Another day in the Neighborhood

It is raining CATS AND DOGS here in Eugene today, and the wind is WHISTLING through the tiny, new, dainty leaves and buds that dot all the trees and bushes. Was it REALLY 72 degrees yesterday? This afternoon, as if sent by divine sources, in the middle of this 'spring' weather I received a text message from a friend/research colleague in Boston who stated simply: I'm in Boston. It is beautiful." Is there a more divine message?

Yesterday I exchanged emails with a wonderful colleague from Boston (she has been a local there for more than 10 years and is a veritable fountain of knowledge). She strongly supported our decision that I will not have a car in Boston. She assured me that the trains and buses are wonderful and that there are bike paths that will get me to and from my office easily during 'cycling' weather. Little does she know that I only cycle to work when the sun is shining, the sky is clear and Saturn is in the 7th house. :) I exaggerate...I'm not THAT much of a fair weather rider....I will ride no matter what house Saturn is in. Nevertheless, her confirmation was incredibly encouraging.

I'm finding that making the necessary arrangements to move so far away can rattle me. But I also find that communicating with people 'on the ground' in Boston always smooths my feathers....which can be found going every which-way and is quite unbecoming.

The 'stats' on my big move have not changed much in recent days. I still do not know if I will move with very little and buy 'gently used' furniture when I touch down in Boston, or if I will ship my favorite items (namely my bed and book cases) and eat the cost. I also do not know exactly when I will depart Eugene. However, along these lines, this is what I DO know:
1. I will fly to Boston from the NW (free airline miles)
2. I will start my new job at Boston University on July 1
3. I will leave Eugene sometime between June 21 and June 25
4. I will take Macy with me
5. I will will interview a rental broker in the coming weeks
5. I will need to find a thick, warm, down winter coat...and long johns. :) (K, this is for you)

So, since I don't have much in the way up updates, here are some pics of my new city!



Here is 'Boston Common'.
According to a government site, "The starting point of the Freedom Trail, Boston Common is the oldest park in the country. The park is almost 50 acres in size.

Today, Boston Common is the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks that winds through many of Boston's neighborhoods.

The "Common" has been used for many different purposes throughout its long history. Until 1830, cattle grazed the Common, and until 1817, public hangings took place here. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution and left from here to face colonial resistance at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775.

Celebrities, including Martin Luther King Jr., Pope John Paul II, and Gloria Steinem (advocate of the feminist revolution), have given speeches at the Common. "

Here we have a glorious picture of the Boston skyline at night,
taken from the harbor. It is so lovely isn't it? I have always had a longing to live in the proverbial 'big city'...it is like a 'call from the wild' deep in my soul. Okay, that might be a tad melodramatic (but you've met me, right?)....but I do love a big city. Every time we vacation to a big city (Toronto, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego) I fall in LOVE. This has occurred so frequently that some of my friends know me only as the one who loves all urban areas. I think this experience going to be marvelous!! Bring on the chow-dah.