By now you probably know all about "Marathon Monday" and what it typically means. Technically, it's "Patriots' Day," a state holiday for Massachusetts, but since the holiday (and the marathon) permanently moved to the third Monday in April, it's been affectionately known as "Marathon Monday." In the suburbs (and in Boston), people come out to cheer the runners along, and there is a great feeling of goodwill and community. To me, Marathon Monday captured and still captures the essence of Massachusetts.

In my years in Massachusetts, Marathon Monday has -- more often than not -- been a bittersweet day for me. The day was always bound to start with great cheer and exhilaration, as my alma mater is located very close to the halfway point of the marathon, and students are known to scream so loudly that runners have said that the energy gives them a mid-marathon boost ... and end on a sour note. My college class was met with an inordinate number of tragedies on Marathon Monday in our four years, then there was the Virginia Tech tragedy in 2007. 2013 was, unfortunately, no different.

An Australian journalist, based in Boston, who was interviewed by the BBC summed it up for me when she said something akin to "it's so easy to fall in love with Marathon Monday ... and it stays with you." Marathon Monday has stayed with me, and I celebrate it in my heart every year, whether I'm in Boston, in New York, or in Taipei.

Here are some things about Marathon Monday and this year's marathon that have touched my heart:
+ The New Yorker: The Meaning of the Boston Marathon
+ @beccarosen tweet
+ The New Yorker cartoon, April 16
+ Boston Magazine: Why the Boston Marathon is the Best in the World
+ Boston Magazine: Our Favorite Boston Marathon Stories