Yo!
Boston. First of all, this article is going to be a tiny bit different than the others : it's going to be written in english. So pardon my french (Ha. Ha. Ha.) and bear with me. I've met incredibly great people there, and I want them to be able to get all my stupid jokes. So, as they say... Here goes nothing!
I stayed in Boston from October 7th to October 13th. Just one amazing week. Yeah, I picked up the american habit of using superlatives in most of my sentences. Deal with it. So, this week started in quite a peculiar way. As in, I knew I was going to Boston, I had my bus ticket but... No idea of where to stay. Hostels and AirBnB are really expensive, I was a bit too late to try couch surfing, and I had no friends there to help me out. So as a last resort, I tried a hail mary kind of thing : I posted on the Boston WCS group for some help. Yup. Just barging into a group of people/strangers/potential psychopaths and basically saying "Hey, well, I'm alone, a bit lost, and I need a place to stay a few nights... Any advices?". And you know what? The unthinkable happened. After a few likes, someone actually answered. And it wasn't even a creepy "You can come to my place, I have candies and cookies...". It was a honest and kind offer to help. And that is just wonderful. Megan, if you read that... You're great. Like really great. To be able to go out of your way to help out a complete stranger... Seriously, I am so grateful to you I don't know how to say it. Just keep being awesome! Because thanks to you, I can say this : so now, here is the story of how I ended up in Haus de Brackettier and the perfect week I spent there...
Before getting into the nice part of my stay in Boston, I have to talk about something so common and frequent it becomes a bit scary. So well known that it has become part of the experience of travelling to the USA. The infamous "going through the customs" gig. *Shudders*
Leaving Montréal on a bus, we reached the border without any concerns, but then the fun begins. First, they empty the bus, and we go through a small office to check our passeports and answer a few questions. The classics. Where are you from, where are you going, who are you staying with... Most of the people went through this just fine. Some others had to go into a bigger building, to go through a more thorough process. And of course, as a jobless backpacker going through america and staying at some strangers place... I figured I would tickle their curiosity. And that was a win. So I followed an officerin the backroom to the bigger administrative center, and waited for my turn. Soon enough, someone called me to take care of me please be gentle it's my first time. You guys know I love clichés. Usually they're funny. And this time, it was so on point, it was funny and sad at the same time. Fat. Bald. Basic bro tattoos. Sporty kind of sunglasses. Posture, intonation that goes with the job. I don't even need to describe it further, you guys know who he is. He begins with the usual. Papers check, questions about everything... Where I'm going to, where I'm from, where have I been, to do what, for how long, do I know anybody there, how do I know these people, how do they know each other, where I've been staying, where I'm going to stay, who's my favorite ninja turtle, you talkin' to me, you talkin' to me, you fuck my wife, and of course, who let the dogs out? I played along, and answered every questions straight up. He wanted me to empty my bag, I did it on the spot. He checked everything, I stayed calm. He took my camera and went through EVERY SINGLE PICTURES inside, I kept my mouth shut even though I wanted to punch him in the throat since some pictures were personal and not just landscapes. No, no dick pics or anyone naked you pervs. And when I thought he was out of ideas and over with his little power trip... He demanded me to grab my big backpack so he could search it. Exactly what I needed. Not like a bus full of people was waiting for me. So we went, grabbed my backpack, and went to another room. And that's when salvation came. Another officer, probably his superior, had a quick chat with him, and afterward, I could feel him being much more... Expeditive. He emptied my bag under the supervision of his collegue, asked again the same boring questions (Donatello, by the way), and let me repack it. And let me tell you, when you travel with your life possessions in a backpack... Those things are a bitch to pack. Everything has to fit. Tetris on a whole other level. But then, it was finally over. Just like that, without even a thank you, sorry, or a goodbye kiss, he sent me on my way to the bus, and we left.
I'm just glad they didn't ask me to cough. It's just a bit sad that the first contact you have with a country is something like this. And I am not even an exception. It's a reccurring event... But hey, now I have a good story to tell! And also, something great came out of it. On the rest of the bus ride, I sympathized with someone awesome who has been through the same in the past. A kiwi, a traveller, a sword fighter, an artist, and just a cool person over all of that. I mean, she actually worked on the stage settings of great movies, like District 9 (OMAGAD!) and Warcraft! I particularly recommend Warcraft as a first date movie by the way, a sure way to let a girl know you are compatible. I mean, if she's still there by the time the movie ends, she's the one... Sam, it was great meeting you, and I really enjoyed the last part of the trip, thanks to you!
Well, now for the good part! Honestly... I don't know where to begin. I don't even remember the chronology of what happened. I just have at least one great memory for each day I spent there. I feel like talking about my experience in Boston would be just like an award speech : a long and incoherent rambling in which I would try to thank everyone but still manage to forget some people... So let's bullet point the shit out of it!
All in all, this week was simply amazing. Thanks for making me feel like part of your community, it was the best!
