Seen the sights of New York, Chicago, or San Francisco? How about Paris and London?

Do your memories include a good dose of exhaustion? Endless walking? Long lines? And an open spigot where your wallet usually resides?

When we first arrived in Boston on June 4th, we were returning from eastern Europe with fresh memories of the pros and cons of city travel.

Take Istanbul, for example. We enjoyed the sidewalk cafes and criss-crossed the old city, sampling the baklava and Turkish Delight with both eyes and mouths. We quenched our thirst with fresh squeezed orange juice available on nearly every corner. We planned carefully to avoid lines, got up early, and hit several of the most wonderful places: the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, and the Galata Bridge. After two days, we were exhausted, ready to move on, and felt we had seen the main sights and sampled the flavors of the city.

Rinse and repeat. Budapest, Krakow, and Prague. Had it not been for slower paced interludes in the quaint towns of Hungary and Transylvania and the striking mountains of Slovakia, this trip would have been down right grueling.

But what’s the alternative? Once “in the neighborhood,” you can’t skip Krakow! At least I can’t! And with so much to see, it doesn’t really make sense to take a day off and just sit inside the hotel to read. So we pushed onward and onward, enjoying the experiences despite the sprint.

Then we returned to a new home in Boston. Another city!

And that’s when we discovered the best way to vacation!!

OK, so it’s not a vacation. I am back to work. However, in many ways it feels as if we’ve embarked on a year long vacation in Boston. It’s a totally new way to vacation and it has also changed the way I work.

On days when I don’t have client meetings, I start working early. Then just before lunch, I might walk to the post office on Charles Street to get my mail and return via the Esplanade and the shores of the Charles River. Or I might run an errand or get my haircut on Newbury St. After lunch, it’s back to work. Since I am so excited about getting out and about, I’m more focused than ever. Tasks that expanded to fill all available time back in the country are quick business here. The goal is to finish my work and get outside!

We explore daily. Some days we have walked more than 11 miles, but it doesn’t feel like it because there is so much to see. We admire the cobblestones and red brick reflected along with blue sky in the glassy sky scrapers and spot wonderful roof gardens, delightful narrow alleys, and tiny peaceful squares with statues and fountains. One day, we discover the perfectly situated bench under a big shade tree and plan to return with a book. The next, we find a wonderful place to sit on the waterfront. And then we discover the park with hammocks and art in the sky. We are still seeking great sidewalk cafes, the kind we enjoyed daily in places like Poland and Romania. On the way home, we grab a few groceries for dinner.

When we want to go farther afield or just enjoy a change of pace, we grab a bike from the bike share program on the corner. We cruise seaside broad walks, river edge paths, and shady boulevards. The city streets were horribly intimidating at first. Not a problem now.

Days and evenings in Boston are always chock full of activity. No matter where we go, there are festivals, free outdoor concerts, and street musicians. This week we listened to Nessun Dorma and many other favorite arias at Italian Opera Night in a park on the harbor. The night before it was the Landmark Orchestra in the Hatch Shell on the Charles. I missed the free yoga class on the Esplanade because I was out of town. Tonight it will be Shakespeare on the Common . It’s King Lear this year and it runs almost nightly for the next few weeks. Or not! Just found out that Emmy Lou Harris is singing in Copley Plaze tonight as part of the Summer Arts Weekend. I guess Shakespeare will have to wait until tomorrow!

After dinner, we often head out for the second or third time. Or not. Relaxing with a page turner or watching a good movie are equally likely. We get to choose. Each excursion is energizing, not one more activity preceded by two or three museums and tours as it would be on one of my many trips. There is no pressure to see everything in three days!

When the weather chills, several months from now I hope, the outdoor events will end and we will start exploring the museums, theater, dance, opera, and concerts.

In Prague, I was ready to move on after 3 days. Same has been true of pretty much every city I’ve ever visited from Tokyo to Washington DC, Paris to San Francisco. Years ago, when we were living in Minnesota,  we brought the family to Boston for 3 days, saw it, and moved on. Now I’m convinced there is at least a year worth of amusement ahead of me here in Boston. This is absolutely the best way to vacation in a city!

Read Part 8 of The Urban Experiment!