​This past Friday, my friends and I decided to go to Felipe’s Taquería in Cambridge. We had been told that it was a very good restaurant and definitely should try it.  We decided to finally go, since at this point, we started craving real tacos and salsa. As we got there, we instantly felt the Mexican atmosphere around. The music had a beat and of course, the food was exquisite. My friends and I were really enjoying our meal. However, we were extremely tired and we decided to leave the place at around 10:30.
 
As soon as we left the place, we came across this DJ that was playing in the street. He had lights, music, everything! It was something I had never seen before. We started dancing in the street, and soon enough people started to join. He played the song, “Thriller,” and immediately random strangers were following our lead and dancing - it was amazing.  It was such a healthy way of having fun – and it was completely free. I immediately understood why people say that music connects us:  I had no idea who those people were, but we were all enjoying the music and appreciating it, and we immediately forgot about the cold weather.
 
It was a very different, yet interesting day.  This is one of the things that I will miss most about Boston, is its music.  Wherever you go, music finds you.  It captures you in a way that, whenever you hear a certain song, your brain will automatically go back to that precise memory, and you know nothing will ever be the same, but those moments are still stuck with you. I know Boston is not forever - I wish it could be, but for now all I have to do is enjoy as much as I can and not think about closing the book; because really we all know the ending will be kind of sad, since we don’t want to leave this wonderful city.
 
So, if you are about to come to Boston, take my advice and try and appreciate every single musical experience that the city has for you, from people playing the saxophone in the street, to random DJs offering free music for people to enjoy. I learned to appreciate music more since having been here; I genuinely think it is a way of expressing our feelings in a less explicit way. Think about when you had a great time or a great experience: you might not have the actual words to describe why it was so amazing, yet if there was music there, you can instantly travel back in time. 

​The season where everything changes into orange, yellow, and red. The season where people start craving pumpkins, eating pumpkin spice lattes, and of course, they start wearing sweaters, jackets, and lovely hats. This is a beautiful season; my favorite season to be precise.  Luckily, I get to spend it here in Boston.  In Mexico, seasons aren’t as distinct as they are here. In Boston you get to enjoy every season at its fullest.
 
For me, every season has it’s own essence, but fall definitely has a cherry on top that makes every single thing better for me. I think fall is the dessert of seasons: it comes after a great enjoyable season that is summer, and now everybody is ready to let the sun go and start using more oversized sweaters and mittens.  If you have never experienced fall in the Northeast, you should definitely make your way up; it is something that will give you the chills the moment you arrive.
 
The other day, I was running around the city since it was a fairly nice day (22ºcelsius).  For October, that is quite a good temperature. As I was running, I was struck by the beauty of all the different trees and the colors each of them had; it was a moment of happiness for me, because it had been a while since I had seen this beautiful evolution in nature.

The moment I saw it, I got tremendously inspired, like someone had told me something.  I felt a connection with the beauty of nature.  I felt it was because we as humans tend to be afraid of change and we often want to stay in our comfort zone, which in this case would be summer.  We are often afraid of letting go of things because we aren’t quite sure what will happen if we do. But fall for me was a revelation; even though we let go of some things we didn’t want to, the beautiful memories will always come back to us during the summer.  The bad and negative things will fall…but we always have summer to make new memories and rejoice them all throughout the year.
 
So, treat yourself…go for a pumpkin spice latte, grab a pumpkin cheesecake!  Go for everything pumpkin, because once the leaves are completely fallen, we will already be in winter and everything will be about mint and cinnamon and probably a bit of eggnog! 

As you may have already noticed, I love writing and I tend to do it pretty often; daily, to be precise.  However, sometimes I find myself procrastinating, and this makes the process much slower.  Some reasons for procrastination might include laziness, hunger, lack of interest, or simply just not having our minds where they should be. For this reason, I tend to always find cute, interesting coffee shops to avoid procrastination for both my homework and my personal inspiration.  I find it interesting to work in different places because you can breathe a different air, plus, you can also try different teas, coffees, smoothies, and if you get hungry you can always buy a snack.
 
