I know I know.. I’ve been silent for a little bit but there is a good reason for that. I was absorbing life on the east coast, specifically Boston. When I was planning to take on this nomad journey, the city that I was most excited to visit was Boston. For so long, this city had been calling my name. Even though I’d never been, something about it just felt right, like I was meant to be there, even if only for a short time, and I am pleased to share, it exceeded every expectation.
I moved there on a Friday, and of course, that first weekend I came down sick and was completely out of commission for 48 hours.. By Sunday, I couldn’t stay inside any longer. I made myself get up and explore because I was just too excited to finally be in Boston!
Where I stayed: The South End
Let me start by saying this, if you dream of stunning brownstones in a city, stay in the Bostons’ South End. My AirBNB was in the most adorable Brownstone centered right between Black Bay and the South End and it truly was the perfect location – steps from the Boston Public Library, the iconic Newbury Street, and just a short walk to the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common. My favorite thing to do every morning quickly became taking Riley on a morning walk through Back Bay, straight into the Public Garden and watching as the city started to wake up around me.
Added bonus, right across the street from where I stayed was the best little coffee shop in Boston – no, really, people told me it’s the best! It’s called Greystone, a women-owned cafe that makes the most delicious homemade vanilla bean syrup and these incredible morning buns. They’re shaped like cinnamon rolls, but instead of icing, they’re coated in cinnamon sugar. Yummm!
New City = New Friends
Now, like any sane person does, when I arrive in a new place, I walk around to check out the local eateries to see if anything looks good. This time, I stumbled upon the cutest little restaurant named “Gigi”. It was a random Friday night and I decided to go for dinner. I’m not sure about my fellow solo travelers, but I normally enjoy sitting at the bar when it’s just me. Well, while there I struck up a conversation with two of the coolest people ever who happened to be regulars – Carrie & Hunter – who have since become my friends. After that first night, they welcomed me into their weekly routine, and every Thursday we made it a goal to go for Dinner and Drinks at Gigis.
Being from Kansas City, I knew the Royals were set to play the following Monday at Fenway and I had planned on going. Now that I had formed this new friendship, I asked Carrie & Hunter if they’d want to join. Believe it or not, they had actually never been to Fenway either, and without hesitation, they said yes! From there, Thursdays at Gigi’s evolved to trying new restaurants, going to baseball games, and watching Club Soccer events. They showed me around so many great spots, including one Sunday afternoon in Chinatown, where they introduced me to authentic raw sushi for the first time – it was d e f i n i t e l y an experience haha.
Moving as much as I planned to, this was unexpected. Of course, I knew I’d meet new people, but forming this friendship has meant so much to me, and while we do plan on keeping in touch, it made the thought of leaving Boston that much harder. Walking back from Chinatown that Sunday I caught myself thinking, this is what makes life so much better – finding community and people who genuinely care about you. It was the perfect day: Sunny, 80-degrees, bellies full, bubble tea in hand, wandering the beautiful streets of Boston and talking about everything and nothing at the same time.
One night in particular after wrapping up dinner at Gigi’s, Hunter had to get going to a soccer match he was playing in. We said our goodbyes, and he left. Well Carrie and I thought it’d be fun to surprise him, so there we were cheering him on from the sidelines. Thanks to our “support” they ended up winning the championship game, and it was such a fun night, watching someone who just became your friend do something they love and absolutely crush it!
Exploring on Foot
It really is true that Boston is an incredibly walkable city, I could get anywhere on foot. I had found month -long parking, and after unpacking that first Friday, my car didn’t leave that garage until move out day. For the entire month I was there, I didn’t drive once. I walked EVERYWHERE, even in the rain. It was amazing and I only wish Kansas City were as walkable! Hitting your step count in a city like Boston is a piece of cake, and everywhere you look, you’re surrounded by stunning architecture and history.
Site Seeing & Tourist things ✓
Being as close as I was, I obviously needed to visit Cambridge. So one weekend, I headed over to check out Harvard and MIT. Since it was August, and college classes don’t start until after Labor Day, both campuses were pretty quiet – aside from people like me who were there to visit. There were lots of student-led tours going on, so big groups of visitors were wandering around learning about the schools. I also made sure to stop by Harvard Law School, which was fun to see – after all, that’s where Elle Woods went to school (haha).
After spending the morning in Cambridge, I made my way back across the Charles River for one of the most entertaining experiences I had in Boston: Boston’s Politically Incorrect North End Food Tour. If you ever visit, I can’t recommend it enough! The tour guide, Anthony, is a true Italian, born and raised right in the North End. He knows the neighborhood inside and out and shares tons of fascinating stories and local history while you sample incredible Italian food. At one point, he even showed us the old Italian Mafia headquarters before it was dismantled by the FBI in the ’80s. He’s absolutely hilarious and will have you laughing your way through the streets of the North End neighborhood.
Duck Tours and Rock&Roll?
I noticed, while walking around Boston, there were a ton of Duck Boats cruising by packed with tourists, and of course a lively announcer yelling “quack, quack!” at people on the sidewalks, so like the tourist I am, I decided I needed to be on that boat. That boat was Boston Duck Tours (bostonducktours.com), and if you ever get the chance to do one…. do it! I didn’t end up going until later in my stay, and I wish I’d done it sooner. You get to see all of Boston’s most iconic historical spots, hear fascinating stories and fun facts, and even go for a ride on the Charles River. It was such a blast!
