I had all sorts of plans for a great post (or maybe even two) for you this week, but all of that has fallen by the wayside for reasons I’ll share shortly.
Instead, let’s do a quick recap of the last weekend.
On Saturday, we took advantage of super cheap airfares to fly to Boston. It was the weekend between semesters, so the girls had a couple of extra days off.
Oh sure, Boston in January has the potential to be awful, but who can resist such a lure as this:
The trip north was mostly to see a cute niece (and her two older brothers, plus their parents) but also to *gulp* maybe look at a college or two. Of the schools we were interested in seeing, none were offering tours over the holiday weekend, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t do a walk through on our own.
Y’all, let me just say now — especially to those of you, who like us, hail from southern climes — Boston can be painfully cold in the winter. I mean, DUH, right? We wore warm coats, but we were simply not prepared for 16 degrees (F, not C). One of my girls has already straight up declared that she’s not going to school in Massachusetts.
(At this point, we are merely looking at schools right now, regardless of where they are located or how much they cost or how competitive their admissions are. Neither girl has a strong sense yet of what she’s looking for, so we’re just seeing what strikes a chord.)
(Apparently Massachusetts in January does not strike a chord with at least 50% — and possibly 100% — of our teens.)
So on Saturday, after we picked up our rental car and had lunch, we quick-stepped our way through one campus, then beat a hasty retreat to our relatives’ house.
The view of Boston from Tufts University. This photo doesn't do it justice. Probably because my phone wanted to be in my pocket, not taking pictures.
Do you know what’s better than shivering on a cold college campus? Lots of things!
Reading with small cousins:
Trampolining with small cousins:
It was a great weekend and we’re definitely going back. (When it’s warmer.)
On Tuesday, we flew home.
Fifteen minutes after we walked in the door, I started throwing up. An hour after that, Pete was at the doctor’s office, testing positive for the flu.
We here in Jenworld are annoyingly healthy people. Other than a cold or two every year, we don’t get sick. So the odds that both adults would go down at once were slim, but the odds that we’d be ill with two different things were the kind of odds that entertainment establishments in Nevada are built around.
Luckily, the stomach virus is fast-acting. The flu, not so much. Pete’s still ill, while I’m more or less recovered. One girl is now upstairs sleeping off her vomit-fest and I expect the other one to go down for the count at any moment.
So that’s the latest here from Jenworld. Hopefully, by next week I’ll be able to have a conversation with folks that does not include talk about either vomit or fevers. Good times.
Having had the flu in early December, I’m feeling for Pete. It takes so long to fully recover! I couldn’t breath properly for a month and I’m still coughing. A stomach virus is truly horrible, but at least it’s usually just a few days. (I really hope the rest of you all don’t get catch the flu from Pete on top of the stomach virus! Boy that would be unfair!)
Emma was saying the other day how she’d like to go to UW-Madison. Basically, Madison and Ann Arbor are the only two college towns she’s spent any time in. I told Rob we need to visit some more -especially U of I in Champagne/Urbana. Not only is it warmer, but it’s instate tuition!!
When my daughter had a choice of college in Florida or Scholarship in Massachusetts, she chose MA. She was sitting by the recreation pool, reading Facebook posts by friends who were slugging through snow in 3 layers of clothes to get to class.
I do miss getting on the train and being in Boston in an hour. Great memories of shows in the Theater District, walking in the Commons, shopping Downtown and Quincy Market.
Duh…. brain freeze. She chose FLORIDA!
Also… hope all the sickness leaves your house soon! Feel better!
Limiting the university choices by any means possible is highly recommended.
Feel better all!
I went to college in Mass! It was great. Typically the colleges and universities aren’t in session in January, though they may have some kind of optional winter session program. My experience with the winter temps was that the dorms, which were heated by radiators, were so impressively hot that I never felt the cold.
My alma mater (Wellesley) also has a really impressive financial aid program, in case private college tuition makes your head explode. Juuust putting that out there in the world. If she wants to know more, I’m happy to talk her ear off about it any time, and we are also having a faculty speaker come to do a brief program at the Crozet Library on Feb 21.
Check Eddie Bauer. They used to make this insanely warm down coats that could keep you warm camping outside without a tent in Illinois in December while it’s snowing. Yeah- because when you’re getting a degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Admin that is something you need to do! Hope everyone is feeling better really soon!
Edie had the flu in December, despite getting the flu shot this past fall. She was out flat for a solid week. It sucked - she felt progressively worse as the week went on, with the last day being the worst. Tell Pete to hang in there.
You poor people-getting so sick. That stinks.
Glad you had a great time in Boston.
I guess based on that reaction to Massachusetts in winter, Wisconsin colleges will also be out of the question…
And Canada as well, eh?
(had to add that)
Sounds like a great visit. I plan to be in Boston in late April and I think it will be a touch warmer then-which is just the way I like my weather.