Weekend trip to Boston

I spent this past weekend in Boston/Cambridge and it was such a memorable experience! I went to visit my friend Ariane, who also graduated from Georgia Tech. We hadn't seen each other in over a year so this weekend was a much needed reunion. Technically, she lives in Cambridge, but we spent lots of time in both cities. After visiting my friend in New York last year and being forced to spend one day exploring the city solo, I've made a vow to explore as many cities as possible on my own.

So here's a review of my trip, in photo format -- but I did leave out some photos of a very unexpected and unfortunate part of my trip, agh!

Friday morning, I walked with Ariane to her office and then headed to Starbucks. After grabbing a white mocha from Starbucks, I started my solo walk from Cambridge to Boston, first stopping on MIT's campus. I walked around the campus and went inside a few buildings, such an interesting campus with beautiful buildings and scenery!

Loved this numerical statue on MIT's campus.

After walking across the Massachusetts Avenue bridge that connects Cambridge to Boston, I sat on a bench overlooking some water and mapped out some must-sees. (Thanks for the recommendations!) 

After browsing through a mall, I stopped by the Boston Public Library because it just looked so beautiful and patriotic. I stayed in the library, walking around the different floors and rooms for about an hour.

Then, I took a snack break at Sweet Cupcakes. I tried a cheesecake cupcake, yum!

As I continued walking, I stumbled upon Beacon Hill and the Massachusetts State House. Obviously, I had to go inside the building where state politics happens. It was very different from Georgia's State Capitol, but still had that classic and historic feel.

I loved this Hall of Flags area in the State House.

Next, I took a break to grab lunch before meeting up with Ariane. I ordered a Greek salad with shrimp (I'm still eating like a pescatarian), and also ate a few pieces of bread that came with the meal…more on this later.

After meeting up with Ariane, we did more wandering around her city and stopped by the original Cheers bar!

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Ok, now for the non-photo aspect of the trip. Remember that salad and bread I ate for lunch? Well, as Ariane and I started walking toward Fenway Park, my eyes started itching. Then, my face and arms started itching. It was weird because it felt more intense than a bug bite or anything else I'd experienced.  I remember asking Ariane if my eyes looked funny because it felt like something was sitting on top of each of my eyelids. Then I realized that I may be having an allergic reaction. The bread I ate for lunch tasted a little bit like peanut butter (which I am very allergic to), but I thought maybe it was just the butter and cheese on the bread. And the salad dressing may have been walnut vinaigrette...

Minutes later, Ariane could see the swelling on my eyes and around my face. On the inside I was panicking, but I tried to stay calm and we started walking (sprinting) toward the nearest drug store. Once we reached a Walgreens, I purchased some Benadryl and peeked in the nearest mirror…YIKES. My entire face was swollen and hives were appearing all over my face and neck. I've never had such a serious allergic reaction, so this was pretty frightening. I quickly took some medicine and got some advice from a pharmacy technician. Ariane was really helpful throughout this medical scare! Thank goodness she was there because my body was reacting quickly, and things could have gotten way worse. I spent the rest of that day recovering and resting from walking all over Boston and from having a serious allergic reaction!

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Phew! The next day I felt 100% better and I was ready to continue enjoying Boston. Ariane took me to her favorite brunch spot, City Girl Cafe. Really delicious, and I suggest it if you're in the Cambridge area! I ordered the French toast with potatoes.

Then, we ventured back to Boston via the T (train/metro).

I loved the architecture in this city!

Once we got to the Government District, we did a little shopping. I purchased this Boston Red Socks hat for my dad, but I did borrow it for a few photos hehe :)

We went to the North End and the Waterfront and got some fun photos by the water!

Then, we went on a tour of the Boston Custom House -- we rode the elevator up to the 26th floor and got an unbeatable view of the city! If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love a great view of a city!

Gorgeous!

View from the top of the Custom House!

In the North End, we visited Boston's famous cannoli spot: Mike's Pastry.

I ordered the Oreo cannoli, holy delicious!

We eventually made it to Fenway Park!

Saturday night, we trekked to Harvard's campus and had dinner at Harvard Square.

This. Pizza. Spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, goat cheese on wood iron grilled crust…I will never forget it. And apparently, all of the food at Cambridge, 1 is that good!

After dinner, we headed out to a fun spot called Harp near the Bruins hockey stadium!

Such a full and fun weekend that I really appreciated after a crazy week in Atlanta. Traveling can be a hassle, but the experiences that come from it are always worth it. I absolutely loved the blend of discovering all of Boston's goodness on my own, and with Ariane by my side. I'm excited to explore another city very soon. One of my best friends just got a job in Dallas, TX…hint hint ;)