I never use this blog as any kind of bully pulpit.  I barely ever express my opinion up here about anything and that is on purpose.  First, this is a picture blog.  If I wanted to express my opinion, I would have a non picture blog on some kind of theme where I expressed my opinion.  Instead I post pictures of dogs, mountains and whatever else appears in front of my camera worth photographing.

Recently though, I read something that I feel the need to respond to.  I’ve read another blog called Gawker for years and up there was an essay by a person whose been living in Boston for a couple of years.  In it she detailed how she actually lives in Cambridge and basically saw her time here as a clock punching exercise while in law school.  The people were cold, the atmosphere of the city uninviting, the author said.

I found myself wondering what city she was talking about.  I knew what she meant with her words.  I had a similar sentiment when I lived in Washington, a place I struggled to connect with.  However, Washington is a place that a lot of people struggle to connect with.  Expressing the same sentiment about Boston doesn’t ring true to me.

I write a lot up here about how surprised I am about how much I like Boston.  I love the haze over Downtown Crossing in the morning.  I love how walking through Harvard Square means you will find something weird there.  I love how compact the city is.  I can leave work, board a boat and go to Harbor island in less than an hour.  Or a beach.  Or a ski slope in the winter.

This is the only place I have ever lived that I have liked more and more as the years go on.  I thought initially when I moved here that I would eventually leave.  Maybe another city, back to Europe, etc.  But now I can’t possibly picture leaving.

Speaking of pictures, some aforementioned Boston charm.  Yesterday I was walking through Harvard Square, when I spotted a big group of (what I assume) were Harvard students, in the pouring rain, belting out tunes.  It was fabulous.  I gave these guys $5 for effort alone: