Getting Started in MA

So, a really good girlfriend told me I should write a blog about my experience as a girl who has lived in North Dakota for most of my whole life and uprooted myself and moved to Massachusetts.  I think it's a decent idea.  I'm going to try it!!

So... some of you may think I live in Boston mainly due to me telling you, "I'm moving to Boston!"  That is not entirely true.  I live in Marlborough, Massachusetts.  I am about 30 miles west of Boston.  I can get into Boston in about an hour from where I live.  You see, there is not really an option to drive into the City.  Let me rephrase... there is no options for parking if you drive into the City.  Due to this, I do not drive into the City.  There is a train station about 10-15 minutes from my apartment (Southborough Station).  This is called the commuter rail. That takes an hour to get into the South Station in Boston which is the main station and is the closest to the water.  From the Southborough station to the South Station it costs $6.75 for one way.  Of course I want to be able to get back so it's $13.25 for a round trip.  Oh, and don't forget the $4 for parking.  I have taken the subway into the City once.  I basically was trying to find the Southborough station (first time without Ryan with me) and I got lost.  I had the Riverside Subway (or "T") station in my GPS from having dropped Ryan off for him to get to the airport.  That was about 20 miles from my apartment.  It does require going on the Turnpike.  With my exits, it costs 50 cents one way.  The T costs $2 to get into the station.  You can ride all day long on 2 bucks if you want.  If you leave the station, it's 2 more dollars to get in.  Parking here is $5.50.

This is a good reason I do not go into the City every day.

Marlborough is a very nice town.  I'm a little unsure of exactly were Marlborough begins and where the next town starts.  We live in a very residential area even though there is an office park at the beginning of the drive way to get to my apartment.  The closest gas station or grocery store is 10 minute drive.  It's a very pretty drive.  There are a massive number of trees.  There are some very beautiful houses.  It's a very nice location to live in (even thought I don't know where I'm at relative to anything else).  Without my GPS, I can get to Highway 9.  You can find anything on 9.  That is where my grocery store is.  There is a gas station.  There is a  Walmart and a Target.  I know where a movie theater is.  There are some restaurants that look nice enough to eat at.  I can get to highway 9.  I can maneuver my way around highway 9.  That's the only place I can get to and get home from without my GPS.  The roads are very confusing.  They don't always run east and west or north and south.  They curve.  They change names.  They merge with other roads and take on a different name and then branch out on their own again.  On most of the roads you can not take a left turn.  If there is a business on the left side of the road you want to get to, you have to turn around.  Some lights will allow you to do a normal 'U' turn.  Other roads will force you to 'exit' to the right where the road does a 90 degree curve and now you are waiting at a light to turn left.  It is a very bizarre thing for a girl from Fargo.

These are the things I have learned about my new City.  I have ventured out.  Some successful escapades.  Some not so much.  Nothing has happened to discourage me from venturing out, however I will not do it without a plan.  I need to have a mission.  I need to have a goal.  I need to have an address and my GPS.