The US of A, a summary

After a week back, I slowly but surely am done sorting experiences and mentally work through them. Those three weeks in the US have been flooding my mind and senses with impressions, thoughts, and sensations. Going through them now, there are definitely some moments and lessons that stand apart from the rest.

Things I've learned:

- never underestimate distances, because "it looks like it's a short walk on this map". Know your map's legend. Use it. Remember: a mile is longer than a kilometer. Don't do my "I'm just heading out for a short jog around the Mall"-thing in DC. It's a 10k, alright, even if it looks like just a couple of km on the map (which is because DC is ginormous and gigantomanic and I love it)

Look down the Mall. Does this look like a short walk?

- jaywalking 101 in Boston

- jaywalking MA-degree in NYC
- f*** is a very versatile word
- don't eat clam chowder on the West Coast. Don't do it. Just don't.

The real thing in Boston

- baseball hats lead to conversations. Conversations can be good or bad, depending on what hat you are wearing.
- don't wear non-Bostonian sports team hats in Boston. They will make you buy a new one. A better one. A Boston one. Trust me, I've been there and was forced to do that ("You're wearing the wrong Sox' hat, m'am"). Do not, under any circumstances, wear a New York Yankees hat in Boston.
- Philadelphians suck at fixing things. The Liberty Bell cracked during an attempt to fix a minor crack. And it couldn't be rung anyhow, because the steeple of the church it hung in was slowly but surely rotting away, no longer supporting the weight of the bell. And I am not even making this up.

No reason to crack up, but they suck at fixing things.

- there are several original versions of the Declaration of Independence (I remember six?). Which one did Nicholas Cage steal? I'm confused.
- the subway in Boston doesn't always work the way you know subways to be working. Sometimes you have to cross the tracks to get to another platform. Sometimes your train is just one cart. Also, you can actually take the Boston subway to Wonderland.
- Talking about train destinations, you can board a train to Pleasantville or Valhalla at Grand Central Station.

Third destination from the top. One-way ticket to Valhalla, please?

-Patriotism is ubiquitous; first you are taken aback, then you get used to it, then you go: "Yay for USA! There are Red, White and Blue M&M's!!!"

Patriotic M&M's making a mess

- Vegas is nothing but a main street with some freakishly big hotels along it and a few side streets in the middle of the desert. There's nothing there. I was asking myself the whole time how someone got the stupid idea to build a city in the middle of the desert. I guess it's because no one can hear you scream.
- there is a cupcake ATM in Vegas.

No money, no problem?

- always check the engine room before driving off the rental car lot. Make sure all lids are where they are supposed to be.
- don't park your car in the sun if you like touching the wheel whilst driving.
- wear sunscreen when in the desert. No, a 20 SPF does not suffice.
- there are no free parking spaces in Downtown Santa Monica.
- 14 Dollars is a cheap parking space in LA. In fact, it's so cheap that you can't get any of those and have to pay at least 20 bucks.
- LA is not a city. LA is a community of neighbourhoods and there's nothing going down in Downtown
- there are no not-hot lifeguards. I tried to find an ugly lifeguard in Venice Beach (yes, that's the kind of person I am), but I couldn't find one.

- it's not broken until duct-tape can't fix it. And duct-tape can fix a whole lot of things. The sidewalk for example: 

Things I'm going to miss:

- toilet covers (how have I lived without them until now?!?) in public restrooms

- the ocean(s)

- diet root beer

- memorials and monuments

- people asking you "How are you?" first thing

- people saying "Have a naice day and may gahd blass yeh" when saying good bye

- that Bahston accent

- that Nevada accent

- the rhotic R of New York

- customer service workers generally being friendly. that was a concept I liked.

Things I'm definitely not going to miss:

- "plus tax"

- "gratituity not included"

- chloride 

- American bed linen, covers, the way they make the beds. 

- what is it with American shower faucets? How do you work those? Why are the faucets different in every city? Does showering have to be rocket science?

