We got on a plane last week and again this week and in between then and now, Mike and I took our first just-us, child-free, real, honest-to-goodness vacation since having Kyle, and it was just as amazing, just as food-filled, just as lazy as vacations should be, while still being chock-full of sightseeing and walking and stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to snap a picture of a squirrel or a Dunkin Donuts because it's a BOSTON! squirrel and a BOSTON! Dunkin Donuts and therefore destroying any chances of blending into the city.
HELLO! WE ARE NOT TOURISTS! WE ARE LOCALS WHO TAKE SELF-PORTRAITS IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR SIDEWALKS!
(I think Mike was looking for the Freedom Trail or, possibly, his tenth bowl of chowder, I am not even kidding about that number.)
I have so much to tell, so many links and pictures and stories to share, and those are all coming, I swear it, but this space was just screaming for an update even though it's a confusing, unorganized one.
Both my waistline and my inboxes were not happy with my return -- they both went straight to hell while I was away -- so I'm pretty busy this week tackling the both of them, but let me just say that beside San Francisco (I'll forever be partial to the city on my birth certificate), Boston is the most beautiful, most unique, most enjoyable city I've ever visited.
There's also Jonna, who we stayed with, and who deserves her own post, too, or maybe her own fansite dedicated to her for hosting us and charming the hell out of my husband who is not easily charmed, let me tell you, and for also cooking for us and serving me wine nightly and for being one of the best friends I've ever had, honestly, the kind of friend who I believe will be in my life forever and who genuinely motivates me to be myself, at all times, and while that's something every friend should do for you, it's actually a really rare quality and one I love her for.
Mike has asked me multiple times a day since we left her house how she is and if I've talked with her and when they'll be out to visit us and BOSTON, WHY ARE YOU NOT RIGHT NEXT DOOR?
Until I can emerge from work and snuggling Kyle (who did great while we were gone because he is great) and laundry and dishes and all those other ANNOYING real world tasks that won't do themselves, feel free to look at the GAZILLION vacation photos I've put on Flickr. (Wait, what? Vacation photos of internet strangers aren't fun to gaze at? WEIRD.)
Finally, to any and all parents who are financially and physically able to take a child-free vacation: do it. You will miss your kids like crazy, and you will probably be able to think of a million more responsible ways to spend that money, but the reminder that I really like my husband and I really, really like spending time with him was worth every single minute away from Kyle and every single cent we spent.