What I Appreciate About Being At Home

Last night, after a trip to J. P. Licks for ice cream with two of my best friends, the three of us sat on a bench in the center of town, watching teen-drivers nervously navigate the roads and families leisurely walk back to their houses as the daylight faded. 

A peaceful scene, indeed. But I couldn't hold in my personal frustration any longer: 

'Guys- Newton is so boring!' 

Only a year spent at uni and I was already turning into a home-hater.  

But, the truth is, where I live isn't half bad. I mean, we even have a geo-filter on snapchat. Our own geo-filter! I mean, it took Edinburgh (a major capital city) long enough to get one. So that's pretty impressive in its own right. 

Snapchat features aside, there are a few reasons why I do actually love being at home. I especially enjoy being back in Newton when it's for an extended period of time, giving me the chance to settle in to home-life, rather than feeling like I'm on holiday.

Having a car // I didn't realize how much I would miss driving until I went off to school. There's just something about having the freedom to pick up a friend on the other side of town, or even take a trip to the beach that makes having a car a little luxurious. Plus, I love to blast the radio and roll down the windows, singing Top-40 tunes at the top of my lungs with a bunch of friends (or by myself, to be honest). 

Having good public transportation // While I can technically take my car anywhere, my favorite way to get into the city is by taking the T (Boston's finest subway system). A two minute walk to the station from my house and 25 minutes into Boston (without delays) isn't a bad deal at all. Sorry, Lothian buses. But you really don't stack up well- even against the notoriously slow-going green line. 

The weather // Yes, Massachusetts had one of the worst winters on record this past year. No, I wasn't there to witness it (or clean it up). Still, New England summer's are really unbeatable- it never gets too hot or too dry (maybe a little bit too humid at times). Plus, there's hundreds of miles of coastline to sunbathe on the off-chance it does get unbearably hot. 

Free food // Not only can I waltz into the kitchen whenever I'm hungry, but I can go out to eat with my family all the time and never have to pay a penny. No more splitting the bill and worrying about spending too much on nachos. Plus, when I'm at home I have free reign in the kitchen, and all the ingredients I need are at my disposal. The result? Baking. So much baking. 

No complaints, I guess.