Tufts Blogs

Over the last year, I’ve shared many of my Boston adventures with you. From early spring nights at Fenway Park, to a Labor Day Weekend trek to the Franklin Park Zoo, to a Holiday Season stroll through Boston Commons, I’d like to think I’ve made good use of Tufts’ proximity to Beantown. However, there are endless opportunities to explore, and I’ve only managed to see the tip of the iceberg. So, here are a few of my personal Boston bucket list items for the just-over-a-year (shocked emoji) I have left at Tufts. 

1. Attend a college hockey game

While not nearly as big as college football or basketball around the country, Cawlidge Hawkey reigns supreme in New England. Of the schools around Tufts, Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, Northeastern, and Bentley all have Division I squads. Though I frequent and enjoy Tufts’ athletics events, Division I college hockey offers the chance to see some of the NHL’s top prospects up-close in a passionate, competitive environment. These schools have storied, fierce rivalries, with the former four competing in the Beanpot tournament at TD Garden every March. So, whether I end up taking the Red Line to Harvard Square or the Green Line to BU, BC, or Northeastern, I hope to catch some high-quality hockey and an incredible atmosphere next fall. After all, can I really say I lived in New England for four years without attending a game? 

2. Visit the New England Aquarium

In my desk drawer at home in New Jersey, an old, battered ruler featuring a faded New England Aquarium logo has sat, mostly untouched, for years. My father got it when he visited the New England Aquarium as a child in the 1970s (second shocked emoji). As an animal-lover, the simple, blue, and white fish outline depicted in the logo has called out to me, but I haven’t yet ventured inside the aquarium’s cavernous halls during my time at Tufts. Still, I’ve stopped many times to gawk at the California sea lions and northern fur seals while passing by, as their exhibit is free to view from Central Wharf. One can only avoid sea turtles and rockhopper penguins for so long, though, and the deep blue sea is calling my name. 

3. Eat at a Ninety Nine restaurant

Admittedly, this is a less glamorous objective than even watching seals gobble up mackerel. Let me explain. I have been a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan for my entire life. This fandom was one of the factors that led me to Tufts. I’ve watched thousands of Sox games over the last 15 years, and one advertisement, featured prominently behind home plate, has always caught my attention during broadcasts: “KIDS EAT FREE WHEN RED SOX WIN.” Growing up in New Jersey, I always felt excluded from the possibility of getting a free meal. I watched the Red Sox win two World Series titles, but I was never rewarded with a cut-price hamburger. 

While I’m not expecting The Nines to give me a free meal as a nearly 21-year-old, I hope that I’m able to satisfy my childhood craving during my remaining time at Tufts. I’m not anticipating the best meal of my life, but I’d be having a dinner that can only be had in New England while also making 12-year-old Max’s dreams come true.

Overall, though it doesn’t feature eye-popping goals like bungee jumping or jet skiing, I’m still excited to check things off my Boston bucket list. To me, places like Ninety Nine represent the city just as much as a hockey game at Northeastern does, and I cannot wait to see all that they have to offer. The best thing about Boston, though, is that there’ll always be more to see. Thus, I hope the Sox win a lot this year, so I can get some meals to fuel my adventures. 

Photo Credit: New England Aquarium