10 things we love {and don’t love} about living in boston

one year ago today July 8th, 2011 – our life in Boston began! It’s crazy how fast the time has passed. we get asked all the time if we are liking it here – and yes. we are definitely liking our life in Boston. however, i will say – i think husband, the kids and I could live anywhere and enjoy our experiences. really. it’s in our blood/lifestyle to be optimistic.

First and foremost, can I say I LOVE google maps on my iPhone and i have no idea how we all survived pre-GPS-technology. It has saved me this year.

With that said, here are 10 things we love {and don’t love} about living in Boston:

1. home to the Red Sox – my girls and I recently had a night out in the rain, and we still had a great time. I wish I could explain to you what it’s like to spend time at fenway. maybe you think our family is crazy, but this is one of our happiest places on earth. {equally annoying: the Sox’s hot and cold streaks. and, my husbands determination to see EVERY game especially when he has a sportsbook bet on them.}

2. Everything in the U.S.A. happened here first. seriously. We are living in the birthplace of America’s history – we went to Salem at Halloween, Plymouth at Thanksgiving {on Thanksgiving we also attended our local h.s. football game which has the longest-standing-h.s.-rivalry vs the town next to us!}, attended the parade in South Boston on St. Patrick’s Day, and just had our first fourth of july in new england + more! i love the experiences our kids are having between living amongst the history, and diversity this city offers. {equally annoying: the Bostonians who think they are personally the center of the universe. yes, Boston is known as the hub of the universe – however, some of the locals need to realize they are not!}

3. the emphasis on education is inspiring. people are well-trained-educated for their jobs and careers. when kj attended red sox baseball camp last summer i thought all the guys that were counselors were high school baseball kids. nope. come to find out, they were all college grads in-between school and career. {equally annoying is the emphasis on not missing school & not being tardy to school, we’re still trying to improve in this area. A few months ago, Sela’s preschool asked me to either make sure she was on time, or to keep her home for the day if she was going to be late! i thought i was the one paying for preschool & didn’t realize it was so important for four year olds to be on time!?!}

4. the Flora. the lush vegetation. the rolling hills. {equally annoying – the rain and humidity that keep it this way!} – on a side note, all of us have better/healthier/moisturized {wavy/curly} hair here.

5. the self-confidence women have in this area to not wear makeup. there is a sincere appreciation for natural beauty. i absolutely love that my teenage daughter stopped wearing makeup instantly after we moved here. none of her local friends wear makeup or fuss too much over their hair and i adore their choice to spend more time focused on other things. {the downside: i’ve become extremely lazy the past year with taking care of my hair & make up. most often i shower’n go, and because i like the creative process of getting ready – i am trying to find a balance.}

6. tradition. new englanders like tradition whether it’s ralph lauren or summers on the cape – they don’t plan on changing with the times. what i like about this? our kids are learning really good manners. the dying custom of a formal dinner party {i feel like the “potluck” replaced dinner parties out west!} including table settings, a few courses and good conversation is alive and well in new england. you can’t own too many navy and white striped shirts, and a good pair of topsider’s will last you years here. {equally annoying: we’re still trying to find a crowd who appreciates our flat-brim hats, baggy shorts, with the occasional “dude. that’s awesome!” slipped into the conversation.}

7. our neighborhood is a mini village. i like that we can walk to the local market, walk to the coffee shop, walk to get pedicures, walk to the park, walk to our kids’ schools, kj can walk to baseball practice. our kiddos have days they get out of school early & they hang out around town with their friends – it’s a very urban feeling. {the challenge: when i decide to leave our mini village to go to costco, target, etc – it can take all day{s} to run a few errands.}

8. Due to tradition and the mini village, our suburb {and all of Boston} shuts down early. by 6pm most shops and stores close. we have one grocery store that stays open till 10pm. so, for someone like me {night owl!} who might have one of my children remember they need something at 10:30pm for the next day – or if i’m working on a late night project and need more supplies? printer ink? too late. I can’t even drive an hour to go somewhere else – there is no 24 hour walmart in massachussetts! during the winter months, if you drive through our neighborhood we are one of the only houses totally lit-up still at 10pm! {absurd!} the perk: we go to bed instead of staying up late to get more done, and i’ve learned to stock-up on poster boards for last minute school projects.

9. stellar sense of community. we live in “pleasantville USA” – truly, one of the top suburbs of America. there is an out-pouring of community support for new families in the area, and mothers. when we arrived last summer i was instantly told about the mother’s forum, an online group to get you involved with other mothers who have kids the same age as you. It includes free activities, play dates, coffee socials, and information about every event around town. insta-friends. it’s extremely organized. if i wanted to, i could choose to do at least five events a day with our kids. there is no shortage of options. Most people living in the area are coming and going with their education/careers so the organization submerses newbies in the local culture. {the only downside of my mothering-experience here: i’m very young compared to most mothers here, people love to comment daily on how old i must have been when i had kiana! i am probably the only mother with a high schooler, and a five year old with a couple more kids in-between. most families have 1-3 kids very close in age. also, most families have 12-24 hour nanny care, and because of these details i fail on a daily basis in “new england motherhood standards” simply because i can’t keep up with 1:1 child/adult ratio childcare. for example, i am late to pick up my kids from school or activities regularly because maybe sela needs to stop and go to the bathroom. if practice ends at 5:30, and i show up at 5:32 every kid has been picked up except mine. it’s incredible. or, i can’t make it to PTO meetings because they are at 8am, and i’m still getting two more kids to school at that time. then, people make open comments about such things, because they are honestly NEVER late, and go to EVERY meeting. lets just say it’s a good thing i am confident in my mothering skills or the daily epic fails could really beat up my self-esteem.}

10. and, last but not least! i adore how health conscience Boston is as a city. It’s taken some getting used to, but we are adjusting. {and i thought we were a healthy family before!} until our road trip this past weekend our family hadn’t eaten at mcdonald’s in almost a year! they are just few and far between mostly at rest stops here in new england. our suburb has very very few fast food restaurants. don’t fear – we have Dunkin Donuts! {for the coffee, not the food!} there is a state-wide focus on raising healthy children, and maintaining good health. i’ve never known a community that focuses so much energy on personal exercise and fresh, good food. I go to barre or yoga class, and as i look around i am in awe of how great every woman looks! Birthdays are not celebrated at school {so, no treats.}, community sports don’t involve signing up for treats or snacks at half time and after the game, holidays are not celebrated at school {so, no extra treats!}, every town has a whole foods. The schools encourage {actually monitor!} the lunches brought from home. {the downside: we really miss some of our healthier-fast food options like Cafe Rio, Zupas, and i’d like my kids to have a little more balance to their childhoods. some treats.}

do you have any similar experiences with new england? i’d love to hear!

here’s to another year in Boston {or 2, or 3}, we hope more friends & family come visit while we’re here! xo.