dear boston,

remember the time we first met? i was 8 and you introduced me and gigi to change-color nail polish and those cool toasty hot dogs buns. you took us whale watching and to those awesome little pilgrim simulations, we were fascinated. it was one of my first big trips and remains one of my favorite.

and then it wasn't until about 10 years later when saw each other again. even though the weather was frigid, i got that same warm, comforting feeling from you, from all of your history and your beauty. you treated me and my dad to one of those yummy sandwich cookies in cambridge, and a rehearsal of beethoven's 9th at the bso. a few months later i was back and you threw me the coolest 18th birthday, with aziz and matt and erin and z man, all of those cool n.e.c. kids.

i've seen you every year since then. you introduced me to george and joe and michael and bronwyn. you watched as ahmed and i sprinted down newbury to johnny cupcakes, only to discover everything but cupcakes. you kept me safe on my first solo plane trip, when i visited rebecca and auditioned for b.u. you were the first place that accepted me into college.

after the great breakup of '09, you helped me escape and you took me on walks around jamaica pond. the next year, you cheered on hammer when we went for his grant audition that ultimately got him to berlin.

just last year, eggboy and i took our first little trip to visit you. we talked and giggled the entire time, we had midnight flaming cocktails with nick, eggboy sang to you... him and i didn't get sick of each other once that weekend. maybe it was your magic.

boston, you mean so much to me and to so many other people. you are magnificent. stay strong and be safe, we are all here to see you through this.

love,

molly

aziz at jamaica pond, a long long time ago.