Globe Corner Blogs

The other day, cooped up in my room, computer on, windows closed and thermal, black-out-style curtains drawn, I realized I felt rightfully trapped. I rolled across the floor in my desk chair and folded back a small corner of my curtain. Blinded! The sun was out and singing loudly in a bright blue, cloudless sky.

It occurred to me that I might feel less claustrophobic, anxious, antsy, and frankly depressed if I got out of my dark cube of a room. After all, Mom had said as much when I talked to her on the phone earlier that day, and she’s always right.

So I swapped out the slippers for some sneakers and grabbed my point-and-shoot just in case anything caught my eye. And then I got lost.

Oh, I don’t mean I got send-out-the-bloodhounds lost; I just took any turn that looked promising and kind

of sort of kept track of which direction home was. But everywhere I turned, the sky kept being just that brilliant, the houses that blinding white, the trees that astonishing shade of yellow, red, orange, or purple. And I kept coming across more fun things: a wall covered in crawling, multicolored vines; a pumpkin carved like a cat on steps slatted with shadows; burning bushes so red it seemed they really may burst into flame at any moment.

Before I even got all the way down my own street I had started taking pictures – the maple at the end of the block being a red I’m not sure I’d ever seen before. After that I’d be on my knees every few squares of sidewalk, aiming my camera up through a tree, trying to capture the vibrant contrast of yellow ginkgo leaves and blue sky.

Eventually, many, many photos later, I got a twinge of worry that I was actually getting too far into uncharted territory. I made a few more turns in the direction I believed was homeward and ran into Electric Avenue! (Really.) This I knew (the location, I mean), so I was safe. It was kind of disappointing. Suddenly my explorations were over and I could walk down the main streets back home. The expedition was successful, though: not only did I get tons of nice fall foliage photos, I also felt rejuvenated from a day locked up in my monastic cell.

Now I look forward to my next neighborhood expedition: there are so many things right next to you – or even in front of your nose -  that you simply can’t notice when walking by every day thinking of work or the bus or the leftovers you forgot at the restaurant. So take a walk around the block someday and look at everything you never would before – like you’ve never been there before. And to really be a local tourist, take some pictures…don’t be embarrassed! Most importantly: get lost.

Read more: Boston, Outdoor Recreation, Travel, Walking


Llalan specializes in all things Ohio, but has funny stories from all over the US and Canada, plus a few snort-inducing ones from Thailand. And not only does she read books from around the world, she also samples beers in as many languages as possible. Favorite style: the multi-national American Double IPA.

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