Sibling Tour 2006
Last week, my girlfriend and I went on our "Sibling tour 2006". We visited Boston, MA to see her sister and coastal Maine to visit mine. It was a great trip, and a lot of fun for both of us.
What struck us during the trip is the distinct contrast of each part of the visit.
In Boston we stayed in her sister's apartment, a small two-bedroom on the outskirts of downtown Boston. We were in easy walking distance of about 1,000 restaurants, two or three T-stops, stores, and even Fenway park (if you stretch the definition of walking distance a little bit). We ate out almost every meal and spent our days mostly on foot wandering around the city. We even had an excursion to Revere beach on the hunt for a roast-beef sandwich place mentioned in a PBS documentary. It was great.
My sister, on the other hand, lives in a beautiful house tucked on the edge of the woods in coastal Maine. We had plenty of space for the 5 of us (her son, husband, her, my girlfriend and I). We could walk on a short path near her house, but otherwise, anything we wanted had to be in a car.
We hiked in Acadia national park, and climbed up a 1,000 foot hill. We also strolled on a pebble-filled beach and enjoyed the sunshine. We even had a few home-cooked meals.
The contrast definitely shows the pluses and minuses of country life versus cities. I lean to be a city person. I love to walk and enjoy being close to coffee houses, restaurants, and stores. Although I love being outside, I find it comforting to be able to move on my own two feet.
Now, that isn't to say I can't appreciate my sister's choice. Her house is beautiful, and would be completely unaffordable in the outskirts of Boston. Her son will go to a small school, and they can leave their doors unlocked.
It was wonderful to be able to experience and appreciate both lifestyles. We had fun in both places, and I would love to do the trip again. Besides the simple act of seeing my family, the chance to experience what life has to offer outside of your own lifestyle is a priceless opportunity.
posted by Gatsby @ 1:20 PM
5 Comments:
Hey Gats, sounds like you two had a lovely trip. You didn't include any details about how the sister's reacted to meeting you and her (I'm assuming it's the first time you met?).
I feel a little like you. I like urban life and culture and accesibility to things. But owning a home which is affordable, with good schools and a yard for my kids will be important too.
Perhaps until kids, urban is the way, and after, there are reconsiderations.
Hi Tamara,
This was the third time Gatsby met my sister and the second time I met his sister.
Having spoken with my sister on the topic, I can say that she has a favorable reaction to Gatsby. My sister can be a tough critic, but she found him to be suitably nerdy, open-minded, and easy to talk to. She was also impressed that he was courageous enough to mingle with my family early on. :)
I also agree with your comments on the country vs. city. It's probably the reason that suburbs have become so popular.
Hey Daisy, nice to meet you :) It's great everyone loves eachother...so important and so hard to find.
Tamara, thank you! It's nice to meet you too.
Glad to find everyone getting along.
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