I met my good friend Tara, Boston native, in Americorps in South Carolina seven years ago. After schooling and meeting her hubby in the Midwest, Tara is back in Boston, Mass. Her and hubby Kevin had their first baby, a girl, last week Thursday.

The baby shower was in mid-August, but I decided not to fly out, because of financial reasons. I lost my job as photo/design editor at Community Newspapers four months ago, so it's safe to say money is a bit tight these days.

Of course you can't pass on seeing a baby while he or she is wee tiny, so I told Tara I'd scrape up some money to fly out when the baby arrives. Well, the time has come. A 6 lb baby girl was born Thursday, Sept. 17. Tara and Kevin named her Mackenzie Rose. From pictures posted on Facebook, she looks so adorably cute, and tiny.

With that said, and the fact that those unemployment checks are still slowly trickling in, I believe that I am deserving of a "Free Recession Buster Getaway" trip to Boston. Tara and Kevin are awaiting my visit to meet Mackenzie Rose for the first time, and I can't wait to meet her!