One random Monday night this past summer, I received a text from a lifelong friend saying, “Wanna go to Boston with me tomorrow?” As vague as this question was, I was immediately intrigued. “What should I pack?” I replied.

My friend Alyssa has been a Frontier flight attendant for the past three years, and one of her perks includes a buddy pass. This allows her friends and family to fly standby on her flights for a small fee. Although there is the constant worry of not getting a seat on the plane, I have always been fortunate enough to successfully snatch one at the last minute.

The following night, my mom dropped me off at Philadelphia International Airport just in time to catch the 11 p.m. flight to Boston. I boarded the plane with the other 40 passengers and was immediately upgraded to the third row with extra legroom and unlimited snacks (shhh … I’m friends with the flight attendant … don’t tell!).

A quick two hours later, we were off the plane and hopping on a shuttle to the hotel. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay in the same hotel room as Alyssa and have access to the extra accommodations she was offered. It made the experience that much more enjoyable.

That next morning, we woke up early to make the most of our day. We took an Uber downtown and started at Boston Common, America’s oldest public park. Here the Freedom Trail begins, a 2.5-mile trail throughout the city that leads you to all the historic landmarks and best places to visit. This adventure took us all over, including to Paul Revere’s old stomping grounds; Sam Adams’s gravestone; and the oldest still-operating tavern in America.

Next stop was a visit to Quincy Market. Similar to Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, it is home to more than 25 eateries, most authentic to Boston. This includes, but is not limited to, New England clam chowda, crab cakes and cannoli. All three we bought and thoroughly enjoyed, might I add.

Later in the afternoon, we rode the ferry to East Boston to meet up with one of my good friends who had just moved there. We enjoyed delicious cocktails and beautiful views of Boston Harbor at Tall Ship, a waterside dock and ship with multiple bars, live music and different food trucks surrounding the premises. It was great vibes.

Night started to fall, and we quickly remembered our 6 a.m. flight home the next morning. We said goodbye to my friend and Ubered back to our hotel. Ending our night in bed with Applebee’s takeout and Friends on TV, it was the perfect end to the trip.

I’m already looking forward to our next adventure!

— Emily Gladu, administrative coordinator