- sleeping bag camps in parks. people sleeping in doorways. people sleeping in subways, people sleeping in stations, people sleeping on the beach. people sleeping on the streets. The feeling of utter impotence and helplessness when you realise you can't help them. 

Art adressing the homeless-problem on the Highline in New York

Favourite places:

Coney Island (NYC)

Boston. In general. The harbour in particular.

Brooklyn. D.U.M.B.O.

                                      

Washington DC. as a whole. But especially the Smithsonian Institution. 

The Mall. 

The Potomac.

 Grand Canyon. It's a church of nature.

Venice Beach. 

Favourite moments:

1. When I was wearing my Cap sweatpants and Avengers tee to breakfast in Williams and the little boy in the Captain America t-shirt looked at me awestruck, pointed at me, whispered "look, Captain America" to his mom and hid his face in his mother's lap when he noticed I saw. He later came over to say I was cool for wearing the sweatpants, because he was a big fan of Captain America. It felt like a superhero myself, being whispered about at the neighbouring table. :D

2. trying to catch a wave at Venice Beach. 

3. watching the Memorial Day Parade in Washington DC and visiting Arlington National Cemetary afterwards. There were so many families honouring their fallen and we got to be a part of it. 

4. Getting out of the shuttle bus at Mather Point the South Rim. And having the first look on the Grand Canyon. You can never relive this one first look or the feeling it stirred in you. This moment, this...I don't find any non-religious vocabulary to describe it, this reverent, devout, humbled feeling in seeing what has to be one of the most impressive sights this world has to offer. 

5. Yoga with Tara Stiles at Strala Yoga. You have to meet this woman to feel her incredible energy. Also, she's a little goofy and has the greates laugh.Total girl crush, atm. 

6. Personal one: meeting my "long lost"cousin again and seeing her daughter and boyfriend for the first time. 

Favourite food (no order of preference, just a whole lotta love for all the good food out there):

1. Mexican at Las Cambritas in Cambria, CA. Visit Cambria. If only for the experience of eating Mexican at Las Cambritas. Also, Cambria has this cat lover's store and is alround beautiful. I'll return one day and bring more time and a surf board!

2. Clam choder (clam chowdah) at Quincy Market, Boston. Best by Boston & Maine Fish Company 

3. the peanut butter chocolate milk shake at Johnny Rockets. Thank goodness, it's a chain!

4. Breakfast at the Corner Bakery Café in Washington DC. 

5. Breakfast at Andrew's Coffee Shop in New York. 

6. Philly Cheese Steak at Philadelphia Bourse House.

7. Breakfast at Stephanie's at Newbury in Boston. Great waiters, too. Thank you, guys (I only remember John's name, because I was way too nervous on our fist morning there, but the waiter from our first morning actually came to chat with us on our second morning there, even though we'd been waited on by John. He actually remembered us and... guys, the staff there is just excellent)

8. The Coney Island Dog at Jody Maroni's, Venice Beach.

A few "Whoa, f*** me, I'm in America!" moments:

1. walking home from Crossfit Hell's Kitchen, looking down a random sidestreet and just seeing the Empire State Building chilling there in the morning light, only a few block away. The fricking Empire State Building!

2. Jogging along the Charles River Basin on my first morning, listening to country music, and suddenly being talked to by someone with the broadest Boston (Bahston) accent I'd heard so far (yeah, that was about to change). 

3. Standing on the Brookly Bridge, watching the sun rise. Standing in Dumbo, watching out through that iconic street (Washington Street) onto Manhattan Bridge and finally understanding that the bridge in the pictures ain't Brooklyn Bridge. Feeling Brooklyn. Falling in love with Brooklyn.

Grand Army Plaza (Brooklyn)

4. Getting abducted by a subway train (it was an express) and suddenly finding myself in The Bronx. Riding the New York subway in general. You've seen it in so many movies.

