As some of you may know, I’ve moved to Boston. Here’s how the first two days have gone.

EI137 was pretty uneventful, and felt more like a longer European destination than long haul. In fact, the only thing of note was my choice of in-flight movie: Killer Joe (2011). Never, ever watch this. It’s one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a long time, with no redeeming characters or qualities.

All my luggage arrived in one piece, including my guitar! The taxi from the airport was a short, 25 minute, $65 journey. My accommodation for the next month or so is in Burlington, near the office, in the Homestead Suites. Last time I’d stayed here, the room was pretty shabby. Thankfully, they’ve since refurbished. The place feels like a viable home so far, with even a small kitchen.

Since I wasn’t picking up the car until the following morning, I decided to visit the Burlington Mall, just across the street. A 6 lane street. There’s no pedestrian crossing, and no pedestrian access to the mall, leaving me walking past the no pedestrians sign. In the dark. Through traffic.
I’m still struggling to comprehend why roads can be built without pedestrian crossings, and shopping malls can be built without foot access. This completely anti-European concept is still foreign to me.
Chilis for dinner was cheap, and incredibly good. A plate of tacos for $9!

I woke up the following morning to a bit of a surprise: Snow!
3″ of it had fallen overnight, and the scene outside was a Winter Wonderland. Two hours later, snow ploughs had cleared the overnight carpet – it’s incredible how well prepared the city is for this.

Lunch was in the food market of a supermarket of an Asian supermarket called H-Mart with a colleague, and it was an incredible Yaki Soba (~ $12). I picked up the rental (an upgrade – a Toyota Camry, up from the Corolla I had last time). It’s a 4 cylinder 2.4l, and feels less underpowered than the Corolla. It’s also surprisingly tired looking for a car with just 24k miles, begging the question – are Toyota losing it?

After work, I had my first shopping experience. First, I visited Market Basket – a cheaper than average supermarket with an exceptional selection. Here, I managed to buy enough foor for 2-3 days, along with some snacks, for ~$24. Highlight? Haagen Daaz is only $3.50. Then, it was onto Whole Foods. Here, I picked up some smaller odds and ends, but not quite a full meal. Total cost? $34. #YOLO..?
Granted, this included a $10 bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar – I use a lot of both. Whole Foods is incredible – it’s like a better quality Marks & Spencers meets a better presented Superquinn, costing roughly the same.

That’s it thus far. I’ve a lot to do over the coming days and weeks – first priority is applying for a Social Security number, and applying for a drivers permit. I’ll probably have to sit a driving test, buy a car, find a place to live, and plenty more besides. I’ll be sure to blog about whatever comes next!