Dear Boston, Love, Always.....

Dear Boston,

You and I met back in 1992. First time I met you,I think it was midnight of first Monday in September. I had only one guitar case and one Samsonite. After dropping my stuff in the dorm room on Mass ave in Back Bay, I decided to get a can of coke as I was thirsty. When I looked at the vending machine in the dormitory, it said "75 cents" for a can of coke. I thought that it was a rip off. So I ventured out to see if there were anywhere sold cheaper. But all I could find was 75 cents or more. I couldn't get over it. Especially after coming from where I could get a can of coke as cheap as 35 cents - North Carolina. I was pissed.... I was really pissed at you.

But you were cool sometime. In day 2, I went for jogging. When I turned the corner of Park st and Beacon st. Something stopped me. It was a statue of Regiment 54 which I saw in the movie "Glory" for the US history class at my high school. I never thought I would accidentally run into something that I saw in the movie like this.

Then the winter came. You sucked. It was my habit to step outside with wet hair in the morning. You froze my hair so hard and spiky. You made me look stupid. And your winter was so long. I hated it.

Your people weren't that friendly either. They were rather pissy & angry. Your people made me feel that I didn't belong there. But I stuck around because I wanted to finish school. But come to think of it, I found that pretty comfortable. Making smile and making small talk out of people weren't exactly my nature. I had to make effort to do those. Therefore I felt comfortable with just way they were. However, later I learned that their pissy attitude was their defense mechanism. Long after I stuck around, they treated me good. Real good. And they remembered me forever. They were the most genuine people I've ever met. It was just tough to get in at first.

After living in the dorm for 2 years, I got an apartment in Fenway. It was nice because the school was in walking distance and also I no longer had to deal with self righteous RA knocking on my door to check underage drinking. But summer sucked. My neighborhood started being infested with Sox fans. Being in noisy and rowdy place wasn't exactly something I was used to. Especially coming from quite country side in North Carolina....

But I don't know when I started liking you. I know I didn't hate you around '96 and became consciously loyal to you by 2002 or 2003. I can't really recall incident or moment that made me like you. Now I prefer long cold winter over long humid summer(like Japan), anytime I hear something about New York, I become unconsciously hostile. And drink of my choice are Guinness and Jameson. I don't know how I pick those up. Whenever I go back home and people ask me "What is it like living in Boston?". I always answer:

It's culturally diverse and ethnically diverse. But it seems that we all have to live in Irish way.

No one instructed or brainwashed me to say that. It just came out of my mouth like slip of the tongue.

Now we parted away. I miss you. I miss everything you have. Jogging along the Charles, climbing up the Blue Hill, jumping in cold water in Nahant, Drinking Strong Bow and Guinness all night at Cornwall's, Bar crawling on St Patty Day from E. Broadway to W. Broadway, Going through emotional rollercoaster with watching Sox... I miss them. I miss them all.

But we cultivated vast, huge, mega memories which we cannot lose. I'll be always thinking of you...

Love always,
Jimmy