5. Standing on the Coney Island Boardwalk and seeing the iconic Parachute Jump Tower. Seeing the Cyclone.

6. Getting out of the front door of Union Station and looking smack dab right at the emeffing Capitol. Realising that all streets this side of the Mall lead toward the Capitol.
7. Standing in front of Abraham Lincoln in the morning light, just the two of us having a silent conversation, then looking out unto the Mall, Washington Monument and the Capitol in the distance. Just me and the president in white marble. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.

8. Driving past the famous Las Vegas sign. Driving down the freeway toward the Hoover Dam. Driving down a 6 lane freeway through LA. Driving up Mulholland Drive. Driving down Sunset Boulevard. Driving, driving, driving. Driving down the 101 and the 1. Driving the West Coast.
9. Boulevards lined with freakishly tall palm trees. Like, palm trees actually grow there.
10. Lifeguard towers. And the Santa Monica Pier. Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.

11. Seeing Bethesda's Terrace. I almost had tears in my eyes, as it was more beautiful than I had expected. Seeing The Met with my own eyes. Basically, scenes from Gossip Girl playing in my head.

12. The Golden Gate Bridge.
13. Realising I'm more of an East Coast person.
14. Starting to use the f-word far too frigging much. and the emeff-expletive. and generally cursing as a sign of excitement, good and bad.

Holy F***, what a ride! ;)

Go West

So, the last few days have gone by so quickly and so much has happened that I just couldn't find the time to do anything more than traipse around New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. (Da Capital, right?) just to fall into bed entirely exhausted. 

I got to know the Atlantic intimately, discovered my favourite place in New York, got kidnapped by a subway train, found out that the latest fashion in Philly are towels, and realised at the Lincoln Memorial that the Mall is longer than it looked at the map and that there is no subway line going from there to Union Station. Now the East Coast leg of our "road trip" aka the "Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes" -tour is done and over, now we're off to do the Great American Roadtrip-part.

On our first day together in New York, we did everything we had planned and more. We took a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Elli's Island, afterwards we walked a little way along the Broadway, saw the 9/11 memorial, got asked by a few businessmen to show them the pictures I had taken (because I took a few of the Freedom Tower lying on the floor of the new World Trade Center to get a good shot). Then on with the Subway toward the Highline which was incredibly cool. Walking through Manhattan on a discontinued highline train track partly on my bare feet was an experience I wouldn't wanna miss.

 Then we checked out Grand Central Station and fell into our beds. 

The next morning started off by seeing two friends from Finland at Crossfit Hell's Kitchen and a great WOD. Then brekkie and off we went in our different directions. My mom went to hang in Central Park, my brother went to see the Yankee Stadium and ....I should have listened to him more closely. Oh, right, he made it to Brooklyn, but not Queens and toured MSG. I myself took the train through old and partly creepy subway stations all the way out to Coney Island.

And boy, was it great to see a horizon again. Or at least one that wasn't lined with skyscrapers on each side. Also, as old and shabby as it seemed in some parts, you could still see how much it was loved, especially the board walk and the beach were so well cared for. And oh, the beach. The scent of salt water and a fresh breeze as opposed to the scent of a million people in a space too small. I initially wanted to just cool my aching feet, but all it took was one rogue wave to drench my up to my belly button. But it was cool, in 34 degree (Celsius) weather, my clothes dried soon enough. Afterwards I walked down the boardwalk, watched the Cyclone and thought how unreal it was that this stuff was there even before WWII, how (though fictional) Steve and Bucky have supposedly walked the boardwalk and ate hot dogs and rode the oldest rollercoaster in the US. I might have gotten too attached to those two fictional characters by the way.  Then I took the train into the heart of Brooklyn and fell in love with the place even more. Brooklyn is so relaxed in comparison to Manhattan. But back there I went and walked up Broadway to get to Strala Yoga, where I finally got to take part in a class led by Tara Stiles, the woman getting me back into yoga after I had dismissed it as strange and uncomfortable.

