The old city seems much newer

I have returned to Boston. Back to a city that I thought I knew well, but has turned out to be little more than a familiar stranger to me. For a suburban college student, Boston was merely an outlet for entertainment. Now my brain fumbles with familiar sounding street names and neighborhoods, unable to place longstanding landmarks like Kenmore, but easily recalling the names of now defunct nightclubs like the Avalon.

I'm facing the crude reality of life in the city now. Dodging traffic, wrangling subways and buses, and trying not to spend money... in theory it should be familiar territory from when I lived in Madrid, but it all seems just different enough to be disconcerting. It is often harder to deal with new things that have a scent of familiarity than with those that are completely foreign because you expect things to work a certain way. I get more annoyed with the subtle differences of the trains than I would if they were rickshaws or walruses.

You would think that this place has lost its charm, but it hasn't. I have been faced with its reality, but that does not diminish its beauty. Boston has a very real romance to it; whether it be in the respectable lanes of beacon hill, or the raucous college areas, a breeze of inspiration floats above the streets. It has a bit of the academic spirit that permeated Oxford, but without the judging eyes of its tradition. It has a bit of New York's energy, but avoids demanding your soul in order to tap into it. The city, much like its citizens, bubbles over with overzealous idealism; but you smile, pat it on the head, and hope that you can tap into that inspiration and do something great.

Comments

Jenn said…
Yay! I'm glad you are back! I am anxious to hear more about your life now that you are settling in the US (for now at least). Also, more about Jessica. I can't wait to hear your impressions of married life.
20/9/09 15:02
noemí said…
pues dan ganas de hacer un viajecito a conocer Boston, la verdad.:)
23/9/09 11:44
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