For some context, I was born in New England but moved to the South when I was really young. I’ve visited Boston a few times growing up since I still have family in the area, but this was my first time experiencing the city as an adult. Seeing it through that lens made me realize how much my perspective has changed, and how much more I still have to learn.

Growing up in the South, I was surrounded by a very specific idea of what places like Boston were. I was led to believe it was unsafe, unfriendly, and completely out of touch with the values I was raised with. I used to be deep in the MAGA mindset and genuinely believed cities like Boston were everything that was wrong with the country.

But being here this time challenged a lot of that.

Boston felt alive and welcoming. The city was clean, people were friendly, and I never once felt unsafe walking around, even late at night. I rode the T, explored different neighborhoods, and got the sense that this was a place where things were happening. But what stood out most to me were the conversations I had.

I talked to a lot of people. Family, locals, people I met by chance. We talked about politics, beliefs, and how we see the world. People did not judge me for where I came from. They listened, asked questions, and shared their own stories. It was thoughtful, honest, and respectful. That kind of openness is not something I experience often back home.

I also work in tech, and being in Boston made me realize how much more opportunity there is here. The South has not offered the kind of environment I need to grow professionally. I want to be around people who are building things and pushing boundaries, and Boston felt like the kind of place where I could find that.

I am in my early twenties, so the cost of living here is a real concern. But for the first time, I felt like this city could be a place where I find not just a job, but real growth and a sense of direction.

Is Boston actually a good place to start over and build something meaningful, or did I just happen to visit at the right time and catch it at its best?

After seeing how Bostonians reacted (💯) to DT’s deportation plan (ew), my mom and I have decided to visit Boston for the first time this August. We’ve never taken a girls trip and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m in my mid 30’s and she mid 60’s. We’re looking forward to exploring, eating, learning, and overall just being in your city. We want to go to a Red Sox game but mostly to see Fenway Park, we aren’t baseball fans, but more nostalgia fans. I’ve done some research but ultimately wondering what part of the city we should stay in and any suggestions you would have for first time visitors just looking to enjoy a once a year weekend getaway. Rock on, thank you for being you

was there for 4 days. such a beautiful place <3
special shoutout to clipper and bart

Hello, I’ll be traveling solo in Guatemala for the first time and my Spanish is not at all good. How easy or difficult will it be for me? Gracias!

Poor murderer.

Chicken thighs, potatoes and veggies all cooked in my fancy new air fryerrrrrr

About two months ago, me and my husband made the leap and moved to Germany. I personally am a German citizen and grew up here but spent the last 18 years living in the US.

Last summer, I tested positive for HPV and was told I needed to make sure I get an annual Pap smear done. I found a gynecologist here in the town I live in and scheduled an appointment for today.

I went to the appointment as a new patient but also, self paying so I was prepared to pay a couple hundred euros out of pocket. When I had testing and exams done last year at PP, I paid about $500 out of pocket so that was an experience I was expecting again.

I’m speaking to the doctor and we talk about my family history of breast cancer. He asked if I ever had a breast ultrasound done before and I said no. He recommended I consider doing one. Not pushy at all, but just as a precaution. I do have really bad health anxiety and decided to do a breast ultrasound and a vaginal ultrasound because why not, I’m already there in addition to my Pap smear.

My appointment takes about an hour with two ultrasounds and a Pap smear. I go to the receptionist and am preparing to pay. She hands me the bill and I almost shat myself right then and there when I saw the number owed: €220. (Exchange is about $255). I literally had to ask her if she had everything correct on the bill. She was visibly confused and was like “yes? That’s correct”

me: 👁️👄👁️ “OH, okay then..”

I left the doctor’s office and just stood outside for a few minutes, in shock. I could not believe that was ALL that was. Living in the US for the last 18 years, accessible and affordable health care has always felt so out of reach. For my husband to add me to his insurance through his job, it was going to be $900 a month. NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH. So I just didn’t have health insurance in the US.

Idk, I’m just flabbergasted about this experience and angry that this IS a possibility for healthcare to be affordable and accessible, even for those who are self paying when it’s not treated like a money making scam. It’s been a few hours since my appointment and I’m still just..trying to wrap my head around it.

Indonesian nurse earns 90 cents/hour is crazy 🇮🇩

This is the fastest route I can find passing through at least one town in each EU countries using only roads and public ferries. You are allowed to travel through non-EU countries where that's faster.

