Sorry for the absence friends – I’ve been on vacation and away from the blog.
And then summer fun got in the way, and I’ve been out living my life instead of writing about it😛
But I’m back!!! And ready to give you a recap of all I did in the lovely city of BOSTON!
Week 1 was dedicated to my love for Lindyhop! I signed up for a week-long dance camp that was celebrating their 20th anniversary of BEANTOWN!!
BEANTOWN DANCE CAMP
This was an intensive week of non-stop dance with workshops all day, everyday to improve your dancing skills. Taught by amazing dance instructors from all over. Followed by nightly live bands to dance to until the wee hours of the morning!
Here’s a quick run down of those live musical acts:
Truth: When I signed up for this trip, I figured I’d have a ton of other Toronto dancers going with me. But with the CAD$ being so low…that wasn’t the case. And then I had a lower back injury that led to me doing very little dancing all winter. I started to chicken-out and was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everyone else at this camp.
What if they were all amazing dancers and they discover that I’m a dancing fraud!?
What if they’re all super young and I’ll be the oldest granny of the group?!
What if I sit all alone for every meal with no friends all week!?
As the travel date got closer and closer… turns out that there were only two other Toronto dancers heading to Beantown …and we were all arriving at different times.
So I forced myself to be brave, packed my electric heating pad, a sh!t-ton of Ibuprofen and muscle pain ointment and off I went to spend over a week at a dance camp, in a city where I know nobody… dun dun dunnnn!
I had to audition to get into an appropriate “track level” for all your classes that week. Terrifying? Yes!
Result: Turns out I’m an intermediate dancer!
This was the first time I participated in a group routine and performed in public!!!
I’m happy to report – we didn’t mess up once on stage!!! Woot! Woot!😀
Me and my routine dance partner, Eddie
Here’s the routine. We were nervous that we’d screw it up…so we claimed a spot in the back row…far right, if you’re looking for me.
Look for my especially twirly skirt.😉 Click here to read about my outfit if you’re curious.
I was way too busy having the time of my life … that I didn’t take too many pictures during my stay at camp.
Luckily I’ve managed to find a few of me taken at the fun photobooth the last night of camp – celebrating its 20th anniversary!
Visit my Instagram channel to see all the camp adventures + video clips of a few lessons and a mini private concert with Norma Miller – Lindy Hop swing dancer known as the “Queen of Swing”
DOWNTOWN BOSTON
Camp ended on a Thursday…and with the long weekend here (Canada Day), I decided to stick around Boston and explore the city solo.
My hostel – HI Boston – was right next to the Boston Common – pretty much right in the heart of downtown.
I slept the day away – my body was exhausted after 7-days of dance. But in the evening, I walked around on my own and found myself in the Public Gardens just as the sun was setting…
Gorgeous pink skies in the Public Gardens, Boston
And at the other side of this the park… I stumbled upon this landmark…
“Where Everybody Knows Your Name!!”
Naturally I had to stop in and have a cuppa Calm Chowda at the bar and channel my inner Norm.😉
Friday I was a proper tourist! I was determined to maximize the day AND night!!!
What better way to explore a new city than on foot! I discovered a fab lil’ company called Free Tours by Foot which does just that! These tours are among the best things to do in Boston, taking you through many of the city’s most famous neighbourhoods. Best part: there is no charge to take our tours. Meaning you may pay what you feel the tour was worth after the tour is completed, thus ensuring that your tour guide must strive to give his or her best on every tour. Win. Win.
What I saw on the Freedom Trail Walking Tour:
- Massachusetts State House
- Park Street Church
- Granary Burying Ground
- King’s Chapel
- Old South Meeting House
- Old Corner Bookstore
- Old State House
- Boston Massacre Site
- Faneuil Hall
In addition to all these historic sites … I managed to drive by the Harvard Campus at night …. took the T-train on a pub crawl to some uptown Boston Bars…. checked out the local Lindyhop Social…. brought the house down with newly made friends while Karaoke’ing in Cambridge … caught some live jazz over brunch…and even had a bit of a romantic interlude that weekend to boot!😉
Overall, my trip to Boston was da.bomb.com!❤
It’s a fantastic city – super green – with lots to see and do. Sadly, I dedicated an entire day to shopping and came up empty-handed. Nothing wow’d me enough to spend my money. Nothing. Very, very disappointing.😦
Who’s been to Boston? Were there some “must do’s” that I missed? Now that you’ve read about my adventures, would you take a trip out there too?
Tell me your thoughts in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading. xo
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