Tara was great and her husband so nice, I wished I would have had more opportunities to train with them. But they are coming to Berlin in February and hopefully I can make it. Back on the street feeling relaxed, calm, and incredibly happy and blessed, I took the subway and I carefully planned to get off at 72nd street. But the train didn't stop. It didn't stop at the next stop either. Or the one after that. It took me a while to figure out I had accidentally boarded an express train  that only stopped at selected stations. So, somewhere in Harlem I got off and waited for the next local train back to Central Park. After seeing the Met, Starwberry Fields (sadly no strawberries, just creepy Beatles-fans), Alice, Bethesda's Terrace, Balto, and the carnival, I left to meet up with my fellow travellers to eat dinner in SoHo. But there were no restaurants in SoHo (or at least not where we were looking), so we ended up in Little Italy. And fell into bed, tummies and hearts filled with good food and new experiences. 

Saturday had me waking up at the asscrack of dawn. And I couldn't fall back asleep. So, what did I do? I took the train to Brooklyn and wandered around some of the neighbourhoods there. Loved Dumbo (down under Manhattan Bridge Overpass), loved the old houses, cobbled streets, famous bridges, and the smell of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes (yes, again).

Then my cousin visited with her family, which was slightly chaotic, but one of the highlights of New York. We couldn't even remember when we had last seen her, and we had never met her family. We found out that there is an incredibly great food court in the basement of the Plaza Hotel at the corner of Central Park, but unfortunately it had far too few seating areas to house us as well as the bunch of other people. Anyhow, if you're in New York and you need something to eat, try there, most of the food looked incredibly, mouthwateringly delicious. 

After they left, we decided to do as all tourists do and engage in some heavy shopping. Which, in my case was more like "Ugh, no. Hell, no. What are they thinking? Who pays that much for...? I should just get the stuff my friends asked me to bring back for them and leave it at that." I was in shopping paradise and found myself overwhelmed. Until I found a Barnes & Noble, which made me overexcited and cost me the better part of two hours. :D

Sunday saw us packing, spending the last morning at our beloved breakfast diner Andrew's (if you're in a pickle to find good breakfast food in Manhattan, see Andrew's. If you're really lucky, Carmen will be your server. Try the omelettes or the pancakes, they spell Diner charme, also fresh fruit, a whole selection of muffins and bagels, oatmeal...everything American sprinkled with a little bacon and maple syrup), and hurrying to the train to Philadelphia. Where everybody has apparently read the classic "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", as everybody and their mother seems to be carrying a towel. Stylishly dressed black guys with a towel in their backpockets. Or around their neck. Anywho, we took our time understanding the subway system (they don't have fare cards but coins you put into the turnstyles) and then drove out to see Liberty Park with the Liberty Bell and one of the four (?) original copies of the Declaration of Independence. I pulled a Nicolas Cage and took a copy with me (watch the Nicolas Cage movie...what was the English name again...something with a Treasure and the Knights Templar, if you don't get it ;)). We also saw a lot of old houses and city halls and council halls. However, whenever we people of Berlin feel bad about our BER-airport, remember they tried to fix a crack in the Liberty Bell by drilling it even wider. Which made the bell defunct. If only they'd have had duct-tape back then. ;P

We had to have a Philly Cheese Steak of course, which was everything I shouldn't eat, but tasted so great, I didn't care. For real, I bet the cheese on there had never seen a cow and the meat was a heart attack waiting to happen, but dude, did it taste amazing. Then back into the subway and back to the station, having somebody tell me that they had a great day until they saw my Patriots hat and somebody else tell me they ruled, and then boarding the next train to Washington D.C., where we had to close our dropped chins manually, as we entered the main hall of the station. The DC station might well be the prettiest station I've seen in my life this far. Okay, I admit, the impression might have been helped by the fact that a small choir of girls where singing classical music in there, making it sound like we were in our very own movie just entering some grand palace or something. Such goosebumps, such excitement. When we stepped out the doors, we had to pick up our jaws again when we had a great view onto the Capitol in the waning light of dusk. What kind of city was this? 

