Day 7: Kittery - Boston

Phew, I'm glad everything went smoothly with the vehicle return! I was a bit nervous again and slept poorly because I don't like driving in the big city! But luckily, after the highway exit, I only had to turn twice and then I was already at the car rental office. There, I took a picture of the onboard computer, I drove for 46 hours in a week 🙈🙈

Afterwards, I ordered an Uber to the hotel to unload my luggage. Unfortunately, he was a bit incompetent and got lost despite the navigation, I had to show him the way!
Then I visited the famous Gardner Museum, which was very close to the hotel. The paintings didn't really impress me as usual in such museums (too dark!), but I found the whole setup impressive, soooo many exhibits!

In the afternoon, I took a stroll through the Boston Common, where there were again soooo many greedy squirrels. Quite cheeky ones 😊And I saw many ducks 😍 At Nordstrom Rack, I found cheap thick socks, which I wear every day in winter and therefore often have to replace.
In the evening, I wanted to have fresh lobster again and sat down in a nice restaurant next to the Faneuil Hall, where I was entertained by live music. But even good food and music doesn't distract from the fact that I'm getting tired of lonely restaurant visits. Occasionally it's okay, but it's much more fun to be able to talk to someone, for example, about the delicious food. I'm really looking forward to chatting with you again and listening to you, I need some new mental input! Especially now after a week in the car 😂 And for three weeks, I've practically only been talking to salespeople, other service personnel, and Uber drivers. Occasionally, I still talk to someone in the hostels, but it's always the same sentences and topics... Even if I were to go to bars, which I haven't done since Vancouver, I wouldn't enjoy it any better. I just want to have conversations with people I know and who know me, so they don't have to introduce themselves all the time and discuss the same things. Here's an illustration of the top sentences I hear daily or frequently, in descending order:

- Hi, how are you?
- Would you like your receipt?
- Would you like a bag?
- Can I help you, honey? / Are you alright, honey?
- Have a good one!
- Can I get you anything else?
- Did you find everything okay?
- Have a wonderful/great/good day!

- You're all set!
- Are you checking in?
- Is it just yourself? (in the restaurant)
- I love your credit card (with a pig design)
- Oh, from Switzerland! Wow! I'd love to go there! It's so expensive! I love Switzerland!

You can probably imagine what my responses look like 😂 And when I meet someone in the hostel, everyone also asks where you're from, where you've been... by now I can tell that in my sleep! In the beginning, it was still interesting, but as mentioned before, it's time for something new!

Missing some mental food, I actually wanted to read in the evening. But for the second time, I got lost in Boston - without a battery, without a charger, without a power bank. Last time, I could orient myself by the skyscrapers because I knew I had to pass by them. Now I was staying in the opposite direction on a small side street. I had a rough idea of where to go, about 20 minutes before reaching my destination (finally walked for 4 hours and over 20,000 steps after a week in the car!), my phone died. At first, I thought I would find my way, but then all the side streets looked equally deserted and gloomy (8:00 pm!) There was no taxi in sight. I tried for another 15 minutes, but then I gave up and walked back towards a busier street. Luckily, there was a taxi! The funny thing was, the street I was looking for was only one block away. But I would have definitely gone in the wrong direction. What did I learn from this: always bring the charger and power bank in New York!

Now I'm getting my suitcase ready for the flight. By the time you read this post, I'm pretty sure I'm already in New York! This is my last stop! I'm excited to be in this beautiful, vibrant city again. But I'm also looking forward to packing for the last time and flying back home, I can't wait to get all the unfinished tasks done! The reliable Swiss nerd wants to fulfill his duties 😂 You can probably hardly imagine it, everyone wishes for a vacation, but I'm getting tired of vacation. Always walking (strolling), eating, driving, taking photos, researching in the evenings what to do the next day... I don't want to just lie around / chill, that would be a waste.

I really love my job anyway, but for those who usually think in the morning, 'Oh no, I have to go to work' - it's nice to have variety, to have something to do, to chat with colleagues, and then to look forward to and enjoy free time. Having ONLY free time is unusual. If you can, take a three-month vacation too, and maybe you'll feel the same way. But the fact that I also love working above average certainly contributes to this perception☺️ Love my job ❤️