Gap Year Week 15: Final Week + a bit in the U.S.A

My eyes flew open, and I rolled over and groaned in agony. Headache, dry-mouth, room spinning I must say it was quite the hangover and what's worse a supreme lack of sleep as me and Ollie had gone to sleep at 5 in the morning a mere 3 hours ago. We had arranged for Christine to pick us up at 8:30 and after throwing our stuff together, saying a brief goodbye to Dakota, we blundered into the car and set off for our train I myself forced to abandon my shoes, marginally intoxicated but delighted about possibly one of the best nights we had all had. College Party is bloody awesome!

I am behind schedule so instead of lecture and storytelling I'll summarize these few days !

We then did Washington

Summary:

• You can blitz four museums (The Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Air and Space Museum and the Museum of American History in a day) and all the memorials and the White House. Just be prepared for some painful feet. Try not to wear flip-flops, my feet were grimier than a grimy hobo's feet as Ollie pointed out.
• China Town, Fast Food, and finding out the horrific cost of the trip. Not bad for four 21 year olds!
• The Holocaust Memorial Museum was one of the most harrowing, horrible, upsetting, but god damn amazing experience with very important lessons to be learnt.
• You cannot stuff Pandas! 

We then did Philadelphia:

Summary:

• Cheese Steak from Philadelphia is great :D
• We ate at none other than Panda Express to squeals of delight, but came to the conclusion we may have overdone Panda in Vegas.
• Philadelphia was the last place we had to watch damn American television!
• Could have seen more, but time constraints and the promise of New York limited Phily unfortunately

and then we did New York 

Summary:

• Free boat, epic view of the city skyline and the Statue of Liberty = bargain
• Hostel was amazing, but expensive.
• Hostel trip to bar with $1 dollar pints of Budweiser, $10 is all you need and putting on Tenacious D in a bar was something I haven't heard every day and it was great!
• Me and Ollie became far too good at ping pong in New York.
• Alan! What a guy on his way to San Francisco. Danish and top guy.
• Selfies on the Empire State Building check....
• Ground Zero doesn't disappoint. It is humbling but they have overly commercialized it. It is a bit much when you have to buy a 9/11 memorial key ring...
• American Pub showing Premier League football, different matches on 10 different screens, cider in the morning. Unbeatable.
• American Eagle had its way with us financially.
• Abercrombie and Fitch broke Rupert financially 
• (Rupert) Shampoo 
• Reminiscing with the guys in the bar and Dominoes after a great trip was a top highlight :)

Most popular group quote of the trip has to be: How jer fand me! and the rest of this scene, goodness knows why...

Personal Top Three Cities: San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas

Personal Top Experiences: Yosemite Park, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Route 66, College Party, Venice Beach, Wendy's, Ihop.

Never visit: Atlanta, downtown L.A or the edge of Austin, the latter consists of nothing but highways.

P.S. A particular apology must go to Ollie and Charlie who had to put up with innumerable film quotes from me and Rupert which I imagine must have been pestering and perplexing and most probably unnerving. 

Signing out for this week with my favorite song of the trip and it was played going into Yosemite Valley. One of the best days I won't forget! Been a good trip boys and I'll miss all the laughs! Good music, good food, good times.

Matthew Williams