The next morning, I did as I had planned and went down to the National Mall to jog the same route Steve did in Winter Soldier (I know, I'm a little geeking out here, but I wanted to go jog anyway and why not there). So there I was jogging down the mall and realising at some point that holy cow on a cracker, this thing is so much bigger than it looks on the map. I reached the WWII memorial and the reflecting pond eventually, only at that point I was already so exhausted, I was unable to run by anybody to say "on your left". Then one last stair sprint up the Lincoln memorial and there I stood in front of a larger than life Abe in the morning light. One of the most awe-inspiring things I've seen. Not the memorial itself, but this interaction between sunlight and white marble, the acoustics in there, the view along the mall across to Washington Monument and the Capitol, sunrise... I took my time taking it all in and made my way to the Potomac. Then I half jogged half walked back to the hotel. All in all a 10k trip.

I might have forgotten to mention that we were in Washington on Memorial Day. By accident. A lucky one, though. We took a bus trip around some memorials, went down the mall, had patriotic ice cream, handstand walked in front of Washington Monument, went down to the White House, watched the Memorial Day Parade with Buzz frigging Aldrin and Gary Sinise. Then there was a minor accident that held the parade, so we visited the Smithsonian (another part of the Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes tour, and then drove out to Arlington National Cemetary where we paid our respects to JFK and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is strange to see with how much respect Americans treat their military when you see the way military has been and is treated in Germany. You get such a deep sense of gratitude-vibe from most people and there is so many people with friends and family in the military. It's so different from the way we handle all things patriotism and military in Europe. Especially in Germany.

From there we went on to the Pentagon and then had some of the greatest burgers to ever burger (hadn't eaten anything since breakfast) at Johnny Rockets in the station basement. My brovver and I went on a late night photo op trip after we watched some wrestling and basketball on tv.

Then bed and a visit to the front side of the White House this morning. Now I'm sitting here on board a Southwestern Airlines flight to Las Vegas and am unable to sleep. We get our rental car at the airport, then off to our hotel and into the Vegas nightlife. And - if my nice little cold allows - Crossfit in the morning. I feel like I've been in the US for a month rather than a week. But that's probably just all those new impressions and experiences. I'd have never thought something I knew so well from the motion pictures would look, sound, smell, and feel so differently in real life.

Crashing the Grad Ceremony at Harvard. And: Who's moving to Boston with me?!?

Crashing the Grad Party at Harvard. And: who's moving to Boston with me?!?

May 24th "Nice shirt, Bar Wars, why'd you get it though?" "I do Crossfit, the bar bell, you know?" "Ah, I thought bar like a bar" "Nah, I'm German, that kinda Bar Wars would be more of an Irish thing to do"

Crossfit, Harvard, and more Clam Chowder. This morning, I dropped in at Brick Boston and did some Crossfit. Funny thing though, you walk through those skyscraper canyons looking for the box and suddenly you see a set of stairs leading down into a bunker. In a city where everything goes up, you are going down. The only thing going up down there where wallballs. And bar bells. On my way back home, I took a short detour through Chinatown, which was mostly impressive because it was pretty dirty, something that felt strange in an otherwise rather clean city.

Then we had breakfast at "Stephanie's on Newbury", a great café, with an amazing breakfast list. And helpful staff; the waiter told us to take the bus to Harvard instead of taking the metro from Park Street, which would have meant a 45min trip. Off we went to Fenway Park where the Sox have their home stadium, but unfortunately it was a 10 quid entrance fee, which just wasn't worth it on a day where we had not much time anyway. So, back to Mass Ave and into bus no 1 and to Harvard we went, The Todster and I at least, me mum went somewhere...everywhere downtown.

