I am sitting by myself in an authentic Italian sandwich shop. Here, in this crowded Boston eatery, with everyone talking in their strong Bwaw-sten accent, I feel like a foreigner. Which, if you know me, you know that is something I love. I try my best to live like a local when I travel. I feel I get to know what living there is all about. 30 minutes from the lights of Fenway Park, I found downtown Andover, went to the hair salon and got the scoop on what’s best. After a fresh cut and color I walked through the town. This area reminds me a little of Ephrata. Quaint mom-and-pop shops, old time lights with hanging flowers baskets line the streets, and everyone knows each other. It is a beautiful sunny day. A little too warm for me, as I was hoping to be in Boston in the Fall, but apparently we are here a couple weeks too soon.
I really don’t have much to say. And I like that. I get to sit here and let my mind wander. After years of traveling around Europe and the States I have come to really appreciate and plan for this: doing nothing where the locals are. After trips like this, I see things differently when I come home. I see a beautiful photo and then think about where I could take that photo where we live. I have a library in my mind of photo locations. I file them away by color, shape, size, theme, availability, and season. Now, when a bride and groom want engagement photos by water in the Fall, I know a place. Or when a bride wants to get married in her backyard in August but wants modern photos with vivid colors in an alley, I know a place. Hopefully not the exact spot as every other photographer. As the years pass and the more places I travel, the library gets longer.
So, when it comes time for your pictures to be taken and you aren’t sure about where to go, don’t worry. We know a spot…
Here’s the Italian sandwich shop I was sitting in.
The right side of the Town Hall is the sandwich shop. To the left is Starbucks. My other favorite place this week 🙂 Isn’t this town so cute quaint?!
Imagine a couple in each of these pictures…
