trouvaille

boston, massachusetts

- wren -

When I arrive, the city doesn't seem too confusing from the outset. It's not common for a city so old to be so clear cut. The buildings aren't as high as in New York or Chicago, but it's still so beautiful. I don't think I'll ever get used to the beauty of the world. Gorgeous cities with high-rise skyscrapers, the endless plains, cascading waterfalls and tall, green mountains. Why should I ever stop seeing the world? 

I wander through the city, looking for my hotel, but not really. Just taking in the city for what it is. Stopping by little local shops and getting coffee and snacks, I look at the clock in the corner of one to see that the check in time (3 p.m.) is rapidly approaching. I decide that despite how much I want to just keep exploring, I need to get my stuff to a room.

It's only when I realize that I have no idea where my hotel is, that I see the labyrinthine nature of this city. Just like London, New York, or Shanghai, this place is a maze. Curving streets and long roads, that, if different in looks to London's, have a similar affect.

At least the locals speak English, unlike some other places I've visited. I'll just ask someone for directions. 

"Hi, can you tell me where the Boston Park Plaza Hotel is?" I ask a clerk at a nearby makeup store.

She says something in an unintelligible Irish accent. Shit. I'm in that part of town.

I never thought that there would be a language barrier in America. Apparently, I was wrong. I open my phone, but my international data plan is slow and there aren't any open WiFi networks nearby. The maps app won't load. I'm lost.

It's not an alien feeling, honestly. I'm not someone who gets lost easily, but when you travel so extensively, the combination of bad internet, language barriers, and winding streets can make even the most experienced feel lost. 

I just ran into something. Also not an unfamiliar feeling. Maps suck. I wish I could both look up in front of me and down at my phone at the same time. 

But this time, its not a pole or a wall, it's a girl. A beautiful girl with long, curly black hair and hazel eyes. 

"I'm so sorry! My maps app won't load, and- and- I'm sorry, didn't mean to run into you." I say quickly, trying to avoid making a scene.