If there is one thing I regret about my time here at Harvard, it’s that I don’t ever get out. There is so much to do on campus and in Cambridge that when people ask me, “So, how do you like living in Boston?” I have to honestly answer, “Well… I haven’t really been to Boston.” It’s embarrassing.
I know a lot of kids that make the effort to go out and explore, it’s just that I’ve become so busy that when I do have down time, I find myself in my dorm or Lamont library socializing or “doing work” (the quotes are there for a reason). And hey, they don’t call it the “Harvard Bubble” for nothing.
But this was not the case two Thursdays ago when my best friend Heather, who goes to Wellesley, called me up and asked, “Do you want to go to the Boston premiere of Mary Poppins tonight?!?”
I had a million reasons not to go. I had an Economics 10 problem set to finish, I was exhausted from a week of late nights and hard work (or procrastination…), I really, really hated the movie (Mary Poppins freaks me out – the bankers, the creepy old people, the loud cannon thing that makes dishes fall, the TALKING PARROT), but then I thought, “Why deny myself this opportunity to see a little more of the world?” So I went!
IT. WAS. AWESOME.
The musical itself was just plain fun. I mean, who doesn’t love upbeat cheesy show tunes in concordance with lively choreography and brightly colored costumes? But the BEST part was taking a break from the daily routine.
Of course, because my life is a comedy errors, I was late, one of my high heels got stuck in a crack between the bricks of the sidewalk, I almost missed my stop getting off the T (Boston’s version of a subway), I tripped and fell in front of EVERYONE going down the stairs in the theater… and the fire alarm went off (for the first time ever, according to the usher – of course, it was because I was there).
This is my best friend Heather posing outside of the theater with a fire truck after the smoke alarm went off. Photo cred goes to my cellphone.
Regardless, I had a fantastic time! Of course, I then stayed up until 5:00 a.m. finishing homework… but it was totally worth it!
Has anyone else out there seen the musical? What are some things that you’ve done as excuses to get out and about?