I finally felt that I was in New England on the trip to Boston this weekend. Edna and I took the Megabus from New York for a gig, and the drive was gorgeous. I couldn’t believe how forested it was. I saw much less human presence than I expected between towns; it was easy to forget that New York was just a hop, skip and a jump away. And, the trees were changing into their fall colors, something that reminds me of Wisconsin and feels like home. Brilliant golds, yellows and oranges glinted in the sun. Rich maroons, brazen scarlets, and outrageous vermillion lined the highway. I wanted so badly to see it in its full height in a few weeks. And then, tucked between these vibrant hills were towns where quaint wood-sided New England houses juxtaposed strip malls and luxury car dealerships. Old and new sat side-by-side. Boston doesn’t feel much bigger than Philadelphia even though it is much larger in population. It almost has a small town feel: clean, neat, and orderly, the people reserved but not unfriendly. Our first time riding the subway we struck up a conversation with a student at Berklee School of Music who is a singer-songwriter planning to go into music therapy. The orderliness even extends to street musicians, who have to apply and audition for a permit to play. This means that you get to see talented people playing music while you’re just out running your daily errands. Coming right off the bus we encountered a woman playing guitar and singing a captivating rendition of Ne Me Quitte Pas. To see some of Boston we headed to Cambridge for dinner that first night, looking for a specific restaurant and music venue our host suggested called The Middle East. We never found it but instead came across a little jewel called The Dosa Factory. It was part Southeast Asian grocery, part cafeteria-style restaurant. The food was cheap and good.

Afterward we wandered around Massachusetts Avenue (“Mass Ave”) coming across an Asian grocery and an amazing muraled alleyway. We were curious about Harvard and hopped back on the subway (the “T”) and headed one stop north. It was dark but the campus was still impressive, if not simply by reputation. We followed a stream of people filing out of what looked like a church but ended up being Sanders Theatre, a Victorian Gothic building dedicated to the men from Harvard who died in the Civil War on the Union side. The thing is huge, with vaulted ceilings made of immense beams of wood. Everything was ornately carved and there were memorial plaques all along the main foyer naming the men by academic house. We wandered into the main theater and saw a band breaking down on the stage below. Apparently, there had been a concert; the space commonly hosts big acts come through.

We paused to take pictures and then headed on our way. It was late, raining, and we had a show the next day so we called it a night. The show went splendidly. It was a fundraiser for a local church that has a great community vibe and everyone was so welcoming. The duo who played before us was phenomenal, a kind of Americana indie rock.

Everyone loved our set and Edna sold out of CDs almost instantly after the show. A bunch of us went out to celebrate afterwards: Edna and I, Lillian our host, the duo who played, and a new friend Edna made at Whole Foods earlier in the day named Ceuma who also came to the show. Ceuma and I had a great conversation about life, creativity and freedom. She is originally from Angola, but has lived all over and is interested in design, among other things. She was also “wicked smaht” (as they say in “Boston, Mass”) in a refreshingly unconventional way and we became fast friends. Lilian also felt like a kindred spirit. She and her housemate  were so generous with us, opening their home completely. Lillian is a musician and bodyworker and I ended up getting a massage from her in exchange for a violin lesson. Last night we stayed up way too late sharing our musical projects and muses. All of these wonderful people made our short visit very sweet indeed.

And now, once again, I’m in New York, who was waiting patiently for me to come running back to her…

Despite only getting about four hours of sleep last night I just couldn’t take a nap after we arrived this afternoon. Elaine, my Portland friend who is originally from New York, says she doesn’t need food here, she just breathes the air. Maybe that’s true for sleep as well. Edna didn’t have anywhere in particular to be after the Megabus dropped us off in Chelsea (on the lower west side of Manhattan) so we walked to meet Elaine in the Flatiron district near the one-bedroom she is renting for the week. It just so happened that our trips to NYC overlapped and that she has space for me to stay with her in downtown Manhattan. What a treat! We are literally down the block from the Empire State Building. So, the three of us went to Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, which Elaine remembers from her childhood. Their slogan is “Raising New York’s Cholesterol since 1929.” You can imagine the menu: reubens, Philly cheese steak, tuna melts, latkas, matzo ball soup, cheesecake, meatloaf, and breakfast all day. At lunch the place is jammed-packed. The website says, “Either you get it, or you don’t.” New York true.

Elaine had a ticket to see an off-Broadway performance in the evening so we went back to the apartment to relax for an hour or so. The show is called Lennon: Through a Glass Onion, and is a first-person monologue representing John Lennon’s life and music. When it was time Edna headed to Harlem where she’s staying and I walked Elaine down the street to Union Square Theatre. I had the thought to check the box office for available and/or cheap tickets but forgot at the last minute and left to explore the neighborhood after saying goodbye to Elaine. Luckily, I checked my phone a few minutes later and saw a message saying that someone had an extra ticket. I rushed back and low-and-behold, there was Elaine standing with it was in her hand! What magic. The show was incredibly moving. Lennon’s character stood at the front right of the stage with a guitar in hand most of the time and telling stories of his life punctuated by key songs. His partner in the show played a loose version of Paul, backing him up on piano and vocals, as well as playing some minor secondary roles. They were incredible, equally talented and energetic, and completely synchronized in their interplay.