For this reason, I decided to do this entry about cool, different, yet inexpensive places to go to when you are having a hard time not procrastinating.  In general, all places that I will mention are quite good, although they each have a very different vibe and obviously different menus and pricing.  The good thing is that all the places that will be mentioned have student friendly prices.  Yes I know, we students spend so much money and we rarely want to spend more money on random coffee shops, but trust me these places are worth it and you won’t spend that much. 

The Thinking Cup
 

• 236 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113
• 85 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02116
• Grandview, 165 Tremont St, Boston

 
The Thinking Cup is such a nice coffee shop.  I go there often because it is quite cozy and the atmosphere lets me write.  The Moroccan Mint green tea is what I usually get there.  You can also get a small salad or a sandwich.  If you are a dessert person, this is the right place to go because they have a wide variety of delicious treats; my personal favorite is the chocolate cream puff.
 
Average Spending: $9
Atmosphere: A bit crowded depending on the time. The best times to go are between 2:30 and 5:00 p.m. or really early in the morning (as early as 9:00 a.m.), because tables are too close together.
Food: The food here is good, but it is not sensational.  It will definitely take away your hunger.  However, the tea, coffee, and desserts are definitely worthy of your time.  The staff is also genuinely nice and they will advise you with any questions you might have.
Overall Rating: 4.3

Tatte
 

• 318 Third St, Cambridge, MA 02142
• 1003 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446
• 205 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
• 101 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142
• 70 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114
• 1288 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02148

 
 
Tatte is a bakery and coffee shop that has a variety of dishes and drinks.  My favorite is the mozzarella sandwich with pesto sauce - it really is exquisite.  Tatte reminds me of a French bakery because it has a lovely décor.
 
Average Spending: $11
Atmosphere: Generally people go to have brunch, so it works better if you go after 2 p.m.  Also, tables are quite small; there is one big table but it usually is occupied, so if you plan on taking your laptop, Tatte might not be a great idea, but if you have just a book to read it is the perfect spot.
Food: Food is amazing.  It has a variety of dishes, including vegetarian options and light options for those watching their health/weight.  The staff is very nice as well.
Overall Rating: 4.5
 
 
Trident
 

• 338 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02115

 
Trident is one of the cutest coffee shops I have ever been in. I like to call it the local Barnes & Nobles, because they sell books and they also have a sitting area where they sell drinks (even wine) and good food.  You can go buy a good book and sit at the dining area and avoid procrastinating.
 
Average Spending: $15 + if you buy a book
Atmosphere: It is a nice place to go with classmates to discuss a project or an idea.  It also works for doing individual work, but I do advise you that it is a bit noisy, since it is also considered a restaurant, and many people go to have conversations.  Some people may like this atmosphere, while others may hate it.
Food: Food is quite good: they have everything on their menu. They even have a selection of wines, good coffee, and tea.
Overall Rating: 4.4

Pavement
 

• 736 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
• 1096 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
• 286 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115
• 44 Gainsborough St, Boston, MA 02115
• 1334 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
• 1243 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, MA 02134

 
Pavement is a very student friendly coffee shop. You will find a lot of students with their laptops, books, etc.  For this reason, it is quite nice to work here, and you can stay for hours since they have a good Internet connection, and the food is quite affordable and delicious. (Tip: get the bagel with cream cheese + lox, and the jasmine pearls green tea)
 
Average Spending: $12
Atmosphere: very student friendly, calm music. Comfortable space to work. Accessible power outlets. Good Wi-Fi connection.
Food: Their bagels are really good, they have a variety of options, and also sandwiches, salads, good pastries and of course nice coffee, tea and different drinks.
Overall Rating: 4.8
 
 
 
Dig Inn
 

• 557 Boylston St. (Between Dartmouth St. and Clarendon St.) Boston, MA 02116

 
 
Dig Inn is a very hipster and fun salad bar/coffee house. Their staff is genuinely nice and they have a lot of healthy and good options for a meal. The seating layout is great for doing individual work and group work.
 
Average Spending: $15
Atmosphere: during lunchtime it is quite busy, but if you go after 2:30 you will find it quite calm and it has nice music as well.
Food: The food is amazing, quite healthy and a lot of options. They have a wide variety of options to drink as well.
Overall Rating: 4.7
 
 
 
Wired Puppy
 

• 250 Newbury Street, Boston, MA  02116

 
Wired Puppy is a cute and interesting place to go because they have different fun things on their menu. Wired Puppy is more of a place to go for a nice conversation with someone or to enjoy a good book.  But if you’re looking to study intensely or get inspired, this might not be the best option, since it is quite small and music is loud and people go there to socialize.
 