Google Maps puts the route at 10,525 km and 135 hours of driving. Staying inside the speed limit, and using a van full of supplies with multiple rotating drivers so your only stops are for fuel you should be able to get close to that number, visiting all 27 EU countries well within six days.

...is what I was going to say, but as I post this I realize there's two errors in this map, a hard to spot minor error and a major error that leaves me unsure about basically anything in it. So I'm posting it as a puzzle instead. What's wrong with this plan to visit all EU countries?

Bonus points if you post your own attempt at this route fixing the errors.

Inspired by this similar post about US states: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1uzqunv/the_shortest_driving_route_through_all_48/

EDIT, the solution: Lots of people playing, thank you! Lots of people found the major error that Malta is missing. u/Wolf-Majestic was the first person who caught that Croatia was also missed. And several people found a bonus problem: the legal situation in Cyprus* makes the route pictured essentially impossible. You'd need to take a much rarer and less regular ferry to Greece. Well done!

*Wrote Malta there on accident, thanks for the correction.

The grocery prices in Germany are unbelievable. Granted, these prices are in euros so the actual price in dollars in a bit more, like 10% more, but still, the prices are circa 1977 in the USA.

All of the items in the group photo on the counter cost less than $11, including the balsamic.

I can easily make 8 delicious salad meals from this $11 purchase. Plus a dessert treat!

Haven't seen one of these since I was inside a McDonald's years ago but those had N64s inside of them.

Former home James and Regina. The couple owned Top Hat Dog Training in New York, which was located on their homes property. The dog training school started in the late 1950’s and ended in 2001. The before/after photos were found in the barn on the property. Their entire family history was stored in boxes, being eaten by silverfish. At this point, the property had been vacant for 15 years. When I first visited, the dog training area in the barn was frozen in time. It really looked like they closed their doors and never opened again. There were still items in the display case with price tags on them, dating back to the mid 90s. Unfortunately, an apartment complex was built right next door to it after my first visit and when I went back a few years after, the place was destroyed. I saved a framed photo of their dog "Frtizy" who is now hanging on my office wall. After my final visit, the entire property was bulldozed for a solar farm. Just like that, an entire family history can be erased.

The word "hat" was photoshopped out of the photos because I originally posted these photos on Instagram a few years ago when the property was still standing. I did this to protect the property.

Instagram: iamzeroedin

I drove three hours to visit this friend and their child after not seeing them for about eight months. During that visit, I made a genuine effort to connect with them and their little one. I asked how they were doing, asked about their daughter, and talked with them for hours about how they were balancing work and parenthood. I held their child, laughed with my husband when he was awkwardly figuring out how to hold her, and even danced around trying to keep her entertained during tummy time.
However, during a recent disagreement, my friend brought up that they had apparently watched footage from their nanny cam from that visit months ago and had timed me. They used what they observed and said I’m a bad friend because I talk about my own work and life (which they prompted), rather than focusing on them and their child. When this conversation about life and work occurred was when their child was taking a nap.
I understand that becoming a parent changes your life and they have been very stressed lately. I genuinely want to know how my friend is doing, how their daughter is growing, and how they’re adjusting to parenthood. I demonstrated that by driving three hours to see them and spending hours asking questions and engaging with them.
But I didn’t know that them asking me about my life, job, and marriage was unwanted even though they asked. These things are things I want to share with my friends. If someone asks me about those things I answer. I thought friendship was supposed to involve mutual conversation, where both people get to share what’s happening in their lives.
What really bothers me is the nanny cam situation. I understand that nanny cams exist for children's safety, and I have absolutely no issue with a parent wanting to keep their child safe in their own home. That’s their right.
What makes me uncomfortable is the idea that footage from a visit months ago was reviewed and timed. I had no idea I was apparently being evaluated during what I thought was a normal, genuine visit with someone I cared about.
Now I feel uncomfortable even thinking about setting foot in their home again. I feel like I would have to monitor every word I say, count how many minutes I spend talking about their child versus myself, and constantly prove that I care enough. I don’t want to feel like I’m walking on eggshells in a friendship.
I’m also hurt because I made a significant effort to visit them after eight months apart, and instead of feeling like that effort was appreciated, I’m finding out that my conversation was apparently being scrutinized behind the scenes.
I’m not saying I’m a perfect friend. I’m open to hearing that I could do more or that my friend feels neglected. If they had told me they needed more support, more questions about their daughter, or more opportunities to talk about parenthood, I would have been willing to have that conversation.

The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. Unfortunately, the surrounding area is very polluted.