Oh, and yes, I also visited a bit of the city. Just followed the Freedom Trail, because let's face it, I didn't have the time to research anything, and even less the energy to roam around the city too much after all those crazy nights... For those who don't know, the Freedom Trail is just a red line going through Boston, that you can follow in order to see most of the landmarks. And truth be told, it's a beautiful city, and even more so when you get to know the people living there...
Leaving Montréal on a bus, we reached the border without any concerns, but then the fun begins. First, they empty the bus, and we go through a small office to check our passeports and answer a few questions. The classics. Where are you from, where are you going, who are you staying with... Most of the people went through this just fine. Some others had to go into a bigger building, to go through a more thorough process. And of course, as a jobless backpacker going through america and staying at some strangers place... I figured I would tickle their curiosity. And that was a win. So I followed an officer
I'm just glad they didn't ask me to cough. It's just a bit sad that the first contact you have with a country is something like this. And I am not even an exception. It's a reccurring event... But hey, now I have a good story to tell! And also, something great came out of it. On the rest of the bus ride, I sympathized with someone awesome who has been through the same in the past. A kiwi, a traveller, a sword fighter, an artist, and just a cool person over all of that. I mean, she actually worked on the stage settings of great movies, like District 9 (OMAGAD!) and Warcraft! I particularly recommend Warcraft as a first date movie by the way, a sure way to let a girl know you are compatible. I mean, if she's still there by the time the movie ends, she's the one... Sam, it was great meeting you, and I really enjoyed the last part of the trip, thanks to you!
Well, now for the good part! Honestly... I don't know where to begin. I don't even remember the chronology of what happened. I just have at least one great memory for each day I spent there. I feel like talking about my experience in Boston would be just like an award speech : a long and incoherent rambling in which I would try to thank everyone but still manage to forget some people... So let's bullet point the shit out of it!
- To my wonderful hosts, you have been the bests. Megan, Lindsey, and Greg, I wish you nothing but the best. Thank you so much for everything...
- Special heads up to the Master of Haus de Brackettier : Hephaestus the Fluffy. Or Festus, for short. Some cats will jump on your feet while you sleep, or sit on your face. Festus? Nah, too mainstream. He'd rather lick my eyelids, nibble on my nose, and chew my chin until it hurts. Oh, and try to french kiss me while I'm asleep. I resisted as much as I could, but I must confess he succeded a few times... What can I say, I'm easy.
- To all the wonderful people that I've met, thank you for being so welcoming and friendly. And passionate about WCS. I will never forget Boston's hospitality!...
- My first night in Boston after a few hours of bus (and a random bag search)? A Swouk (WCS + Zouk for the muggles reading this article) partay (yes, I said it, deal with it), followed by an after at the TITS (Tavern In The Square). Yup. Spent my first night in Boston dishing out boobies jokes. Megan/Kelsey/Cara, thanks for not kicking me in the nuts for my bad jokes... (This particular thank is valid for the rest of the week by the way...)
- A diner at the cheesecake factory (*knock knock knock* Penny? *knock knock knock* Penny? *knock knock knock* Penny?) followed by a WCS house party? What else? Thanks to Greg, I got to try out this institution, and then had an awesome time meeting new people! Jeff, Fraser, Caleb, Galen, Rosina, Gabor, Ken! Special thanks to Adaire, aka Bunny, for the great talk and the palm reading session! Now I know that's not my fault if my life is a mess, it's just my destiny!
- What do americans do on a rainy sunday? Go to a bar, eat (chowder, for the win!) & drink (mostly cider from what I gathered) & watch football (from the shape of the ball and how you handle it, I still believe it should be called something like "hand egg"). Haley, Megan, Kelsey, thanks for explaining me the rules and telling me when to shout/boo... After the bar, another football/handegg session at Haley's, to meet with the Mighty Saxon and his indomitable tail wagging! And to end the evening the perfect way, what's better than a housewarming party to dance WCS again! Jeff, thank you, it was a great night!
- Lindsey, in addition of being a wonderful person, is also a great cook. Good food, great people, fun times. What else? (No I'm not trying to sell coffee...)
- The highlight of my week : going to a Marian Hill concert with a bunch of westies to WCS the shit out of it! (I own the copyright of this expression) Pure bliss. Enough said. Lindsey, Kelsey, Heather, Haley, Rosina, Megan, thank you all for the amazing dances... And Ken... I'll pay it forward, for sure! And let's not forget that little snack session in a late night american diner... I can cross that right off my bucket list!
- And to conclude this great week, a nice WCS party was just what I needed! Megan, sorry again for having to wake you up in the middle of the night...
All in all, this week was simply amazing. Thanks for making me feel like part of your community, it was the best!
Oh, and yes, I also visited a bit of the city. Just followed the Freedom Trail, because let's face it, I didn't have the time to research anything, and even less the energy to roam around the city too much after all those crazy nights... For those who don't know, the Freedom Trail is just a red line going through Boston, that you can follow in order to see most of the landmarks. And truth be told, it's a beautiful city, and even more so when you get to know the people living there...
Next step, New-York...
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