After my time in NYC, I rode the MegaBus (first time ever) up to Boston. I mean, sure the reviews on Yelp are super hit or miss. The thing is, the trip was $13 (vs. about $100 on Amtrak), so you know cheapie cheaps had to try. Well fuck. I even paid the extra $3 for an upgrade to a seat at a table and shit, it was still crammed as hell. I would say, even more crammed than an airplane seat. Then, because I hustled out of the last conference session and walked several blocks to the bus station, I neglected to buy some water. Needless to say, a few minutes in to the ride, I started feeling super nauseous, you know, with the pre-puke juices flooding in my mouth. It was bad fucking news, man. Thankfully, I was able to conk out and forget that my body was dehydrated. It was also a bit uncomfortable being in such close quarters with strangers. I mean, the lady next to me kept showing pics of her two sons on her phone. I was just trying to not puke, you know?

Once I got to Boston though, things were all good. It was just so nice to reconnect with my college bud J. We met in 1995 (pre-Bubbey), and there is just something so comforting about really old friendships. I mean, those bonds form during such a transformative time… there just really is something to be said for proximity, vulnerability, and shared experiences. We had a really great time. I mean, we’re both miserable in our jobs so that doesn’t help, but talking to J was a good reminder for me: we are so much more than our jobs. I mean, I get so obsessed about figuring out my work life and career that I forgot about who I am beyond that. And certainly, shame on me for letting myself go, for letting myself get so burned out that I don’t even have hobbies and interests anymore. Shame on me.

That said, workaholism is real. The first day, J didn’t take off of work (surprise, surprise). Hubby J was so stunned. Me? Not so much. I spent the day exploring Boston on my own, clocking 20k steps. It was actually really nice to walk around and not have to talk to anyone all day. Hmm, does that mean I am an introvert then? The quiet was fucking nice. Boston is so pretty this time of year with the changing fall colors, and fortunately, the temps were unseasonably warm so I really scored the best of everything! Saturday was Halloween. J introduced me to a “friend” of his. She reminded me a lot of my former coworkers: uber treehuggery and shit. But she did wetlands protection work, and it kinda made me think about going back into environmental engineering. Anyway, I was really impressed by her: she’s a few years older, single, but goddamn, living life to the fullest, being super active and energetic. She was telling me how obsessed she is with Travelzoo and Groupon. In fact, she had just booked a trip to Africa in two weeks. She was like, I’m not married; I don’t have kids; I have tons of vacation, and I have lots of single friends who love to travel. Wow. Who does that? Seriously, who buys and then goes in TWO WEEKS? So Halloween night, we went on a guided tour through downtown Boston, with lots of historical tales of scandal and such. We went through the uber posh neighborhood of Beacon Hill (walked past John Kerry’s house) where they actually do a cool family friendly neighborhood street party. I mean, I’m anti-kid but shit, I will choose strollers and cute kiddie costumes over NYC Halloween raunch any day. I saw a very old white-faced beagle in a hot dog costume. So damn cute.

On Sunday, I slept in and then we headed across the bridge to Seaport (or Seaside). The day was dreary and cloudy– unusual for my trip but typical for Boston–but we had a delicious lobster roll. I love me some lobster rolls. We chilled, chatted in the car, and then off to the airport. I gotta say, that $100 for Global Entry (with TSA Pre included) for multiple years is so money. No removing the laptop or toiletries or boots or anything. Through security in no time.

Of course, the flight home hit all kinds of snags. A no nonsense direct flight from BOS – SJC ended up taking off late, taking a detour to Salt Lake City for refueling, and arriving three hours late on a super bumpy ride. Still, the respite was a welcome one. Now J and I have bets on who’s leaving the job sooner. I’m pretty damn sure I’m winning that one.