Solo tripping the East Coast of USA

As I made my way back from the Harvard tour, I chanced up a quaint little store called 9 ¾ (Yaaaay!!!)

This Hogwarts themed store had official Harry Potter merchandise! I would have liked to buy the whole store, but ended up with a Golden Snitch (that sits on my worktable now), a few bags and fridge magnets for other Potter nuts I know of.

From the Harvard University tour, I headed straight to Harvard Business School - the school that every “MBA” aspirant dreams enter. There is a river running between HBS and Harvard University and you cross a picturesque bridge to get to the other side. Notice the tower with a dome on the other side of the river? That is HBS as seen from Harvard University side.

The HBS school tour is not something easy to come by. I happened to book the tour, meant for prospective students mainly, as it fell on the dates I was in town. The staff guided us, a bunch of around 80, around the campus, answered questions and took us through the elaborate selection process.

The iconic bell inside HBS.

When I got into the HBS tour, I kept thinking, “As of now, this is the closest I would get to the HBS MBA experience”. Honestly, After the HBS tour, I felt I was over it. Not because it did not live up to expectations, (it is gorgeous and there is superb talent, great network + professors and all the rest of the stuff you would expect to see). At this stage, everything this would lead me into, I already have; not in terms of money or other standard measures of success; the opportunity I can build for myself is far bigger than what an MBA can do for me. May be I would do a course of my choice next time, not for a brand, but because it holds my interest.

Day 2

Saturday morning came bright and sunny. I was fortunate to have my friend join me to spend the weekend. Travelling alone means you will not have someone to share a meal with most of the time. With portion sizes in the USA meant for two, I hardly felt motivated to eat outside. Therefore, I went to the nearest Stop and Shop and got bread, peanut butter, jam, fruits and baby carrots to stack up the fridge. This would be my quick fix breakfast and dinner for the rest of my time in Boston.

My friend and I headed for Quincy market –a historic market complex near the waterfront in Boston. Quincy market has great energy – it teems with public performers, musicians, jugglers, entertaining the crowd that is shopping, eating and hanging out.

We crossed the Ghirardelli store and their “World famous Chocolate sundae” was out of the world. Do try this (not to be eaten alone) if you visit Quincy. There is an entire food street filled with the likes of Magnolia bakery, Regina Pizzeria, stalls selling their famed Clam Chowder etc. I am vegetarian, but quite love watching people eat and learning about food, so Quincy's food stalls were fun to watch.