I will miss Boston. It's true.

Mike and I are moving next week. I can't wrap my brain around it yet. I've wanted to live in California for the last 7 1/2 years, and its finally coming true. Who knows how long we'll be there, but I'm going to soak up every minute. There are a lot of things I will miss about Boston, and I keep trying to remind myself of that these last few days. The weather has been a little hellish, especially today when Mike and I tried to walk to Bertuccis for dinner (btw, I've never been to Bertuccis which is funny since I've lived here for almost 4 years) but got soaked and gave up instead.

Some things I will miss a lot:

1. Red brick and pretty architecture. I still find myself with my mouth open as we glide along Storrow Drive and I get to look up into amazing antique ceilings and red brick everything in the Back Bay. Living in Beacon Hill for 9 months was a dream. Do you remember my private roofdeck?

2. Mike's Pastry and the North End. Each restaurant feels cozy and feels like a home cooked meal, with some of the freshest ingredients and best Italian food I've had outside of Italy. Mike's has a special place in my heart. I fell in love the first time visiting my brother in Boston all those years ago. No one does a cannoli like them.

3. Seasons. There's something to be said for having distinct seasons. The crisp air of fall in New England is one of my favorite feelings. It's unbeatable. It's just too bad that winter lasts too long.

4. The Charles. I have loved running along the Charles these past four years. I will miss it alot. Especially in the winter when its frozen over, there's a light blanket of snow, and no one is out running.

5. Fenway. Mike said yesterday he's so glad that we're moving to a baseball city. Me too. I will miss summer nights at Fenway and the electricity that surrounds the playoffs. OH and do you remember this day? Yeah, that was awesome.

6. Being close to Newbury. I love the first day of "spring" in Boston where it's finally warm enough that you don't have to wear a down parka, a hat, gloves, a scarf, and a cashmere sweater. Everyone comes out of the woodwork and I'm always surprised how many people actually do live in Boston. Everyone hibernates in the winter. As do I.

7. JP Licks. Peanut butter soft frozen yogurt. Enough said.

8. The Longfellow Park building. It's such a great place to go to church. I always felt like I was going to church in the 1700s and afterwards I should have gone to a Daughters of Liberty meeting in Fanueil Hall. I was lucky to be a single and be able to go to this building instead of a rented out warehouse. And I love the ward and I loved how it changed every year, even though I felt like I had to say goodbye to friends too often.

9. Moving Every Year. As much and I HATE moving and as much as I have TOO MUCH STUFF, I am glad I moved each year that I moved here. I got to see a different part of the city each time and get new roommates each time. Looking back, each time was worth it. And each time it reminded me that I never need to buy another thing, EVER.

10. Living close to my brother. For the past few years, my brother and I got to live in the same place, and sometimes about a 5 min walk away from each other. It's been a real blessing to have a sibling close. I will miss him and our shenanigans.

11. Living in a biggish city without it being too big. I craved urban life while in Provo, and Boston provided it. I've loved living in a city and having so many cultural things around me.

12. Friends. I did a lot of growing in Boston and went through things I didn't think I could handle. I'm grateful for the dear friends I've made here and I'm sad to go. I'm still campaigning for everyone to move to the bay area.

Things I won't miss:

1. Bed bugs. Enough said.

2. Hellish weather.

3. Boston drivers.

4. Late sports start times.

5. 6 hour flights to CA

6. Being unsettled. So looking forward to unpacking and utilizing wedding presents (all in CA).

7. Parking far away from my apt. How nice it will be to walk down the stairs to my car as oppposed to 3 or 4 blocks.

8. Paying for parking for that matter.

9. The wind.

10. Undergraduates whereever I go.

11. No access to a good, cheap salad

12. Law school!