After the tour, I headed to a nearby pub for dinner and ended up having one of the most unexpected nights ever. I was sitting at the bar like I do, enjoying some clam chowder and fish and chips, when a group of guys next to me struck up a conversation – just the usual small talk about what I do, where I’m from, and all that. Turns out, they were part of a band’s crew, but I didn’t think much of it at first. A few drinks later, I found out they were actually the stage and production crew for Joe Perry… yes, that Joe Perry from Aerosmith, and one of them was his guitar tech! They couldn’t believe I didn’t immediately recognize the name! Of course, I’d heard of Aerosmith and knew their songs (“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” being my favorite), but I’d never really followed the band itself.
They were so much fun to hang out with and ended up inviting me to The Joe Perry Project show the next night. I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant to go and debated whether I should, but I’m so glad I did, what a cool experience! I got to go in before the doors opened, see the setup, and even meet a few members from Stone Temple Pilots, and The Black Crowes. The best part? I got an actual guitar pick used by Joe Perry himself. At the end of the night – and honestly for days afterward – I kept thinking, did that really happen to me? It was such a wild, unexpected night, and I had an absolute blast!
Hosting Friends & Sharing Boston:
While in Boston, I actually had a couple of good friends come to visit me while I was there, too. My best friend, Ashley, came for a weekend after I texted her during my first week saying, “OMG, I’m obsessed!” She immediately called me, booked a flight, and said she was coming. She had never been and is always down for a new adventure.
We kicked off the weekend with wine and lobster ravioli in the North End, then explored Beacon Hill, checked out Acorn Street, and got mimosas at the iconic bookstore cafe (Beacon Hill Books) tucked away in a back alley. We ate so many oysters that weekend! Since Ashley’s a big Friends fan, we also stopped by Central Perk, a coffee shop inspired by the show. One afternoon, we headed over to Seaport for rooftop drinks, wandered around, and stumbled upon a big day party at Cisco Brewers, where my love for Cisco Brewers began. Later that night, we grabbed dinner on a patio right across from a live concert venue, so we got dinner and a show!
Ashley’s flight wasn’t until late Sunday, so we wrapped up the weekend with Italian sandwiches from one of the best spots in town, Diet Cokes, and had a picnic in the Public Garden. It was another perfect Sunday in Boston: sunny skies, great food, and the park full of people laughing and hanging out with friends.
Another good friend of mine, Sabrina, came to visit during my last weekend in Boston. While she has visited Boston before, it had been a few years, and I was able to show her the city from my perspective after living there for a month, and it was so much fun. Like myself, Sabrina is a walker, so of course we walked everywhere that weekend!
Sabrina flew in late on a Thursday, so we kicked off Friday morning with a walk, then worked from Greystone. I had her try the morning bun, of course as well as a Vanilla Latte since they had become my favorite in the city. We did work that Friday, so after our working day, we headed over to the Barking Crab in Seaport for Happy hour where we enjoyed Lobster rolls, crab dip, and some tasty Drinks. I had made a reservation for the Boston Tea Party reenactment. They assign you a historical character who took part in the dumping of the tea that night in Boston. It was so much fun getting to toss over a “crate” of tea into the Boston Harbour, and learn how quickly our “historical characters” told people in town they were involved. Mine, unfortunately, was one the first.. blabber mouth, drunk of the town that I was.
Later, we went out for dinner and dessert in the North End, enjoyed a cannoli from Modern Pastry, and ended the night with visiting a local “club” for all intents and purposes, which made us feel entirely too old to be doing – but we had a blast anyway haha! We wandered all over the city, laughing and taking it all in. We hit up the Quincy Market, Samuel Adams Brewery, and even a speakeasy with my Boston friends, Carrie and Hunter.
Before heading out, Sabrina even helped me pack up my car to get ready for my next destination after dropping her at the airport. What a saint! It’s honestly amazing to have friends who come to visit while you’re on a nomadic journey – it makes the experience even more special!
Goodbye Boston;
Like I mentioned early on in this blog, I had that pull to come to Boston, so while I should have expected it, leaving was hard. It’s bittersweet to leave a place after only living there for a month, and have it feel like you just left your hometown. I mean, it only took me a month to find my favorite spots, make friends, and settle into a routine that felt like I had been doing it forever. However, that’s the beauty of travel: every goodbye makes room for a new adventure.
Boston wasn’t just a city I visited – it was a city I lived. From the cobblestone streets of Back Bay to the vibrant energy of Fenway, late-night dinners with new friends to surprise backstage passes at a rock concert, Boston reminded me why I started this journey in the first place: to fully experience life, one city at a time.
If you ever get the chance to go, take it. Walk the streets, sip the coffee, eat the food, (specifically the morning bun & lobster rolls), and meet the people – because Boston is special.
Now we are off to our next New England stop – Cape Cod, looking forward to this next chapter, stay tuned for Riley & I’s adventure along the coast.
