Within the span of 2 short weeks, Katie resigned one position and accepted another, packed her life, learned to hook up, pull and park a trailer, bought a new car and together we drove nearly 800 miles to Norwood, a city just outside of Boston, Mass. An adventure and new start to her life, that couldn’t be passed up. So I took the chance to make another first memory with her and drove out with her. We stopped to see the Flight 93 Memorial while making our way through Pennsylvania and took the scenic route a time or two to see less of the highway.
While on the drive, we seemed to have an unspoken understanding that we weren’t going to dive too deeply into how it felt to say “goodbye”, from either of our point of view. Instead, we focused on the new adventure and all the new chapters in her life she was writing.
Moving away….a right of passage, I think.
It was the 4th of July while I was there with her and while it would have been exciting to see Boston all tricked out for the celebrations, we decided to spend most of our time transforming her new apartment into a space that was her own. When we weren’t unpacking boxes, moving furniture around, buying drapes and hanging pictures, we ventured out to some places around Boston.
We ventured up to Salem again and had my birthday lunch at Turner’s. The most amazing lobster bisque is found there….seriously. Go to Salem, check out the history from the witch trials, walk the shops…do not miss Emporium 32…and eat at Turner’s.
We ventured out to Concord to see The Orchard House. This is the home of Louisa May Allcott, the author of Little Women, Little Men, Jo’s Boys. Little Women was written in this home, and we got to see her sister’s drawings and paintings on the walls as well as a collection of Louisa’s books as well as the desk where she wrote Little Women. No photos were allowed in the museum, so we will have to rely on our memories for reliving the experience. Nearby, you can venture to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and visit the final resting places of the entire Alcott family, Henry David Thoreau and family, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family, Ralph Waldo Emerson and family, as well as Daniel Chester French. All are found in a part of the cemetery called “Author’s Ridge”.
Another day, we made the journey to Fall River, MA to visit the Lizzie Borden House. A piece of American history and a prime example of life during the Victorian era, it is also a look into one of our unsolved crimes in our country. Everyone has their opinion as to whether or not Lizzie Borden actually killed her father and step-mother, and we will allow you to make your own deductions on that. Our tour guide was friendly and offered opportunities to take photos, ask questions and even allowed me to hang back behind the group some so that I could take photos of rooms without people in them. Whether you have an interest in the macabre, unsolved crimes, American history or just want to find something a little “out of the box” to see outside of Boston, The Borden House has a lot to offer! Just a short drive away from the house, you can find Oak Grove Cemetery, where the entire Borden family is buried. Lizzie and Emma are buried in the row above their father and step-mother.
I flew home on my birthday, and Katie readied herself for her first day at her new job just 2 days later. We will have more Boston adventures for sure, but up next for her is her first SOLO ADVENTURE…England!! London is Calling!! Watch for the posts on that in October!
“Keep your heart open, a suitcase packed and travel often, for the world is wide and adventure awaits!” ` Emylee
The Voyagers' Pen 