My Method of Traveling

T minus nine days until Jarrett and I head to Boston to celebrate our one year anniversary. I can NOT believe that we've been married for a year already! When I think back to where I was a year ago today, I can only smile. I was tying up loose ends with the wedding plans and running over and over the itinerary in my head. My wedding weekend was the best of my entire life (yes, even with the flu!) and I'm so blessed that it's been matched by an equally spectacular first year!

So, why Boston? Neither one of us have ever been, and despite knowing that the weather will be quite chilly, this city was at the top of our list. I absolutely love exploring big cities and have had the pang to travel ever since our trip to San Fran last spring. I have a very specific traveling style that strikes the perfect balance of planning with room for spontaneity. I always research the destination ahead of time, figure out the transportation system (this is key!), and get my bearings on where things are located within the city. Then I map out a very loose itinerary, deciding the order in which I take certain sections of the city. This approach ensures that I'm not losing time running back and forth all over the place. Within each section, I'll have an idea of what I'd like to see and do, but I mostly like to explore and let things evolve naturally. The best thing about traveling to large cities is that you don't have to do much planning. Walking around and sight seeing is what you do!

For any place I visit, I always purchase a copy of the corresponding "DK Eyewitness Travel" book. These books are all-inclusive and full of pictures, maps, and helpful details to get you around any city. After reading the Boston Edition, I feel like I know the city already and can't wait to actually see it!! There are 8 major areas of Boston that we plan to tackle over 3 days. Between the food, history, shopping, and schools, I have no doubt that we will be highly entertained!

I'm most excited about seeing Harvard, eating chowdah and Italian food, staying in the middle of the city, learning more about Boston's history, and walking down the famous streets for some good old fashion people watching!! Boston, Boston, here come the newlyweds!!