It's wicked awesome," says the driver. And with that, he drives the bus into the water. I have a mini panic attack, and then it finally hits me: He is driving a boat in the water and a bus on land. Throughout the duck tour, I felt incredibly tourist-like as I turned to my phone to take a couple of snapshots (hello, Instagram), completely in awe of the beauty of Boston. I saw people running, slurping ice cream, jaywalking while speaking on phones and swearing if a vehicle was driving too fast or even too slow. I saw people dressed in business attire, munching on their granola bars while simultaneously pressing away at their iPhones and schoolchildren racing along on bicycles as the last one fell behind. All of these people were set against the backdrop of the beautiful fall color of Boston. It seemed as if I was transported back to Bangkok in the middle of the day, and yet everything and everyone was somehow different. Then I realized that I am beginning to feel at home, and most importantly, that I have to leave the Tufts campus more often.
The duck tour helped remind me that there is a whole city outside of the Tufts bubble I have inadvertently avoided these past few weeks. It is easy to get absorbed in life around Tufts, with all of the different clubs offered, the organizations in place and the classwork to attend to. But my goal is to go into Boston every two weeks, whether it be for a nice stroll along the Charles River or to grab a bite at Quincy Market. This is precisely the reason why I chose to come to the United States for university: to explore. I enjoy being a tourist in the sense that every aspect of a new place is still fresh for me. I now understand why first years are called "freshmen"- we are basically tourists at Tufts. I only found out last week that there was a bathroom in Dewick and that I had been making unnecessary trips to my residence hall in the middle of my meals. I discovered a sweet study spot at the Campus Center without the strange bright lighting and crowded feel of Tisch (just a personal preference, guys!). I also recently learned what "potluck" means, believe it or not, and about the hugely popular show "Downton Abbey." In an embarrassing moment, I learned that you cannot reserve seats at the movie theater. You can reserve tickets, but not seats (very strange...). This little not-so-secret knowledge will save me from many awkward encounters in the future.
As I am still in the tourist mode, it has been a struggle for me to adapt to the weather here. It is only nearing the end of September, and I am already wearing two layers of clothes and a scarf. This is actually the sort of weather I would wear a winter coat for back at home, but here I won't be taking it out of my suitcase for another two months. That's not all, though. Sometimes the weather is pleasant and sunny, and sometimes it is cold. It seems as temperamental as a hormonal teenage girl, and it is becoming quite annoying trying to coordinate my clothes to the climate. I have come to understand why people continually sigh when they talk about the New England weather, and now I can join them.
Duck tour, potluck and weather. This has been quite the week. It is funny how it starts to feel like college once grades start taking priority and midterms seem to appear out of nowhere. The only thing scarier than midterms now for me is snow. I am not looking forward to living in Narnia.