Average Spending: $8
Atmosphere: Loud, social, good quiet hours could be between 3 pm and 5 pm
Food: regular, generic comfort food.
Overall Rating: 4.2
 

​Boston Commons
 

• 4 Charles St, Boston, MA 02116

 
I know, it is weird to suggest Boston Commons after advising you to go to different coffee shops. But, Boston Commons could be a pretty good idea if you are looking for inspiration outdoors and you are trying to spend less money. There are a lot of tables, benches, and chairs or even on the grass where you could sit to read, study, work or even get inspired by the beautiful and contrasting colors of nature. There is usually a musician playing violin or singing calm music.
 
Average Spending: $3. Boston Commons is completely free, but to make your experience most exciting you could grab a coffee or a smoothie at a local shop nearby to enjoy every sense of nature when you work.
Atmosphere: Calm, inspiring
Food: There are places nearby that sell food and there are karts inside that sell foods and also a kiosk that serve different stuff
Overall Rating: 5
 
 
So, as you can see, there are a lot of options that Boston has to offer to avoid procrastination. You can get inspired everywhere and these places will surely help your studying experience be more fulfilling and less painful. However, if you are not up for spending money, you can always go to Boston Commons and discover the beauty and inspiration that nature has prepared for you. 

​This past Sunday, we had the opportunity to attend the Freedom Trail walking tour in Boston with our residence assistants (RAs), and enjoy a good afternoon with people that also live in our residence.  At first, I really wasn’t motivated to go because I had already been to the Freedom Trail, and I really didn’t see the point of paying $12 for something like this.  My roommate and friends convinced me, thought, and we booked our tour for Sunday at 1:30 pm.  We woke up at 9:00 am on Sunday and started getting ready for the tour.  We went downstairs and waited for instructions from our RA.  After several students came down we took the T towards Park Street.  There, we ascended to Boston Commons and walked towards the start of the tour.
 
As we got to the starting point of the tour we noticed that the tour guide was dressed up like a colonial woman from America.  This made the experience even more enjoyable.  She was a very enthusiastic woman and we could instantly tell she loved her job.  She told us the story about America’s freedom like it were a bedtime story.  We were all very interested in hearing what was going to be happening next. We learned about different events that happened throughout the freedom movement; different names as well.  Names like John Hancock, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, etc.  I won’t spoil the story for you - you will have to go and hear it for yourself.
 

​When we realized that the tour was over we were already at Faneuil Hall.  It really was a very interesting and fun tour. I definitely recommend this walking tour for any newcomers to Boston.  It is not expensive and you will know everything about the freedom movement in an hour and a half.  I love history, and I tend to read a lot, so I thought I knew enough about the freedom movement, but certainly not.  This experience will make you wiser, and of course you will gain general knowledge.  If you aren’t a history fan or a walking tour fan, I also have good news for you:  since we ended up at Faneuil Hall, we were only two blocks away from Quincy Market.  There you could have a nice walk after listening to different names and learning that Samuel Adams did in fact do way more than just the brew the beer you know.
 
To end our lovely evening, we decided to grab lunch at PAUL, a nice French cafeteria. It is a very cozy and cute place that you should definitely visit when you are in Boston.  It is right in front of Faneuil Hall, so you won’t have a lot of trouble finding it.  The menu is delicious, and thankfully they have student friendly prices; I got a ham and cheese sandwich with a chocolate éclair and tea as my drink and it was all $10, meaning you can have a good, complete and delicious meal without spending an outrageous amount of money.
 
I really hope you take advantage of living in Boston and visit as many cultural sites as you can! Boston is such a historical city for the United States; you need to know what happened and why it happened. Boston is way more than the Red Sox or the Celtics. It is a spectacular and vivid city with a lot of stories behind the Charles River. I hope you get to explore just like I am, and someday you’ll get the chance to tell your experience just like I have done. 

