Day 15 Saturday, September 26th (K.S.)

 

Throughout the week, we had all been talking about how bad the weather was going to be on Saturday. Naturally, when I woke up on Saturday, I expected it to be pouring rain and very windy. To my surprise, however, it was only cloudy and drizzling slightly.

A little later, we headed to Boston College for the tailgate. When we arrived, it had started to rain a bit, and we were lucky that my exchange student’s sister and her friends had set up their tailgate inside a garage. After meeting her sister and her friends, eating, and talking for a while, we moved to their dorm because the rain had become much heavier. They had also stopped letting people into the garage, including some of their friends.

Seeing the culture surrounding college football and student life was eye-opening because we do not really have anything similar in Switzerland. It was interesting to experience how much excitement and community there was around a college football game, even though the weather was getting worse.

On the way back to the house, we stopped at Five Below and Target for some last-minute shopping. In the end, we basically bought nothing but candy and snacks. Around 5:45 p.m., I said goodbye to their dog, which was quite sad, and then we headed to the airport. Before leaving, we took some last-minute pictures with our exchange students under the flags. Then we all said goodbye to one another, knowing that we would not see each other again for another six months.

When we were waiting at our gate, the plane was already delayed, and we were all tired from the long day. Then came an announcement that shocked all of us: our flight would not be serving any food. We later learned that this was because of the storm and the fact that the catering cart could not safely be brought onto the plane. We therefore went to an overpriced, tiny shop at the airport and bought some snacks to take with us.

The next day, after barely sleeping, we all woke up hungry since none of us had eaten dinner. I think I slept for a maximum of two hours during the flight. To ease our hunger, the crew offered us some small snacks that they had on board. I ended up eating a bag of pretzels that I had bought at the airport, a bar of Kägi, and a small bag of popcorn. At the time, I was quite upset and hungry, but looking back, I think it was the right decision not to serve a full meal. Otherwise, the flight might have been cancelled because of the storm. The pilot even told us that this was the first time anything like this had happened during his 35-year career.

After we landed, we were in what felt like a flow state and flew through passport control and baggage claim in record time. We then had some time before our train departed, so we bought some food and headed to the station.

On the train, most of us, including me, took a nap. Surprisingly, I felt like that short nap was more effective than the sleep I had gotten on the plane. After everything we had experienced, we were all exhausted, but there was also a feeling of relief that we were finally on our way home.

When we arrived in Basel, I was sad that our wonderful journey to Boston had come to an end. At the same time, I was excited to finally head home, see my parents, and, most importantly, get some proper sleep.

Day 14, Friday September 25th (J.W.)

 One last deep inhale of Boston

After riding one last time into the city that we had been discovering over the past two weeks, we grabbed, maybe for the last time, our by now dearly loved morning drinks and headed over to the the park.

We lay there in the sun and let our minds run free. One topic of conversation was what colours certain things had. For example, Thursday, what color is it for you? Orange, brown, green or something else?

On our program today was a special treat: the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum. Did you know that even the walls of the museum (or house) themselves are artworks? For instance, one whole wall is covered by leather panels which are decorated with metal leaf and varnish for shine, stamped and embossed for texture, and painted with floral designs. Isabella acquired the panels from many different places. She collected more than 25 different types of leather wall hangings, more than 500 individual pieces—to collage the walls of that room.

When I walked into that building, my jaw literally dropped. First, you walk into probably the most beautiful indoor garden I have ever seen, details which seem to be never ending.
EVERYTHING in that building is so unique and beautiful. In each room I walked, I thought it couldn‘t get any more special, and each time it did!

You can feel she wanted to let people feel the energy and speciality of the place. Although I tried to capture the beauty of that building on picture for you, I have to tell you, it really feels impossible to capture the splendor of this home. You can easily see she was someone who used her money wisely and created something for everybody, until eternity.

The rest of the afternoon, we all tried to fill our lungs one last time with Bostonian air.

Maybe a bit tired, we arrived at the Farewell Party. After we had stuffed our bellies with pizza, pasta and yummy food, we got our spark back and slowly the party dragged itself into the garden, where we jumped on the trampoline, played games and chatted. We watched the sun go down, ate brownies, cookies and muffins. A wonderful last evening together with our American hosts.

A personal, funny highlight was when we pranked Peter by asking him if he had forgotten to prepare the speech he was going to give later, in front of everybody; his reaction was priceless.

When I went into the garden to grab my bag, I looked over to the house and saw a few people chilling in the basement, after some time the party had moved one more floor down and we were caught up playing BS and Impostor. We had some good talks and laughs!

Exhausted but filled with joy, I went home to my host’s house to spend the last night in the United States. When I closed my eyes, I could still see all the little moments of the past two weeks playing through my head. It felt strange to know that this adventure was already coming to an end. But at the same time, I felt incredibly grateful that I got to experience all of it.

Day 13 Thursday, September 24th (M.S.)

