"She said, 'I think I'll go to Boston'........"

When I was a junior in college I went to Boston for a three-day Model United Nations conference. The events were held at the historic Park Plaza Hotel, right across from Boston Commons, and our school's budget allowed us to stay at a Radisson about two blocks down the street. Other than being February in Boston, it wasn't a bad walk. I decided that I very much liked the city (and couldn't care less for the United Nations).

Just as we were heading back to North Carolina, the charming colonial image was completed by a glistening snowfall. About an hour later, this image was whited-out by the most snow Boston had seen in 100 years.

The next day, Logan airport was operating nearly on schedule, but the Greensboro airfield had seen a little ice herself and therefore halted operations like she had been asked a tough geography question in the final round of the Miss America pagent.

Our long weekend turned into a 6-day extravaganza. The school footed the bill and our international delegation made snow angels in the Public Gardens and watched musicals at the all-night theater. That's when I fell in love with the city.

In the years since MUN I've done my part to keep the relationship alive. I flew up a few times to visit friends and once drove all night with my sister to attend the final Dispatch concert.

However, in my glamourous life as a flight attendant, I've only seen the inside of Logan airport and the short layover hotel.

Despite the infamous delays, I like BOS. The loads are usually light and the passengers know what to expect. (We were once stuck out on the runway for 2 hours without a single complaint or nasty demand. The next flight that same day was to Atlanta, and when that bunch heard it would be 15 minutes until airborne, THREE call bells went off.)

So yesterday, sitting around the megabookstore cafe, longing for my phone to ring I peeked into open time and saw a trip that reported in just two hours. Not just any trip, but a downtown Boston layover. And not just any downtown Boston layover, but 17 hours at the Park Plaza Hotel!

I called scheduling and for the first time ever they actually gave me a trip I requested.

It started out a little ugly, EWR-BOS, back to EWR, then back to BOS. And yes, we were delayed, but it was all worth it once I checked in to my (teeny-tiny, no-view, squeaky-doored) room at the Park Plaza.

It was a perfect autumn day to wander around downtown. Everyone was in good spirits and appopirate garb because the Red Sox had won the first game of the World Series. (The other flight attendant kept checking the score from his nifty phone and giving updates during the delay. I'm glad I wasn't stuck on a metal tube with fans of the losing team.)

I also got to meet up with a friend of a friend for lunch before heading back to the airport and continuing on to Houston, then Dallas.

It was sad to go. But I'm in Texas now and I've finally got that Augustana song out of my head, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnqvjD7Kxs4
so I'm just looking forward to getting back to NJ early tomorrow night and driving home to Maryland. It's going to be a great weekend in Naptown with family, friends and Halloween festivities!