Looking Back on Boston, Pre-Pandemic

I realized that on one of my trips to Boston, I took several images of the amazing things we were surrounded by. But for some reason held onto those images for safe keeping. I guess I was editing and re-editing, making sure I stayed true to how I had really seen everything around me, not just for the Insta...

I'll be honest I had no idea what to expect when I arrived, I was just looking to get away, visit my niece for the first time since she moved to this unknown territory, and really get to see the people, places and things that convinced her to call this city her home.

My niece gave us a tour of her favorite restaurants, the downtown area, we even visited museums in Salem and made sure to take in every bit of exquisite architecture that lined the main streets as well as the Victorian mansions that looked as though they took up an entire NYC block. I was in awe of everything around us.

Full disclosure, I had been DYING to attend the world renowned Maine Lobsterfest, which was a short car ride from her home. And so we purchased tickets in advanced, had a light breakfast (of Colombian corncakes with cheese, scrambled eggs and bacon, and hopped in the car for our journey to lobster heaven.

When we arrived, I admit it was not even close to what I expected. I guess maybe I naively believed there would be a line of tents handing out 5lb vehement lobsters, dripping with melted butter to gluttonous guests such as myself. But alas, perhaps it was because we arrived on the final day. We were served chopped bits of lobster mixed with imitation crab meat, doused in mayonnaise on a sad,  flaccid hot dog bun. Was this what we came all the way to Maine for? Was this really all the hype everyone had been raving about my entire life?

I gratefully ate my "lobster roll" as quickly as I could so as to not have to answer the question, "So, what'd you think?" Mmmhmm! I managed to mumble through a mouthful of hotdog bun and a sense of lost hopes and dreams.

By the time we reached the car, Ashley and Justin both agreed that this was less than the satisfactory meal they had hoped for. I let out a sigh of relief and said, Oh thank God, I thought it was just me! And made our way to another restaurant where we had our fill of crustaceous goodness to our hearts content. It wasn't an all out waste, we got to experience a food festival that brings joy and yummy goodness to thousands every year, but best of all we got to enjoy it together!

Looking back at these photos brings me back to a simpler time, before face masks became part of our daily uniform, before sanitizer stations, social distancing, quarantines and curfews. What food festivals are you looking forward to trying or returning to once things are back to "normal"?