 

Today we had a very calm morning because we could freely roam around Boston. We took our usual morning train, and once we arrived in Boston, we dispersed quite quickly. First, my group went to a post office to buy some stamps. There, we met a Puerto Rican lady who worked behind the counter. She was lovely and very keen to chat with us in Spanish. We then walked to the Boston Public Market to buy some everything bagels with cream cheese, our new favourite. Then we wanted to go to the large park to enjoy our coffees and bagels, but got distracted a few more times along the way.

First, we saw the cop slide and had to try it. We then attempted to recreate Nemo’s performance of The Code on a spinning platform. Next, some of us visited the Boston Public Library. This building is one of the most magnificent I’ve ever seen. First, you see this grand marble staircase with lion sculptures decorating each side. On the second floor is the big hall of students and concentrated people. The intricate ceiling and green lamps on each long wooden table made us feel like we had gone back in time. We enjoyed a peaceful half hour in the hall, watching all the productive people, before meeting up with the class once again.

In the afternoon, we first did the Black Heritage Trail with a tour guide. She explained the neighbourhoods we visited and told us some fascinating stories about how Black people fought slavery and for their rights. One story stuck with me: that of a Black girl who couldn’t go to any elementary school, but had to walk across town to a segregated one. On the way from her house to the school, there were four other schools which she was forbidden to attend because of the colour of her skin. The discrimination this girl and other African Americans had to face is appalling.

Once the tour had finished, we visited the African History Museum. However, by that point, the whole class was very exhausted, so we didn’t stay too long.

Later on, I had a very enjoyable evening, as a group of us went for ice cream and then to play mini-golf.

Day 12 Wednesday, September 23rd (L.Z.)

 

We started the day like most of the last ones, at the train station in Reading at 8:10. We took the train to North Station and, for the first time, the subway. On our way to the JFK Museum, we stopped at a coffee shop where everyone could choose a drink. It was a surprise from our teachers, Ms. Mac Farland and Ms. Scherrer. Thank you again!

We had to hurry a little to make it to the museum in time. Before entering, we had to go through security, similar to the one at the airport.

I really enjoyed the museum. You could walk from video to video and watch the ones you were interested in. There were real dresses worn by Jackie Kennedy, seating charts she had drawn, and a replica of John F. Kennedy’s office. The last room was dedicated to his final moments. Small screens showed different media reports announcing his death which was really touching.

The location of the museum was beautiful too. Through the huge glass walls, you could see the sea.

In the afternoon, we were free to do whatever we wanted. Our teachers suggested places such as the Boston Public Library or the USS Constitution. I chose the library, and it was really impressive. I was very surprised that a building so beautiful from the outside could be even more majestic  from the inside.

Instead of going straight back to Reading, we spent the late afternoon walking through Boston and making our way to Fenway Park in time for the Red Sox game that evening.

To be honest, I didn’t really understand most of the rules, but the atmosphere was unbelievable. Since we didn’t know how long the game would last, we left a bit early and took the subway back. It wasn’t until later that I found out that the Red Sox had won!

Day 11 Tuesday, September 22nd (J.R.)

 

Today we had a different means of transportation than usual. We got the chance to ride to Plimoth Patuxet on the popular yellow school bus!

The ride to Plimoth Patuxet took us around two hours, and those two hours felt so much longer. It was so quiet on the bus… quieter than it has been on the whole trip. We were all super sleepy and took micro-naps. “Micro” because we woke up what felt like every two minutes due to bumps in the road, loud noises, uncomfortable seats, and the fact that we were almost flying out of our seats. In the back of the bus, we really jumped into the air at every single bump. That was actually pretty funny.

Once we arrived at Plymouth Plantation, we had three hours to learn all about the first settlers, their way of living, and the Native Americans (Wampanoag tribe)  and their traditions. Some were crafting a new boat, others were preparing a traditional soup and at the same time we were able to ask them all our questions, and everyone answered so kindly and in great detail.

At the plantation, actors impersonate the first settlers, which means they stay in character and tell you all about their lives when they first arrived. We were able to walk into their houses and explore them. For example they created ointments according to the original recipes.

There were also extraordinarily friendly historians who answered our questions. One of them was named Charlie, and he was so excited to hear that we were from Switzerland that he let everyone know. Pretty soon, we were really popular as the Swiss kids.

He also recommended that some of us ask the early settlers about the Billington family so we could hear some gossip from that time. Apparently, the Billington son almost blew up the entire Mayflower while at sea, so now the family has a pretty bad reputation

This visit was super interesting and entertaining.

Right after the field trip, a group of us went to Lynnfield Marketplace, which is a gigantic outdoor mall. It was so fascinating to check out all the stores we don’t have in Switzerland, like Aerie, American Eagle, Free People, and so on. We had a great time!

For dinner, we all split up, but some of us met up afterward to try some frozen yogurt.

They had such a great variety of froyo flavors and toppings—it was simply delicious! We definitely need a self-serve froyo bar like that in Basel.

