Feeling History.

When I was going through school and college, history was really something that I endured. To be honest, it was a drudgery, something to memorize and forget. I didn't have teachers who helped me to see the significance of history and how it can come alive and make today's life more rich and relevant.

As an adult, I have definitely developed a deeper and more informed (less ignorant) appreciation for history and how history shapes our perspectives. Boston is a place that is literally seeping with history. I love that you can be walking down a street of high-rises and hotels, and all of a sudden you come upon an iron-gated cemetery holding the remains of people like Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin's parents.

I ate lunch today at this place, Ye Old Union Oyster House, which is the oldest restaurant in the United States. As I sat in the dark, lantern-lit upper level of the building, with the solid wood beams and low ceilings, I could envision groups of soldiers meeting here, talking about their strategy.

They serve up seafood platters like this...and ironically, I liked it all....the calamari, scallops, clams, fish.....but really didn't care for the oysters. I think it's a texture aversion for me. I couldn't bring myself to pay the high price to try raw oysters on the half-shell, given that I'm not totally sure I could psych myself up to eat them anyway. Maybe next time.

Across from the restaurant was this haunting Holocaust memorial. It was 5 tall glass towers, etched with all of the numbers of those who were murdered in the concentration camps in Europe. The bottom of the towers were grates that allowed steam to rise, representing the gas-filled chambers.

It struck me that across from these places where American Revolutionary soldiers strategized to fight for our freedom, lies this testament to the tragic years where the freedom of a whole people was wickedly taken away.

This is the red-brick path called the Freedom Trail, which winds 2.5 miles to connect major history sites throughout the city. Here are just a few of the sites that I visited:

The old town hall, which has since been converted to a Ruth's Chris Steak House.

This statue of Benjamin Franklin watches over the hall.

I walked through 3 burying grounds, reading some of the etchings and wondering who these people were...lots of solders, some famous like Paul Revere and Samuel Adams....others unknown and anonymous. But the sacrifice was as great. One of the cemeteries held the bodies of all the individuals who were killed in the Boston Massacre.

After finishing the Freedom Trail, I walked slowly back to my hotel, enjoying the early-spring sunshine. This photo was taken in the Boston Gardens, which I can only imagine are breath-taking in the spring and the fall. The sunshine was stunning!

I arrived back to my hotel just in time for a short nap. I decided to stay in tonight so ordered room service, topped off with a slice of Boston Creme Pie.

Tomorrow brings more sessions followed by dinner with Evelyn Oka, who was my doctoral commitee chair and advisors at MSU. It is always good to catch up with Evelyn and some of my other friends from graduate school. I also will spend a good chunk of tomorrow prepping for my paper session, which is at 10:00 am on Friday. Time for bed! These Westin Heavenly Down Spa beds are heavenly!