Everyone Loves a Boston Girl

Something I take for granted living in New England my whole life is the fact that we live so close to the ocean. I remember when I was about 8 years old and I went to visit my cousins in Pennsylvania. They told me they had never been to the ocean and I was basically in shock…how was that even possible (consequently, my aunt had only recently been on an escalator so I’m not sure why I was so surprised). I grew up spending summers at the Cliff House in Maine, at the ocean in Cape Cod, and taking plenty of day trips to the beach. These people had never seen waves. Seriously. Now it’s already June 20 and I haven’t been to the beach at all yet…granted summer doesn’t officially start until tomorrow. Making myself get plenty of ocean time in this year, or I may as well be in PA learning how to ride escalators.

Along with the ocean comes the best seafood around. Last year I went to visit my sister in Chicago and we went to a steakhouse for dinner. I was so not in the mood for steak and the salmon sounded delicious. “Ummm,” said my sister, “I wouldn’t get salmon in Chicago if I were you.” “Huh? Why not?” I wanted to know. “We’re in the Midwest; you live in Boston. Wait until you go back.” I never really thought about it like that, but I guess it makes perfect sense. My sister said she didn’t bother eating much fish in Chicago because it just didn’t compare.

I went home for Father’s Day on Sunday and we had the best dinner ever. My mom and I went to the Lobster Tail in North Andover and got lobsters and crabcakes. My mom made garlic bread, pasta salad, and corn on the cob and I legitimately pigged out. When I was a kid I wouldn’t go near any type of fish, especially lobster; I had no idea what I was missing out on. My sister, who has always loved it, has developed an allergy to it and her lips get seriously puffy and gross if she goes near shellfish (maybe a side effect of living in Chicago too long). Ha, but when she comes home she eats it anyway and deals with the misery. $70 for 3 lobster seems kind of ridiculous but it is soo worth it.

Sometimes I think about moving somewhere else but I’m not sure I could ever go too far. I seriously heart New England.