The Museum of Fine Arts. Once my friends and I got inside, we immediately noticed art everywhere. There was music, food, wine (only for those over 21, obviously) and of course, a lot of life within the atmosphere.  I really appreciate art: doesn’t matter if it’s conceptual or modern art, I enjoy it because I feel that it expresses more than any words could ever describe. There were many signs that all symbolized something different, but every person was in charge of giving it their own meaning.  That is what I love about museums, everybody goes and everybody sees the same stuff, but what we feel won’t be the same because we have not lived nor suffered from the same stuff.  Museums are a great shelter to get inspiration, to understand why we are feeling some way, to cultivate ourselves, and to learn a little bit more about the structure of its movement.

​We also came across a group of acapella singers.  They were quite talented. I was very impressed because I had never seen this type of singing live. It is a very different vibe and the way they create music with only their mouths is quite impressive.  They sang songs from Michael Jackson to even The Chainsmokers.  All my friends and I were enjoying the different and knowledgeable Friday we were having.
 
After enjoying music with wine and a few snacks, we walked towards a closed area where they had tables and different materials to create crafts and make our own stamp.  It was very challenging for me because I am really not an arts & crafts person at all.  But many students were laughing and enjoying their inspiration.  One of my Mexican friends wanted to represent the mountains of my city in his stamp.  I was quite impressed with my final outcome because I put a lot of effort into it, and it came out pretty good.  After finalizing our crafts we grabbed a slice of pizza and enjoyed our meal while listening to a girl rap, which was very unexpected and fun at the same time. 

​The whole museum was full of people, lights, and music. It was a very different Friday for us, as we are not used to these type of cultural/musical/college events at museums.  I am a museum lover, but I would never have guessed that they would make an event like this to persuade students to go to museums and enjoy a cultural Friday.  It worked:  everybody was having a good time. I think it was a great marketing strategy from the museum’s standpoint.  Now their target audience has expanded to include students as well.

 So, as I always say, do different things everyday. Do not be afraid of going out of your comfort zone. Boston is a place to leave your comfort zone behind and explore different zones out there. Meet different people, eat exotic food, and live. 

​Friday October 14, 2016 was a very different day for me.  I decided to sign up for the MET International afternoon salsa class, and I had no idea what to expect.  To be quite honest with you, I was afraid of being the only one who didn’t know how to salsa to the beat.  I was not even sure I knew what salsa was.  Our teacher’s name was Leclerc.  He has a lot of experience in dance and he has taught diverse lessons at many universities.  This time it was our chance to get a little bit of knowledge from the master. 

​So, the afternoon started quite embarrassingly, since I got there in joggers and workout clothes (in my defense, I had no idea salsa is danced in normal shoes and with dresses and skirts).  I started laughing with my fellow classmates there and we started socializing and I believe this helped the class experience be more exciting and less painful.  Leclerc was so engaged in making us have fun.  Of course, at the beginning it was quite difficult, since I could not coordinate my feet with my hands and I had a very confused look on my face (kind of like the emoji on your phone).  But once you finally start getting the moves right, you let go, and you start enjoying it even if you are not the best at it. 

​Before we knew it, we were actually dancing the salsa!!!  It was unbelievable.  The professor taught the class in a very delicate and smooth way so that we weren’t afraid of trying different moves.  When he finally put the Latin music on we weren’t afraid to inspire ourselves and let ourselves go with the rhythm.  Something that I enjoyed a lot about the class, was that the teacher constantly said, “laugh about your mistakes, you are here to enjoy.”  That made me feel more secure, and it did make me take the class in a more enjoyable manner rather than feeling stress. Growing up, for me, had always been a competitive experience.  I have always had that competitive streak in my blood.  I understood at a certain age, though, that it wasn’t enjoyable, because you are so concentrated on getting everything perfect that you forget the actual reason you are there for.  So my small piece of advice for you is to enjoy every single thing you do; whether you are perfect at it or even a beginner…we are doing these activities for our own good and not to please someone else. 

​In the end, I had a fabulous time.  I met interesting people and I can now say I have the basic movements of salsa down, which is great because it is a discipline that expresses a lot with simple movements. 
 
So, yes!  Go to all of MET International’s events!  They are worth it, and most of the time they are free!!!!!  We should enjoy this amazing opportunity that they grant to us and take advantage of them throughout the semester.