Flash back to the first day of Boston springtime. I had a few hours to spare between Brookline and Downtown Crossing. Whatever would I do?

3:45pm I get off the T at Copley, a good starting point for a familiar walk: in high school I took this very route towards Chinatown each Saturday from voice lessons to work.

4pm The Frosty truck is out! I enjoy an inaugural cup of vanilla + sprinkles. Since ice cream is best enjoyed with a view, I find a bench ^ in the Public Garden. The view: flowers in bloom, ducklings recently hatched, Bostonian wanderers enjoying their first breath of non-icy air this year.

4:15pm The ice cream is gone, but I don’t feel like leaving my perfect perch yet. Some people dream of this very spot, and here it is in front of me – why leave? As always, I am armed with a book and my journal. Nothing is as luxurious as thoughtful cursive against a fresh page with hours to spare. I take my time.

5:50pm As I prepare to leave, a boy whom I learn is called Chang introduces himself and shows me a picture he took of me, explaining that he can delete it if I want, or he can send it to me. I opt for the latter, please, and voilà ^ the perfect reminder of my perfect afternoon.

> monday mini adventures: making the most of one’s surroundings through conscious exploration and appreciation