Day 10 Monday, September 21st (L.S.)

 

Today, our field trip brought us to Harvard. We gathered at the train station and boarded the train, not towards Boston, but towards Oak Grove, where we transferred to the Boston subway for the first time. Upon arriving at Harvard, we had half an hour to explore the area, during which I treated myself to an authentic Bacon, Egg and Cheese Bagel from Dunkin’ Donuts.

Our tour of Harvard University began at 11:00.– Harvard University is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is a member of the Ivy League. Founded on September 8, 1636, Harvard is the oldest university in the United States. It is also widely recognized as one of the leading universities in the world.

To learn more about this legendary university, we were accompanied by a charismatic tour guide, an undergraduate Harvard student, who shared numerous hilarious and surprising stories about the university’s history. For example, did you know that Harvard students once waged a war against the school bell? They attempted to burn it, fill it with water and let it freeze, steal the clapper, and more. However, they only succeeded in making the bell ring late once: a fire miraculously broke out on the other side of the campus just before the bell was supposed to ring. The students all denied any involvement in the fire, but it certainly constituted a rather strange coincidence.

Later, we were given the opportunity to speak with an architecture student who provided us with fascinating insights into how Harvard operates, the opportunities it offers, and the various choices available to its students.

Afterwards, we were had some free time to explore Cambridge, during which we visited several different thrift shops.

We arrived back in Reading at 4:00 p.m., after which some of us gathered for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. The portions proved to be enormous! Completely full, we made our way back, ready to relax and go to bed.

Day 9 Sunday, September 20th (S.T.)

 

Today, I slept in, so by the time I got up it was already 10 am. After that, I went brunching with my host family at a local place in Reading. I ordered cinnamon apple French toast, which tasted simply delicious.

 

After that, my host sister, my host mom and I drove over to Cosco. That was a crazy experience. Cosco is a big warehouse that mostly sells groceries, but also holds a pharmacy, has a clothes section, a wide selection of IT-devices, house décor as well as mechanical services; basically everything you can think of. The packing sizes of the groceries were not abnormally big and the items came in packs of four, at least. So, shopping at Cosco was a real American experience, because I find everything in America huge!

 

Later on, my host sister and I went pottery painting at a really cute place in Reading. We both painted a tray to serve food on. Caroline painted hers pink with lemons and limes on it, and I drew a bunch of small colorful fish on mine.

I was inspired to do that by the place we had been to the day before, when we had been to Rockport, an artsy little town by the ocean. There, these small colorful fish were everywhere, no matter if painted on the walls or in the small, cute shops.

Our pottery will be burnt and ready to be picked up in a few weeks, when I am no longer in Boston. I am very excited to see how it turned out when Caroline brings me mine in April, when she visits Basel!

Day 8 Saturday, September 19th (K.G.)

 

Last Saturday was unusual, but in a very good way. I woke up around 9 a.m. and had some bagels from Bagel World for breakfast. Soon afterwards, we drove to Lawrence Municipal Airport. There, I was introduced to Fernando, a friend of my host dad’s who is also a pilot.

We boarded a Cessna 172, a small American four-seat, single-engine, high-wing, fixed-wing aircraft. It was first flown in 1955 and is still a very popular aircraft today. Fernando flew us over the city of Boston, which simply looked spectacular from the air. What a stark contrast to seeing the skyscrapers from above and experiencing the city from an entirely new perspective!

We then landed safely on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, located just south of Cape Cod. The island is well known as a popular and affluent summer resort.

On Martha’s Vineyard, we had lunch. The waitress even welcomed me by saying, “Welcome to America.” I ordered buffalo chicken wings, which were delicious. At the airport, we watched a helicopter take off right next to us, which felt incredibly close.

After lunch, we flew back and then headed home. What an amazing and memorable day!

Day 8 Saturday, September 19th (L.A.) II

Saturday was the first day that we didn’t spend in a big group. Feeling tired after the last few exhausting and busy days, Maddie (my exchange student) and I decided to stay in for the morning.

At around two o’clock, some people decided to meet up at Burlington Mall, which was my first time visiting a shopping center. I was taken aback by how many shops and restaurants were concentrated in one place. We had lots of fun looking at children’s toys and trying them out when another customer came up to us and started talking to us. She was quite a bit older, around 60, and African American. The woman, whose name we never caught, first told us that she was impressed by our ability to enjoy the toys. She said, “You guys are cracking me up,” and then the conversation turned to the complex political situation in the US.

The woman expressed her frustration the current administration and complained about the future. After an interesting and humorous 10-minute conversation, she left, telling us that she was a bit concerned about our future.

After that, we hit a few more shops, and I bought some nice new clothes. We ate Thai food at the food court, then Maddie and I decided to drive to Cambridge to visit a popular thrift store. And it was a success! We arrived home hungry and tired at around 9 pm. I went straight to bed and slept for 10 hours :).

It wasn’t the most eventful day, but I went to bed happy and excited for Sunday.