When a Simple Weekend Turned Into a Boston Adventure

The plan was simple. Almost too simple.

I was going to meet my son in Boston on Friday, we'd grab some dinner, catch the train home to Franklin, spend Saturday relaxing and maybe putting a few golf balls around, and then head back into Boston on Sunday so he could catch his bus home to Hartford.

That was the plan.

Boston apparently had other ideas.

What was supposed to be an ordinary weekend with my son turned into one of those wonderfully spontaneous adventures that reminds you why sometimes the best memories are the ones you never planned.

I Came for My Son and Somehow Ended Up at a Rave

I took the train from Franklin into South Station and arrived before my son's bus. Since I had some time to kill, I decided to wander around rather than sit inside the station waiting.

I walked across the street, past those massive glass structures outside South Station that always remind me of giant pyramids, and headed toward the beautiful green space at Dewey Square.

I figured I'd find a bench, sit down, people-watch for a while, and wait for my son.

Instead, I walked straight into a Friday-night party.

Music was blasting.

People were dancing.

The park was alive.

And somehow, without planning any of it, I had found myself in the middle of what felt like an outdoor rave in downtown Boston.

Now, I could have politely sat on the sidelines and waited for my son.

But where would the fun have been in that?

That's when I met Julie.

Julie was this lovely woman who seemed just as happy to enjoy the evening as I was, and before long, we were talking, laughing, dancing and enjoying the music like we'd known each other much longer than the few minutes we'd actually been acquainted.

One beer became two.

And by the time my son finally arrived, the party was in full effect and his mother had already made a new friend.

Welcome to Boston, son.

And Then Julie Came to Dinner

There was only one problem.

We were starving.

I was having such a good time with Julie that I didn't really want the evening to end, so naturally I did what any spontaneous person would do.

I invited the woman I had just met to dinner with my son and me.

Instead of us figuring out where to go, Julie told us she knew somewhere nearby.

Perfect.

We followed her down Atlantic Avenue, walking and talking for about a block or so, until we arrived at the InterContinental Boston.

As we approached it, I remember telling her something along the lines of, This is supposed to be a really great hotel. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about it.

And then she started walking inside.

Wait.

Why are we going into the hotel?

I was completely confused.

But I followed her.

We walked through the beautiful hotel until she led us toward the restaurant in the back overlooking Boston Harbor.

And suddenly I understood.

It was gorgeous.

Boats floated outside against the harbor backdrop while the lights of the city surrounded us. It was elegant without feeling stuffy, and the entire evening suddenly felt far more luxurious than the casual dinner I thought my son and I were going to have when I boarded the train in Franklin.

The two of us sat down and enjoyed an incredible three-course dinner for only about $55 per person.

We talked.

We laughed.

We ate.

We admired the harbor.

And somewhere during dinner, another little plot twist emerged.

Julie lived at the hotel.

At that point I thought, Of course she does.

Because apparently this entire evening had decided it was going to be a movie.

There is surprisingly little photographic evidence of that night, which is probably the greatest indication of how much fun we were actually having. Sometimes you're so busy living the moment that nobody remembers to pull out a phone and document it.

And I actually love that.

The Great Train Disaster

After dinner, we figured we had plenty of time before our train back to Franklin.

So instead of immediately rushing back to South Station, my son and I took a leisurely walk along the harbor.

The weather was beautiful.

The city lights reflected across the water.

The boats were sitting in the harbor.

We were full from dinner and still laughing about how our quiet evening had somehow turned into dancing in the park, making a new friend and having dinner overlooking Boston Harbor.

Eventually, we realized we needed to get moving.

So we hurried back toward South Station.

We found our train.

We jumped aboard.

We settled in.

And then came the realization every commuter dreads:

Wrong train.

We were heading toward Providence.

For a moment, our beautiful spontaneous Boston evening was about to become a beautiful spontaneous Rhode Island evening.

We scrambled off that train and somehow—with what felt like approximately one minute to spare—managed to get ourselves onto the correct train back to Franklin.

At that point, all we could do was laugh.

Saturday: Absolutely Nothing—and It Was Perfect

After Friday night's accidental adventure, Saturday became exactly what we needed.

Low-key.

No elaborate plans.

No racing around.

No tourist attractions.

Just time together.

My son introduced me to all the anime shows he watches, and I spent the day getting a glimpse into this whole world of characters and stories he enjoys.

And sometimes those are the moments you remember just as much as the big adventures.

Sitting around.

Watching television.

Talking.

Eating.

Being together.

There doesn't always have to be an itinerary.

Sunday: Boston, Round Two

By Sunday, it was time to head back into the city so my son could eventually catch his bus home to Hartford.

But after Friday night's adventure, we weren't quite ready to simply go to the bus station and say goodbye.

So we explored.

We started mapping out places we wanted to visit the next time he comes back.

We need to go there.

We should try that restaurant.

Next time, let's walk over here.

It became less about ending this trip and more about planning the next one.

Eventually, we made our way toward Chinatown in search of two things that can make almost any afternoon better:

Sushi and boba.

We ate, wandered around the neighborhood, talked some more and stretched those last few hours together as long as we possibly could before he had to leave.

The Weekend I Didn't Plan

Looking back, I love that almost none of the best parts of this weekend were planned.

I didn't plan on finding a Friday-night dance party.

I didn't plan on meeting Julie.

I certainly didn't plan on inviting a complete stranger to dinner with my son.

I didn't plan on having dinner overlooking Boston Harbor.

I didn't plan on nearly ending up in Providence.

And I didn't plan on spending Saturday learning about anime.

But that's exactly why I loved it.

Travel doesn't always have to mean getting on an airplane and flying halfway around the world. Sometimes an adventure is waiting just a train ride away from home

And sometimes the best itinerary is simply leaving enough room for life to surprise you.

What began as a simple weekend of meeting my son for dinner became dancing in a Boston park, making a new friend, discovering a beautiful waterfront restaurant, nearly taking an accidental trip to Rhode Island, watching anime, eating sushi and boba in Chinatown, and making plans for our next mother-and-son adventure.

It was wonderfully imperfect.

Completely unexpected.

And exactly the kind of weekend I can't wait to do all over again.