right now we're here in boston, in love with downtown crossing

i figure a long, paragraphed summary of my incredible trip to boston is no fun for anyone. so, in my usual manner, bullets and iphone photos (and maybe a few courtesy of emily stewart):

• because of many factors, we hauled our bags with us to dinner friday night at a nice little establishment called fajitas & 'ritas. this was not a good thing. small place + lots of people + table in the back of the restaurant + (emily stewart's) huge bag...let the hilarity ensue. 
• dorchester. this is where emily o. resides, near codman square. wonderful place. 
• history. boston is full of it. old, ornate, beautiful churches. graveyards. paul revere. samuel adams. i love this stuff.
• watching game 6 of the ALCS (red sox vs. rays) at boston beerworks, which sits right outside of fenway park. despite waiting 3 hours for a table that we never got, it was great to watch the game at a place that brews their own beer. only. (don't order a bud light in a bottle. they don't have it. nor anything else in a bottle.)
• i began to master the art of scarf-wearing this weekend. i bought my first two scarves of my life. they really do help keep you warmer! by the way, it was mid 50s during the day and mid 30s at night. auburn still feels like summer to me.
• because of circumstances beyond my control, i had to stay with a stranger (to me, not to everyone). but this turned out to be a great thing. mike, the guy i stayed with, was a gracious host and fun to hang out with and talk to. and he's the cousin of a friend from au singers. small world.
• high rock. such a great church, in arlington, near harvard. extremely diverse. on my row there were white people around my age, black people, asian people, an 80 year old man, middle aged couples. the band/worship wasn't perfect (which is usually my biggest pet peeve), but it was some of the most REAL worship i've experienced in quite a while. the sermon was convicting and based in SCRIPTURE (praise the Lord!). malachi 3:10 was the verse that has constantly been on my heart since then. after the service, the entire church eats lunch together. every sunday. for free. community. people selflessly serving each other. i long for a church like this.
• new and old friends. emily and emily are the best. liz, mike, michemas, and others are great new friends. 
• i could have sworn i saw josh groban out the window of the huge borders bookstore at the corner of washington and school streets.
• got to watch game 7 at a small pub in dorchester, which was quite a change from the craziness of game 6. great game. i was secretly rooting for the rays. and the sox fans i encountered were gracious losers. 
• harvard university is beautiful. cambridge, ma is a really cool area.
• i love boston more than i already knew i did, and i am really considering moving up there after a graduate. i know, i know, i want to move to kenya. i'm torn, and throw nashville in the mix. i pray for discernment constantly.