Bahston, Boston

I have to say that I am lucky enough to have a job that sends me places. :o) Yep, once a year I get to pick a conference to help develop me "professionally." So, this year's pick was Boston, MA. A very, very cool city I gotta say. It's cool being in such an old city with so much history...without having to go to Europe. ;o)
But first with the negative parts. Well, I was sick most of the time I was there...so, can't chalk that one up to Boston personally, but it kind of put a downer on the trip. Another negative is that it is cooooold in Boston. On one of the days we were there, it was totally rainy and freeeezing outside. I had to buy a toque...and for all you Americans, that's what you all call a "beanie"...just so I could stay warm while walking around to find a place to eat. So, to double up necessity with tourism, I ended up getting a Boston Red Sox hat and felt actually kind of silly wearing it around since I am not an actual Bostonian.
Anyhow, that really cold night we went out exploring around "Little Italy" and wow, was the food great and the atmosphere even better. The restaurant we went to had a great feel to it. Ok, side note here: The funny thing about Boston is that there really isn't that much street real estate available. Most of the buildings are super close together and all crammed together along the street. So, it's kind of deceiving that any place actually has room, but they make really good use of their basements and second floor space. We were seated in the basement and as you can tell by the pic on the right, they did just about everything to not make it seem like you were eating in a little basement. In fact, you even felt like you were in a little villa in Italy. :o)
Also in Little Italy, we were highly recommended to make a stop at Mike's Pastry and had a famous cannoli, and my goodness it was good. It got to be a little too sweet at the end, but if you ever go to Boston, I would add my recommendation for Mike's Pastry.
Ok, on to some of the other cool perks. I thought the Boston accent was a lot of fun. It was actually kind of hard to come by though. But we talked to some policemen a couple of times to try and find our way around the city and it was a pleasure talking with them cause we got to hear their accents. I had a lot of fun navigating the city on foot and using the "T" subway with my conference roomie Sarah and together we went to China Town, Theater District, Boston Commons, Downtown Crossing, Newbury, and Little Italy. All in all, it was a fun trip and I was glad I went. Oh, and the conference was pretty good too. :o) So, guess I'll have to try out a different city next year.

Zion National Park

Sometimes living in one place for so long, we forget to actually travel to the surrounding areas to really experience the beauties that truly surround us. So, Jack and I decided to check out some cool sites in St. George and we headed to Zion National Park to take a looky see. The day started off pretty rainy and cold.
But thankfully the sun did decide to come out for part of it and we did enjoy a fun hike. We actually did make it to the top and enjoyed a beautiful view of Zion Canyon. The climb was dangerous ;o)...exhilirating...and freezing for most of the way...but what a great day to truly be out in nature for an entire day to see so many different wonders. I kind of went crazy with the camera of course, and Jack got super annoyed that I was taking so many pictures...as you can tell by his expression on the right here. But he had to admit he did end up having a good day as well. It's hard that amidst our busyness and everyday lives that we kind of turn into these desk people or 8 to 5 people, when we really weren't like that to begin with. Jack and I are definitely pretty active and outdoors-y, but we have not had a chance to even go out and do anything outside the city limits in months and months! We are losing our identity a little bit when we get so caught up in the everyday and lose sight of the beautiful things that we can still experience just a short drive away. So, after this weekend, I'm determined to find our "true" identities again and make sure we're going out to enjoy doing those activities and seeing the sights that we want to see...well at least I want to see. :o) Jack's a good sport for indulging me when I get an urge to go and see something different...whether it be a play, or a national park. I'm glad I always have a ready and "mostly" willing partner to enjoy things with. It's fabulous! But to all you desk people and 8 to 5 people...Don't lose your identity! Go out and enjoy the things you want to enjoy! We know we all work hard, but don't forget to play hard too!