Day 1:
Early Morning (5 AM)
Boston! I didn’t think I would ever make it to the big city, let alone finish college. But somehow, here I am. I just got out of Logan International Airport and am in a taxi on the way to a local hotel in downtown Boston. I have this wonderful offer for an apartment in the heart of the city, nearby Massachusetts General Hospital. I’m so excited for my residency in their surgeon program! The rain sort of really adds to the Boston scene. The colors outside the cab window blur together to form a soft haze. I can hear the sounds of cars rushing past us and honking as impatient people are eager to reach their next destination. Cold air fogs up the windows and I sit back in my seat with my hot cup of coffee. This is it. This is where I want to be.
Afternoon (1 PM)
Jet lag never used to be an issue for me… and it still isn’t. I got to the hotel and freshened up and just spent some time relaxing. I was planning on touring the city today before I met my potential landlord at the apartment tomorrow. I’ve always been a history geek. Just something about the past really captures my attention.  That was one of the main reasons I was thrilled to have an offer to work and live here. The Freedom Trail was actually very close to where I was staying, so I decided to start there and see where it led me. Oh my goodness was that one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made! It took me to so many historic buildings. I passed the Old State House, the local harbors, King’s Chapel, and naturally, the Old North Church where Paul Revere had his famous lanterns. It swept me away. Unrelated to the trail, you could hear the crowds screaming at Fenway Park just blocks down from the Chapel. Baseball was another one of my loves. Being a Twins fan, the Boston Red Sox was a team I was going to have to get used to.
Of course, with every perfect place, there’s things that make it not so perfect. Boston streets were constantly crowded. People were always in a rush to get where they needed to be and could be rude if  need be. Taxis seemed to be everywhere, but you could never get a hold of one. And they were constantly honking. This was not good for my constant headaches. The stench of fish also hung in the air. Boston is one of the largest producers of fish in the world because of its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Its economy in the primary sector is run off of their fish production. This meant unpleasant stenches constantly sticking to the buildings in the streets. The noise pollution and pollution in general weren’t comforting. The fact that lots of streets were abandoned and traps for all sorts of crimes didn’t help either. Alleys were behind narrow buildings and were housing types of people that didn’t make me comfortable. I knew that I wouldn’t be safe unless I made friends quickly because being a doctor required making it to the hospital at whatever hour they needed me. All of this was running through my head as I made it back to the hotel. Hopefully, the apartment provided access to the things I loved while avoiding the things I hated.
Day 2:
Morning (9 AM)
I’m outside this apartment and it is wonderful. There’s no way I couldn’t say yes. It’s adjacent to the hospital, so I can walk there. It has a beautiful view of the river and the city in general and everything is furnished. Boston is actually one of the most walkable cities in the country because it implements smart growth. Every neighborhood honestly has a sidewalk in the CBD and Financial Districts of Boston. Walking to the hospital would probably take me 5-10 minutes tops. Quite honestly, I could walk anywhere I wanted to in the city. All forms of entertainment are nearby. I could purchase season tickets to Fenway Park, go to any historical sights whenever I want, take a taxi to a movie theater 15 minutes away and spend time in the 3 parks that are in the city. The apartment was located on Blossom Street in the West End of the CBD of Boston. The rent was a little expensive. Boston is one of the most pricy cities to live in. But I truly believed it was worth it.
Day 3:
Afternoon (2 PM)
I wanted to see the parts of Boston that most people don’t think of looking at when they visit. These were probably the last couple of days left before my job officially started at the hospital. I rented out a car, got some music playing, and drove where I wanted to. Right out of downtown Boston, there was only one thing you could see for miles - houses. It was just about row after row of houses, like an army preparing for warfare. Thin roads weaved in and out of them to allow access to major highways. One house was probably maybe a couple yards away from the next and average sized yards were in front of them. This was in the area known as South End Boston and South Boston. Recalling what I had learned in AP Human Geography, I knew this was a classic example of urban sprawl. The houses were a lot newer and buildings still under construction were almost on every street. About 95% of the houses had a car sitting on the driveway. These were the middle class families who wanted to live the American Dream, but not live in the city. So they chose to live in the suburbs with ideal housing. This demand grew and grew and more houses were added to the area to support it. This is how areas were completely overtaken by houses. And for some reason, Boston didn’t see the issues with it and just wanted to fit consumer demand. I was glad I hadn’t looked at housing here. The monotonous view creeped me out more than anything else. It also felt claustrophobic and crowded. Other areas of Boston weren’t so bad. Houses had a good amount of distance between them and weren’t all clustered in one area. They each had their own little version of a downtown and families lived comfortably. It was a lot like Shakopee, just copied over and over again into different sections of Boston. I knew that downtown Boston would definitely keep me more occupied than living out here and was even happier with my choice of an apartment.
Day 4:
Evening (5 PM)
I wanted to spend some time out in Boston with the street lights illuminating everything and with young people just enjoying themselves. A local group was performing in a park during the sunset and I stayed and listened to them for some time. I then walked to a local diner and enjoyed a sandwich, fries, and a milkshake. A historic bookstore was located right next to it, so I looked at books that could potentially occupy me when I wasn’t on shifts. All of this was easily done in a short amount of time because of the large number of sidewalks that could be used. Boston has been recently been implementing smart growth in a project called “Walk-Up, Wake-up Call.” The government installed places to walk within the central city that would attract pedestrians and citizens to use a different mode of transportation other than cars. They took down things to allow for more open spaces so that people could use them to socialize and be creative. I actually loved that about Boston. It allowed people to be healthier by giving them a different mode of transportation. I think it also taught people that they don’t have to rely on cars so much. It taught them how to meet people in physical interactions and it got the community more connected. Downtown Boston is completely walkable. There’s no reason to use a car unless you plan on going to suburbs outside of the CBD. Because locations are farther apart there, smart growth hasn’t been put in place quite yet. I loved being able to walk to locations and not having to rely on anything. Plus, the expenses for a car weren’t necessary. This was just one more thing to add to the stuff I loved about Boston!
Day 5:
Morning (11 AM)
My residency at Massachusetts General Hospital begins in 2 days. I completed the medical program at the U of M and was accepted into Massachusetts’ program as soon as I was out. Being a surgeon was something I had dreamed of for a while, and everything was beginning to fit into place. I knew that Boston held so much potential for me. All the historic sites had so much to offer and I knew I wouldn’t get tired of them. Fenway Park would be somewhere I went to in my freetime and summer concerts down by the docks felt like a dream come true. I’m actually surprised at how much AP information I used to pick the perfect location. Who ever knew that that stressful project would benefit me someday? The neighbors in my apartment complex were so nice and the woman across from me was working at the hospital as well. I knew that they city was somewhere I always wanted to live in, and I’m so happy that I chose it. Boston was my new home and I was proud of it.