As a “last hurrah”, Bryans roommate planned a trip this past weekend with Bryan to go to Boston before he moves out of the apartment in mid-June. The itinerary was jam-packed with events mutually chosen by the two of them.

I was concerned about Bryan’s stamina. The night he arrived I got a text from him at 1:34 a.m. to say that they had arrived in Boston safely. He would be tired for sure!

Despite the gale-force winds howling across Boston harbor, the intrepid travelers started on the Freedom Trail early Saturday morning. Bryan eagerly joined in the guided tour of historic sites along the bricked pathway wending its way throughout Boston. Despite the rain, wind and cold, he took in the sights and sounds with relish. His energy never flagged.

The history tour was capped by the guys enjoying a Red Sox game at Fenway Park that evening. The two of them bonded and swapped Special Olympics stories with a father and son with special needs from New Hampshire who were avid Sox fans, sharing their row in the ballpark.

Because of R and B’s shared love for the show, Cheers, the evening ended in the Boston bar which served as the inspiration for the popular T.V. series. In typical Bryan Fashion, he decided to recreate the quintessential “Hey Norm” moment by entering the front door of the establishent, going down the infamous stairs, and high-fiving everyone sitting at the bar as the exhuberant, Covid-unleashed crowd cheered him on with shouts of “NORM”! Bryan was in his element with a huge grin on his face. His roommate captured the moment on video.

The centerpiece of the trip came on Sunday. Bryan had always wanted to see Plymouth Rock. That dream was realized as was a tour of the replicated Mayflower docked nearby. I’m guessing this intense desire to see the two historic monuments arose from years of Bryan crafting prayers to be said as grace before Thanksgiving Dinner. Bryan always requested he be allowed to say the blessing at this special family gathering. Each prayer mentioned the Pilgrims and that first Thanksgiving Day. Now he can visualize these places in his imagination and reconstruct those events of long ago.

After a graveyard tour, the guys explored Plymouth itself, where Bryan joined a tour guide in song and donned a soldier’s uniform provided by another reinactor.

A Fenway Park tour ended the whirlwind trip – a place Bryan wanted to see since his Uncle Dick had played a game there while on the Red Sox farm team.

Bryan enjoyed every minute of this short excursion with his friend and roommate. What a wonderful collection of memories he now has – embodying a true “joie de vivre”!