“I beg young people to travel. If you don’t have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack and go to Delhi, go to Saigon, go to Bangkok, go to Kenya. Have your mind blown. Eat interesting food. Dig some interesting people. Have an adventure. Be careful. Come back and you’re going to see your country differently, you’re going to see your president differently, no matter who it is. Music, culture, food, water. Your showers will become shorter. You’re going to get a sense of what globalization looks like. It’s not what Tom Friedman writes about; I’m sorry. You’re going to see that global climate change is very real. And that for some people, their day consists of walking 12 miles for four buckets of water. And so there are lessons that you can’t get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight. A lot of people—Americans and Europeans—come back and go, ohhhhh. And the light bulb goes on.”

—	Henry Rollins

4 Hours in Boston

On my way to Martha's Vineyard, (wait for that entry!!) I had a two hour layover in Boston between my train and bus ride, both there and back. I had been to Boston once before and wasn't impressed. The second time, I saw a new side to the few parts of the city I saw. I went from the bus station on Atlantic Avenue to Chinatown, and then the Theater District, walking without any maps and exploring.

Atmosphere: I was 17 years old, alone, and carrying a massive duffel bag when I was in Boston today. I still felt safe in every part of the city. I obviously looked like a tourist, since I asked about 20 people where I should go to eat. The locals were helpful around the train station and the Theater District, but Chinatown was a mess. Chinatown was so different from New York City's Chinatown, in that Chinatown in New York is as busy and crowded as actual China (not that I've been!!), while Boston's Chinatown was more laid back.

Dining : The only place I went to eat in Boston was the Hing Shing Pastry in Chinatown. The bakery was only a tiny corner at the very front of Chinatown. They sell mostly cookies and dessert food, which are all so delicious oh my god

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hing-shing-pastry-boston

Shopping: With only two hours in Boston a day, I wasn't able to shop much. From what I heard, Newberry Street is the place to go!

Entertainment: While I was exploring, I passed many a theater for both independent movies as well as mainstream blockbusters. In addition, people watching in this city is very entertaining!

Overall: I'm certain that if I was given a whole day or two in Boston, I could see everything I needed to. The city is so manageable, with every neighborhood up against each other. Overall, I'd give Boston a 7/10

Image credit: http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//thumb/9/92/Boston_Financial_District.jpg/300px-Boston_Financial_District.jpg