I had a visitor this past weekend, as I’m sure many of you
have seen on Facebook. Katie, my oldest friend (friend-wise, not age-wise),
came to visit me in Boston, and we had a great time. That, combined with a few
other happenings and my midterm grades, means that I’ve had an excellent week
thus far.
What did we do? On Thursday I left after my afternoon class
to pick her up from the airport; the plane landed a half-hour early, so she got
there a long time before I did, but it worked out. We took the T back to
Harvard Square, and I provided a cursory tour of the Yard before we headed back
to the Quad. By this time it was already dark and early evening, so I went to
my evening class and she took a nap. We watched the first episode of BBCs Pride
and Prejudice before heading to bed.
On Friday the real adventure began. I’d already walked the
Freedom Trail once when my parents were here, but we didn’t always go inside,
and there were parts that were new to me. Fortunately, both Katie and I enjoy
the (generally) quiet and peaceful atmosphere of graveyards, since there are a
few of them on the trail; especially with the fall scenery, the plots were
quite beautiful. We went by the usual monuments and went inside quite a few of
them.
I’m afraid Israel and Europe may have spoiled me for touring
for a while. After living in a 5000-year-old city and seeing some of the
greatest cathedrals and abbeys in the world, a 300-year-old church doesn’t
raise as much excitement as it might otherwise. Still, I always enjoy
historical sites and handsome buildings. The attractions also gave us a chance
to pass through a couple of the gift shops.
We spent longer at some places than at others, grabbing
lunch and dessert at Quincy Market and paying to go through Paul Revere’s
house. It was the first time I’d seen the house from the inside, and it was
interesting to see the size and arrangement of the place, although pictures
weren’t allowed. We didn’t have time to finish the trail – the last two sites
are about three times as far away as everything else – but we did stop in
Central Square for ice cream at Toscanini’s before heading back to Harvard to
nearly finish Pride and Prejudice.
Saturday was much calmer; we slept in a little (I’d had ROTC
on Friday morning) and then I gave a more thorough tour of Harvard’s
facilities. We sat and talked a while by the Charles River, and then we went to
see a couple of Harvard’s museums. By early afternoon we’d headed back to the Quad
to talk where it was warmer and finish the series.
That evening, though, was special; it was the first UC
concert I watched instead of participating in. Katie came with me, and I met a
couple more friends there. We enjoyed the concert, I and the other alumni
joined in the alumni song, and at the reception afterwards I got to trade hugs
and news with the rest of the group, while Katie ran into a Harvard student
from her high school who also happened to be attending. We had a good time
before heading back to the Quad for a couple more hours of talking before we
went to bed, ready to get up and head to the airport early Sunday morning.
A few other things have happened this week. For one, I
joined the Cru worship team, so we sang during the large group gathering on
Wednesday night. It’s a lot less work than a cappella, but it’s very satisfying
to be able to sing in a group again, especially since I get to sing harmony. I
had a slight fever Sunday afternoon – I’m usually borderline sick as long as
the cold weather lasts – but a care package from my parents helped to remedy
that. Most of the week, though, was focused on Katie’s visit, whether that was
doing extra work in order to make time for fun, the visit itself, or reflecting
on where our friendship is and how we’ve both grown.
And we have grown. I’ve known Katie all my life, and seeing
her reminds me of who I once was, who I still am, and who I’m becoming. In
college, and especially when studying abroad, I have grown and matured. I have
learned and lived. I could never go back. But in essentials, I believe, I
am very much what I ever was, and Katie assures me of the
same. We are both different, but both, I think, more ourselves than ever before
as we begin to work toward our potential. Hopefully we can stay on that path as
the time passes.
Pictures: I took 270 photos this weekend (with Katie's help)! Here are the highlights:
Walking from Harvard Yard to the Quad:
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