The Boston Post

This post is dedicated to my dear baby sister, Abigail. She states that she “will die” if I don’t post again, and because I kinda like having her around, I will preserve her life with my words. Thank you, sweet sister, for kicking my blogging bum into gear.

Here goes.

After a long dry spell of not publishing my life, it’s hard to know where to begin. So, I will pretend like I never stopped blogging, and I will pick up right where I should: What happened last week.

Boston, Massachusetts is what happened last week.

Furthermore, Harvard Medical School, happened, too.

And so did a friend, Derek Erstad.

All three converged for a cross country trip that was well anticipated, and well executed.

I made the full day journey from Salt Lake City International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport. But there is a marked difference in the definition of Salt Lake International and Boston International. When you arrive in Boston, attractive female voices pipe up over the PA system speaking in various languages, informing travelers that it is the last boarding call to Belgium. Or that Sophia Loren needs to get back to France. Okay, not really to the latter. But it sure feels that way. I really was now in international waters.

This big girl hailed down a taxi (okay, so what if they are lined up in a nice, neat row outside the airport waiting for desperate passengers, such as myself), and I paid the cabbie $41 to take me to Vanderbilt Hall at Harvard Medical School. Though pricey, it was well worth it. Otherwise, if I had attempted a run on the Subway, big brown suitcase in tow, I could not make the aforementioned claim that the excursion was “well executed.”

Friends since we were 15, Derek met me outside his dormitory hall and we exchanged a warm embrace. Boy, was I glad to see a familiar face. He gave me an abbreviated tour of his accommodations, which included the 4 security checkpoints just to get into his room. If it weren’t for the Victorian-esque décor of the ceilings, the hardwood floors, and the warm rich colors of the social hall, I would have thought they kept their medical students in prison.

Afterwards, Derek took me to a restaurant known as “The Pig.” Apparently it is a well known place for brilliant professors and their studious tutees to converse over a good drink and even better pulled pork. And that we did, but in this circumstance, exchange brilliant professor for wannabe shameless westerner and her genius partner in crime.

And so the plan was laid out, the standard had been set and we lived up to it every moment of my 4 day escape from reality.

On Friday, we ventured onto the Boston Subway system known as the “T” and the “M2” and toured Harvard Square. As I had borrowed one of Derek’s fellow classmate’s Harvard ID, I again pretended to be a wannabe, and we snuck into the Harvard Law School Library. For once, Hollywood got it right. Legally Blonde tells no lies. The buildings are just unique and architecturally incredible as Reese Witherspoon experiences. And I got to be apart of it, if only for one weekend!

Furthermore, the weekend allowed for eating Ethiopian food with your bare hands and sharing a bottle of wine (can I call it that, Derek? I know, I was selfish). Boston also meant I could participate in a quasi pub crawl with a bunch of super rad and super humble medical students. It meant I could go into Harvard Medical School and see the classroom auditoriums, the labs, and the more intimate tutorial rooms. And I thought to myself, “So this is where all the magic happens.” This is where Derek has run off to, to dedicate his life to the world of medicine. Yeah, I totally dug it.

I experienced Bertucci’s pizza and Long Hammer IPA. I saw Sherlock Holmes in the local movie theatre (in between my mid flick naps) and I bought $10 sunglasses from Urban Outfitters. A keepsake that whenever I put them on my face, reminds me of wandering around the store, trying on my usual bug-eye glasses, but being convinced to purchase a new style.

We watched episodes of Grey’s Anatomy on Derek’s Macbook when it was absolutely too frigid to venture outdoors. We discussed philosophy, religion, spirituality, and healthcare reform.

We had a blast.

And so the weekend went just as soon as it had come, and I made another full day of travel back to the motherland. Thank you, Derek, for sharing your time, your lost study hours, your new found Boston expertise, and many a good eats with me. I think I’ll keep you around.


PS- Got a call today. I landed my first paid Salt Lake City modeling gig. Apparently, these conservatives aren’t afraid of a girl with a little extra boob and a little extra hip.