boston, food, wine, walking and...smoking

i am LOVING being in boston. more than just being in boston, i am LOVING being alone. independent. i love the feeling i got from being able to navigate boston public transportation with three station switches to get to the conference this morning. i love traveling alone. i just do. it's something i've never done before. i get an odd rush from it. maybe it's the small town girl in me, proud that i can go it alone in a very large unfamiliar city. whatever it is, it's good.

i actually haven't been completely alone though... yesterday i met up with an ex-coworker who moved to boston about six months ago. she and i did some walking and went on a quick overview of some of the sights. we met up again tonight and did the same thing. walking, dinner & drinks, talking. it's been fun catching up with her. i did something very naughty tonight though: i smoked. i had one cigarette. i haven't touched a smoke in well over a year. my friend K is a very casual smoker, a pack can last her two weeks or two days, depending on what is going on. K and i first bonded at work over the discovery that we both (at the time) smoked and hid it from our co-workers. i don't plan on ever starting to smoke again. i don't plan on telling the bf or anyone else (well, besides my blogosphere friends) that i smoked. it's just something i felt like doing. and i did. and it wasn't gross, but i hate the smell and the way my mouth tastes right now, and the way my hair and even my fingers stink. i'm glad i quit, but i'm glad i tried one tonight. just for old time's sake.

the kids and the bf are surviving in my absense. the kids are driving their dad nuts already, i'm sure he will be more than ready to push them out the door when i get back. the bf says he's still surprised at how much he misses me, which is good. i miss them all too, but i wouldn't give up this experience for the world. i have one more full day and another night alone tomorrow. another day to savour this wonderful independence and "aloneness". after this trip, i think i'm going to have to repeat it, though likely on a smaller scale, every 6 months or so. it's absolutely refreshing.