In Harvard, we were a little surprised by the nice welcoming we got, banners and flags everywhere, marching music, pomp and circumstance. It was graduation day and everywhere were people hanging in black robes strewn across the deep green lawns in between the red brick buildings. A pity though that we could not enter Widener Library, but I finally went to an ivy league school (though there was surprisingly few ivy ranks to be seen). The Todster went on his way to MIT and I just crossed the street to get to The Harvard Bookstore. Where I lost about an hour. Used, discounted and just books from all type, kinds, and genres. And graphic novels. So, I went to The Harvard Bookstore and left with the Hawkeye-Comic-collection. I'm a nerd of several degrees. :D

The Harvard Bookstore tread loose a short shopping-trippy experience only to be stopped when I reached Boston Public Library. Where I got in. Oh, the smell of old books, dark wooden bookcases, and the green-shades brass lamps in the reading room. It was everything you've ever imagined a library to be. Plus, it had those amazingly creepy Christian and Freemason paintings and murals that were incredibly great. And books. So many books!

I left for Jack Wills on Newbury Street. Why do I tell you about my visit to the store of a British clothing brand I happen to love? Because! The store was located in an old brownstone and as usual with Jack Wills stores, the store had kept its interior like it was still a house. The furniture made it look more than a house than a store (well, almost) and I got a great impression of what a brownstone looks like from the inside. I want to move into one of those Back Bay brownstones btw. :D

After a short chat with the shop girl, I had to get back to Faneuil Hall to meet the rest of the crew for dinner. Clam chowder again. I could live off that stuff. I love it. I really do. The Todster bought a 5 quid Magnum (ice cream), which now serves as a measurement in how overpriced something is. Like the 7 dollar Espresso me mum got when she ordered a Latte Macchiato at our hotel bar. Almost a bargain, right? 

May 25th

"Welcome to New York, it's been waiting for you"

The last day in Boston started with me running the Boston Harbour Walk. I'm glad I did not skip this, because the skyline was just incredible.

And there's something to be said about the great feeling you get where your heart is almost bursting with joy while you're running over a board walk at the Atlantic looking at the Boston skyline listening to Carrie Underwoods 'Some Hearts'

Some hearts just get lucky sometimes, yes indeed, I can't put into words how great that felt. Then the last time returning to our hotel through Boston Public and the last breakfast at Stephanie's where John, our waiter, did everything he could to make us feel good. Including goofy hot chocolate jokes. 

Then we almost got escorted to the metro by our page boy, who was now - finally - pleased with the baseball hat I was wearing while the White Sox are safely stowed away in my suitcase. The lady at the reception told me that "no need to spoil that head with a Yankee's cap, keep the Pats hat on" and "yes, we people in Boston do take our sports teams real serious" 

Now we're sitting in the Amtrak train to Penn Station in New York which takes us through the most amazing New England landscapes, the Atlantic on our left. Let's see how New York will be treating us.

A little while later:
I don't hate New York, but I don't feel it. People everywhere and cars everywhere in between. Everybody's noisy and busy and doing theit thing, nevermind other people.  Times Square felt like too many people in a space too small. Like an open air clown car joke. Also, most of Manhattan smells of puss,  smoke, sweat, and burnt food.  We found a small organic food place that had great food (except for in my mum's opinion, wasn't her thing) and was just an oasis of quiet as there were only two other customers. From there we continued through Macy's (what a confusing place) to the Rockefeller Center, where we had a great view of New York at night. It looked amazing. Like a comic book at times, like Christmas lights in the woods at others. It felt a little better already.

May 26th: The Devil of Hell's Kitchen

Dropped in at Crossfit Hell's Kitchen this morning, at 6am. I thought getting up at 5 would be bad, but in a city already starting to get ready and put on its make up for the upcoming day, it's really easy. And...suddenly I felt New York. I loved the New York morning. And I love the Crossfit community. Having people to really talk to even though you've never met before was great and made me feel right at home. Anthony, the owner, overslept, but the talking during the wait made you feel the sense of community even more. And he was nice enough to still let me work out with them even though my original time slot was over. He was cool. My training partner Alex ruled, too. She pushed me where I needed a little shove and got me a new bench press PR.
Perfect morning. Now off for some sightseeing