Just like home. It's like they designed it specifically with me in mind, and even the wall decorations seem personalized. Simply amazing. Take a look out the windows and see all the people in the other two buildings in the quad--remember to close those shades when you get out of the shower! My only complaint is that the room could have been a tad bigger. And some room service would be great.

Mike's isn't a restaurant. It's god's gift to pastry. This pastry shop has pretty much any type of cookie, cake, or just damn good yummy thing you could ask for, and then some. The lines can get a little annoying, so be prepared to dive in headfirst and remain focused on the counter, or you might not get anywhere (or anything to eat). Take a look at the marzipan in the right-side case. Even if you don't eat the stuff, it's pretty fun to look at while you're waiting.

Though I've never actually been to Fire + Ice, I've wanted to go for quite a while. See, whenever I'm around, the wait is always something like 2 hours, and I'm too hungry/impatient to wait. The place calls itself 'an improvisational grill', which doesn't really say much. I called the food American simply because there's no one type of food served. At Fire + Ice, you get a tray and pick from among a wide variety of meats, seafoods, veggies, and sauces to create the dish of your choice. Then you bring it over to the chefs and watch them cook it up on the big circular grill. All my friends say it's good stuff. Even the desserts are supposed to be worth the wait. Make reservations if you can; I believe they only take them for parties of six or more, and not on weekends, but I'm not positive.

Situated on the main street of Little Italy (and not too far away from Mike's for some great pastry if you've got room afterward), it's not much of a surprise that Lodo serves up Italian dishes. There are some surprises in store, however. At first glance, it's hard to believe Lodo can seat all that many, as the building it's in is somewhat narrow. With three floors (at least, that's all I saw) of dining space, though, it's more than meets the eye. The decor is wonderfully intimate, with dark walls and soft lighting (and some cool arty touches in the lights and wall decorations, too). The rooms' small width helps keep things cozy without making them too tight. Although Italian, the food isn't as traditional as in some of the other restaurants you'll find farther down the road. The chef does some wonderful things with pastas, salads, and meat dishes, although the menu isn't so radical as to alienate less adventurous diners. The prices are not as high as you might expect, either. Entrees generally hover around or a little below $15. A great place.

There are basically two types of aquariums--boring and cool. The New England Aquarium, in my book, is cool. Maybe it's just 'cuz I've always liked marine biology (hey, who here can honestly say they never went through the 'I wanna be a marine biologist when I grow up' phase? nevermind...), but this aquarium has great exhibits. The penguin habitat when you first enter the main building is fantastic; they swim around in the pool under your feet and sunbathe (if there is such a thing indoors) on the rocks. Several times a day, divers will feed them; this is pretty fun to watch if you catch it. The large central tank is wonderful--start from the top and spiral down the ramp to catch different fish that live at different reef levels. Try and find the giant turtle if you can. Sorry, no diving! The aquarium also offers whale watching tours in the waters off the Mass. coast, though I didn't partake.

Newbury Street is a great place to shop (if you've got the dough; some places, especially towards the Common, can get a bit pricey) or just go and stroll on a warm Boston day. It's got everything from Newbury comics (music, comics, etc.) to Giorgio Armani (no music, no comics). Bonuses: Ben and Jerry's ice cream, J.P. Licks (more ice cream), a good Vietnamese restaurant that I can't remember the name of. And lots of 'euro' shops for those with lots of money (not students like). Fun times.

I'm not the biggest club kid in the world, but Avalon is decent for the every-so-often clubgoer. Call ahead beforehand (617 262-2424) to find out the age limit (the standard in Boston is often 19+, but it can vary between 18+ and 21+). As a dance club, Avalon plays your standard dance/Top 40 stuff. It also hosts various shows and events, ranging from DJs to live rock acts. Smoky, but you're not there to breathe. You're there to dance.

Fenway, the home of the Boston Red Sox, is one of the classic old baseball stadiums left in the country (and it's the only one with the Green Monster). Hurry up and catch a game there, though, because plans for a new ballpark are underway. Fenway's a friendly place (despite the ugly incident that occured in last year's playoffs), and bleacher seats are fairly cheap at $14 & $16 (upper/lower bleachers). That's where the true fans hang out, and the place is even more lively when the Sox are beating the Yanks in the AL East. If you're a Mets fan (which you all should be), then you can have some fun chanting 'Buckner, Buckner!' as well.

If you're bored of going to the movies every weekend, or you're wandering around the North End looking for something to do besides eat, or you happen to be with a date after eating at Lodo (only 1 or 2 doors down), stop by the Improv Asylum. A show there lasts about 2 hours, and it's a pretty funny one at that. There were a few down spots, but in general the crowd was kept laughing and entertained. It's a small theater, with the stage in the middle of the floor, so every seat (with the exception of a few views a little hurt by support columns) is a good one.

You can't graze your cows there like the Puritans used to (not least because it's likely you don't have any), but you can still enjoy a relaxing day on Boston Commons. In the winter you can ice skate on the Frog Pond. Tickets are $8 or $9, and rentals are extra, but hey, it's cheaper than doin' it in Rockefeller Center. When it's warmer out, you can sniff the flowers in the public garden, or bring some balls/frisbees out and start a game on the grass. Pack a picnic if that's your thing, or just go there to get away from the bustle of the city for an hour or so. The swan boat tours are pleasant, too, and although they don't go on city streets like duck tours, you don't have to quack at everyone you see, either.

Going to school right outside Boston, there's never a lack of things to do on the weekends. My friends and I were looking for an excuse to go into the city one day (aside from the fact that the place is loaded with other college students), and somebody recommended we check out the aquarium. Why not? we figured.

A quick ride on the T brought us to the Boston Aquarium, overlooking once-dead-but-now-clean Boston Harbor. Though some aquariums can be disappointing, this one was worth the trip. The variety of exhibits kept things interesting, and the range of colors in the tanks was beyond anything I've seen.

Afterward, we walked a few blocks over to the North End to experience another type of sea creature: the edible kind. While Boston is traditionally an Irish town (St. Patty''s day is quite the bash), the North End is an Italian haven. Though the neighborhood's narrow, twisting streets offer plenty of opportunities for exploration, my friends and I were looking for one thing: food. Once on Hanover Street, the main drag in the North End, our prayers were answered. Everywhere we turned, there was another restaurant. After all, what else is there to do after viewing sea creatures beside eating their relatives? Linguini with white clam sauce, here I come...

After dinner, we removed our belts and waddled back out onto Hanover Street. Of course, any gastroenterologist worth his salt will tell you that the human body contains two stomachs: the meal stomach and the dessert stomach. Off we went to Mike's, the best pastry shop this side of the Adriatic. The only problem with Mike's is that it's an adventure making your way through the line up to the counter. Don't be afraid to shove - there's tiramisu that needs to be devoured! We were slightly offended when we heard there were no more chocolate chip cannoli left, but we managed. Now if we could only make it back to school by rolling...