Boston, Niagara, New York and Chicago...

Well folks, it's been awhile. To tell you the truth I have been avoiding the computer at all costs. But it has been a month and to tell you the truth, my XD card isn't that big. Ive been constantly deleting pictures on my camera to take new ones so I figured it was time; time to log on, blog on, and upload. I haven't had much down time since the last installment and here's why...

After leaving DC (wow, that was a long time ago, lets see what shape my memory's in), I made the toll booth infested drive up to Boston. I had no idea that the East Coast highway systems operated on tolls. Tolls, tolls, tolls and more tolls. So annoying! I think it cost me around $25 dollars to get from DC to Boston--ouch, thats almost a full tank of gas. Anyhow, I made it to Boston by abouth 10:30 that night and met Conn at his friends Ben and Meg's apartment. We went out for a quick drink and I immediately fell in love with the city--or maybe it was lust. I could immediately feel the energy there and it was just what I expected. The streets were teeming with loud Celtics fans pouring out of the Garden after the 6th match against the Bulls, the restaurants were crowded with friends and families dining on hearty Italian meals, and the Firemen were standing around BSing in front of the station. This would probably piss a Bostonian off but I felt like Boston was just like how all the movies portrayed it--alive and loud!
The next day Conn and Ben and I went for run and they showed me around the part of the city. Once the run was over Conn and I set out with intentions to hop on a train and go exploring but the previous night's drinks got to us and we barely made through lunch before we decided to just head back to Ben and Megs and hang. As more and more of there friends showed up to the apartment, we moved on the roooftop and just kind of sat in a circle and chatted until we decided it was dinner time. Dinner was fantastic--all I remember was red wine and lots of mussels, and it was fantastic. When we got back to the apartment it was drunkenly decided that I was going to crash the wedding that they were going to the next day. Haha, I was ok with it but I needed to come up with a story: who was I and why did I belong there?
The following morning we all got up early to do make the drive up to Ludlow, a scenic little town about an hour and a half northwest of Boston. Once we all arrived at the reception it was pretty apparent that no one was going to notice that I didn't belong--there were abouth 400 people there! The reception was a blast, there was an unbelievable amount of food and alcohol being consumed (and spilled) and the dancing lasted from like 2pm to well past midnight. My kind of wedding.
After the festivities wrapped up we all headed back to our hotel rooms. Some chowed down on fast food, some drank more, but me, I decided to crash. I had a long drive to Niagara falls the next day.

2 days later, I finally made it to Niagara Falls, NY. I decided to take a night to chill so I set up camp at a local KOA, went to the supermarket for some snacks and supplies and built a campfire and did just that; chilled. The next day I took my time getting up and packing up camp and then headed across the border into Ontario where the view of the falls is from the fron and much better than the American side. I checked into a Days Inn, showered and set out for the falls. Breathtaking. It was absolutely breathtaking, so I just took my time--and lots of pictures--and just walked from one end to the other. I stayed one more night and just enjoyed being in such a beautiful place. The town itself is a little freaky--think circus meets Las Vegas but a gazillionth of the size. You would not believe the amount of neon lights and funhouses they can pack in a 3 block radius, yikes! I just walked right through it all though and enjoyed being in front of one of the 7 wonders of the world.

After crossing back over the border i was headed back from my major detour to New York. I was so excited rolling into New York. When I got to Gils apartment I was definitely ready to park my car and leave it for the entirety of my stay. I loved that about New York--no driving! It was a much welcomed change.
If I thought I fell in lust with Boston, I knew immediately that I fell in love with New York City. I think I was there for a night before I was staying in my own apartment and looking for a job. Haha, ok not my apartment but my friend Gil did let me stay in his vacant apartment next door to where him and his girlfriend lived. It was so nice having my own little quiet oasis right outside of the city.
Some highlights of New York were Gil, Kath and I's 20 mile bikeride from Queens down to the financial district, walking around Williams burg and the East Village, and being lost on the trains and meeting life friends. One night I had been riding the train for an hour--drunk, by myself, and lost--when a girl stumbled on the train and sat down next to me. The details are unclear but I think I asked for directions, we exchanged numbers and the rest is history. I met Maria the next night at this bar alled the Lazy Catfish and met a bunch of her friends and ended up hanging with them the rest of my trip. There were confetti parties in the park (litterally, we found this giant bag of shredded paper on the sidewalk and left paper trails all over Williamsburg), chick-flicks, lots of Andres and Milwaukees best, limbo contests, Princess scooter rides and spills, and tears. Tears when we watched movies, tears when too much alcohol had been consumed, and tears when we said goodbye. I miss Maria, Rebecca, Lana, Sarah, Amanda and Fiona already but it's nice to know that I now have friends in NYC so I can go back to visit :)

Saying goodbye to the city was hard but I was ready to do some camping! 7 hours after leaving New York I found myself at the Loleta campground in the Allegheny National forest in western Pennsylvania. Beautiful, beautiful country out there. It was so nice just playing solitaire and reading by the campfire for two days before heading to Chicago to meet Rose.

So that brings me to today. 2nd day in Chicago with Rose. So good. So windy. So glad to be heading west.

♥Yours Truly