A Revolution? Well, You Know...

Happy Independence Day!

I’ll be spending the day hopping from a park picnic to a pool party, and ending it with fireworks at the beach…exactly as the forefathers intended.

(The British version of my book doesn’t come out until August, so I’m not sure how many of you are reading this. But if you are, welcome! Do you do anything over there to celebrate the Fourth of July? If you do, I’m sure you don’t refer to it as Independence Day. Perhaps you call it Good Riddance Day?)

On Tuesday, I’m heading to a major city-of-interest in our country’s history. Boston, Massachusetts! I’ll spend two days in Boston, one in Plymouth, and one in Salem. I’ve wanted to spend some history-buff time there for several years, and a few weeks ago I decided to quit dreaming and just do it.

I only spent a few hours there eight years ago, but it only took those few hours to know I wanted to go back. In the summer of 2001, I was in New York City meeting with editors as part of an award I won. JoanMarie and I weren’t married yet, and she was spending the summer roaming all over New England as a camp counselor in a traveling performing arts camp. While I was in NYC, she was in Boston. Since I worked for an airline, I got a roundtrip flight from NYC to Boston for only $20! Through some very sneaky questions, I learned exactly where her troupe would be performing at a certain time.

I’m sure I looked suspicious as I moved stealthily from historical building to historical building. I think I even pressed my back against a wall a couple times and tiptoed between a few groups of tourists. When I finally saw her unmistakable curly hair, her back was turned and she was talking to her campers. I pressed a finger to my lips and (this next part is weird, now that I think about it) none of the kids let on that a strange guy was sneaking up behind her. I reached an arm around her and took a photo of our faces before she could tell who it was. Unfortunately, I swore to never show that photo because she had the most hilariously confused look on her face.

And on Tuesday, I’m going back!

Besides indulging my history-buffness, I will also be doing some book research. JoanMarie, sadly, can’t take the time off because we’ve got our dream vacation coming up in a few months. But I plan on going to the same spot where I took that earlier photo and sending her a cellphone-pic so she knows I’m thinking of her and that I remember our own history.

Ahh...!

(Don’t worry, the secret’s safe. She’s not an avid reader of my blog. After all, she pretty much knows everything going on, even the stuff I can’t post about...yet!)