be able to sit down when I arrived. Wesley also enjoyed his newfound freedom.



*Before getting on a subway, you should get your children iPods and make them wear them. Better they hear your vaguely appropriate collection of 70s pot smoking music than a rowdy group of teenagers screaming the "F" word at each other for five stops.

*Yes, your two year old DOES need a stroller, you freaking moron. Enough said.

*Walking everywhere loses its appeal when you are walking there carrying an angry thirty-five pound child (see above).

*On the other hand, Charlie's miserable sobs elicited sympathy from a passerby who paused and pulled Band Aids out of her smart leather briefcase, thinking he had skinned his knee. City people are friendly and helpful!

*Hey look! A whole university with a wall around it!



*Ooh pretty! And kids sail for a dollar! Let's move let's move let's move let's move.



*And finally, Our hotel room was roughly the same size as the largest apartment we could afford in the city, or roughly four-hundred square feet. Given the little hissy fit I had after tripping over our piles of crap for the millionth time, I think that would be a problem.

The very thought of not being able to close everyone into their own room made me want to run straight back to my mass produced, car-centric, sustainability-be-damned slice of heaven.

I love my house. There's no place like home.