I cannot believe half of the semester is already over! Time is seriously flying. Fall Break signifies the middle of the semester, which is nice, but also frightening because of how much I still have to do before the end of the semester! However, it was nice to get away for Fall Break last weekend.
Like most people, I left Daytona to travel. However, what was different is that I was traveling for ‘work’. I say ‘work’ because I wasn’t going home to see my family, and technically I was working, although, my work is so much fun. I traveled to Boston for the Women’s Ambassador Program. I traveled with my friend Kalina, who is also an ambassador. The purpose of the trip was to volunteer at the Geek is Glam STEM Expo for Girl Scouts. We did volunteer, but we also got to sight-see!
Kalina and I woke up very early Friday morning to catch our flight to Boston. After a couple flights, coffees, and awkward naps on the plane, we made it to Boston. Once we arrived we were picked up by an ERAU Admissions Counselor, whom we work with a lot. We all went straight to downtown Boston. Kalina is from MA, so she knew everything about Boston, but what she didn’t know is that she would be surprised by her family when we arrived! After all of the excitement, the group of us toured around the city, since I had never really been downtown.
Hello, Boston!
Our first stop was Quincy Market, where I had the most amazing Lobster Roll. It was delicious!! New England sure does know how to do Lobster. Next, we walked around to Faneuil Hall, Town Hall, Beacon Hill, and through a few parks. I was amazed by all of the history in the city. Of course I learned about Boston in U.S. History, but it was crazy to be where all of the history took place. After our long walk, we walked to Little Italy to grab a cannoli at Mike’s Pastry, which is apparently pretty famous! The cannoli was to-die-for! After our treat we spent some time down by the water, and then headed out of town to our hotel in Central Massachusetts.
Famous Quincy Market
Kalina and I in front of Faneuil Hall
Myself, Crystal, Kalina, and a friend
Old City Hall building
Chocolate Chip Cannoli from Mike’s Pastry
The drive was beautiful, since I got to see the historic Fenway Park, and all of the leaves changing colors. It was nice to be in crisp air as opposed to Florida’s muggy, warm air. However, I did not like the temperature!! All weekend it was about 50 degrees, with lows in the 30s. I was definitely not used to that. We got to our hotel and went out for a nice dinner at a local Italian place. Then it was time for bed, since Kalina and I had such a long day of travel.
The next day, Saturday, we had our event. We had to run to Walmart to grab some supplies, which was an experience! We ended up searching for a long time for a laundry detergent called Borax, which we needed to make the Goo we were using for the event. After countless walks around the aisles, we finally found it, which was a relief. The event took place at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It was a beautiful campus, filled with old brick buildings with modern flares. There were about 450 Girl Scouts who were on campus for the event, which as you can imagine, was pretty crazy. At our booth, we had straws and marshmallows for the girls to build towers with, and Goo for the girls to play with. Goo is a putty-like substance created with Borax, glue, and water. Other booths had robots, ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, and many other science-related items.It was about a 4 hour event, however I spent a lot of the time making Goo. It was a hit with the girls!! However, it takes about 15 minutes to make a batch of it, which had to be made in the bathroom. I ended up running back and forth from the booth to the bathroom making and delivering Goo. It was all worth it, though. I loved seeing the girls so excited and eager to learn about the Goo. It was a rewarding feeling knowing that I helped to keep them interested in science.
Kalina and I making Goo at the STEM Expo
After the event, we drove to Wahlburgers, which is Mark, Donnie, and Paul Wahlberg’s restaurant. They have their own show, which showcases the restaurant and their family life. I had Donnie’s Choice Burger, which turned out to be the best burger I had ever had, a frappe (milkshake), and fries! Now I understand why there was a 45 minute wait to get a table. The restaurant was unique and fun, which is why I think so many people love it.
YUM, Wahlburgers!
Once we had finished eating, we drove to Salem, MA to experience the spookiness. Since it is October, Salem was hosting many Halloween-related events. It was very, very cold that night, so we walked around the streets quickly looking at all of the famous sites. The place that blew me away the most was the memorial for those who died during the Salem Witch Trials. It is crazy to read how they died, and why they were believed to have been a witch. The history in Salem was incredibly overwhelming, however it is worth the visit.
The Witch House in Salem
The next day, Kalina and I headed to the airport at 5:30am to catch a flight back to our warm, Florida residences. I cannot explain how grateful I am to have been able to travel to Boston with one of my closest friends. I never thought I would ever get to see New England and all of its history, so it was an experience I am incredibly thankful for. I cannot wait for more amazing ‘work’ trips in the future, but for now, back to school!!
Until next time,
Lindsey
