And Everything Nice

This wont be a cute post, it’s just a little Christmas post since I’m being a little emotional right now. It’s been a different Christmas. I love spending time with my family and seeing my little cousins that live in London. I love the awesome food and the movie night with my parents but at the same time, my grandfather is sick in the hospital. It’s so hard to celebrate Christmas without him.

Since these feelings have been going up and down in waves, I have been thinking a lot about the past. I have to admit I’m kinda homesick for Michigan. I never got that weird feeling in America that I get in Iceland during the winters. It’s not really sadness, it’s this special feeling that is a kind of bittersweet. It has to do with the mixture of isolation, weather, light and the uneventful months following Christmas, where you are just waiting for spring to come.

I’ve been spending the night traveling around on Google Maps. I’ve been to both Detroit and Cambridge and back, just traveling the streets and thinking about my past experiences in these places. I took some pictures on the way : ) here they are:

My house in Cambridge MA, where I lived from 1994-1997. It’s the same blue color as 11 years ago. We lived on the first floor.

This is an Italian bakery on Cambridge Street where we used to go for pastries. I used to love these cakes with fig jam fillings that were sold there.

“The Square” as in Harvard Square. This is where I’d hang out with my friends, by the train station entrance. It’s still one of my favorite places in the world. My mom used to be worried sick that I was hanging out with the wrong crowd at Harvard sq which was mostly filled with punks and bums. Sorry mom.

The bench below the white stone sign is where I used to wait for the 69 bus to get home from Harvard Sq. yeah yeah… I know… 69…

This is where “The Tasty” was located before. Right there on the corner. It was a tiny diner with the best sliders. Me and my friend Alex would go there for sliders and coffee. The scene in Good Will Hunting where Matt Damon and Minnie Driver kiss for the first time is filmed right in there. I’m so sad that it’s gone.

My beloved Boston seen from Longfellow bridge.

Our apartment in Clawson Michigan where I lived with my husband from 2006-2008.

Cranbrooks campus. The red circle marks my studio space where I spent two years making crazy, pointless tings hehe.

Our favorite brewery downtown Detroit. Detroit Beer Company

David Broderick Tower and The Detroit Opera are close by. The tower is one of many, many abandoned buildings in Detroit. I’ve looked at many pictures from the inside, I find it fascinating since it’s almost stuck in time. It was closed in ‘85 but its still filled with objects and furniture that tell it’s history.

The Fox theater on Woodward avenue. I found it kinda funny that this picture was taken when we were still there. We went to see Björk perform there on September 11th 2007.

Slows on Michigan ave. is in a pretty crappy side of town but they sell the best BBQ. I highly recommend it.

Across from Slows is the Michigan Central Station. One of the most incredible abandoned buildings in Detroit. It’s been empty since ‘88.

The abandoned Tiger Stadium is also on Michigan ave. It’s amazing how empty Detroit is. It’s very fascinating but also sad. It makes me wonder how it will end up with the crash of the car industry.

And….. last but not least…. where we are today…..

Hope you enjoyed reading my Christmas thoughts.