(no subject)
So, I'm home. Yesterday was hell. I'll go through my trip here, in random note form.
It's been a long while since I spent any real time in the United States. I went through JFK airport coming home from Brazil about four years ago or so, but other than that, the last time I was there was, I think, for two nights in San Antonio, probably five-and-a-half or so years ago.
Anyway, this was an okay trip, not great, but if nothing else, I got some nice stuff (sometimes I love having a big-time consumer-mom), and spent time with people in my family that I like.
-The long, long trip home. We left at 8 in the morning. We travelled by car through five states (Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York) and one province (Ontario). for that part of the trip, there were five adults in the car (seats: 5), and a trunk that couldn't possibly have been loaded down any further.
-While travelling to Virginia, the time that we spent there, and while on the trip home, the thing that struck me was the number of American flags, everywhere. Next to gas stations, on bumper stickers, coming out of car windows...
-rottenfruit and I went horseback riding. This was nice enough, but too tame. The guides kept all of us on a pretty short leash, and I'm glad that we didn't really have to pay for this deal.
-I also went swimming and played basketball and ping-pong. I did those things pretty much everyday of the trip, I think. My basketball skills are so shot
-I went golfing with my dad and two of my uncles. It was nice. I'm glad I got out. I'm not a big golfer or anything, but when I'm out there, I usually enjoy it. I beat my Uncle Chris, which was embarassing for him, since I hadn't played in two years. Over 9 holes, I shot 58.
-Elizabeth and I spent a good deal of time in the jacuzzi while we were there. We had one in our condo (we weren't in a hotel, but in a timeshare condominium that my aunt and uncle own, kind of, sort of). It was really large, and really nice. That's what I'm working towards now. My mother knocked on the door when the two of us were in there on the first night - we were both wearing bathing suits - to offer us bubble bath, and the next night, she asked me why we weren't naked in there. I said, "becuase we're afraid my mother will knock on the door while we're in there". She didn't bother us again.
We spent a couple of days shopping in nearby Harrisonburg, Virginia, and that's where I got to do one of the things that I most enjoy while travelling: observing the local populace and culture. There isn't a big difference between the people in Montreal and Harrisonburg, but it's certainly there. There's the obvious stuff, like the accents and the fashion styles (people in Virginia dress more old-fashioned, for the most part). Culture-wise, it's strange to see guns in Wal-Mart - hell, it's strange to see Wal-Marts everywhere! It's strange that everything is so big in the United States. It's big-box stores all over the place now.
There are some nice things about the U.S. - as Elizabeth pointed out, people there seem to be friendlier - but it still feels quite foreign. Maybe that's just because I want it to feel that way, though.
There were also two great hot tubs at the activities lodge that were outside.
It's been a long while since I spent any real time in the United States. I went through JFK airport coming home from Brazil about four years ago or so, but other than that, the last time I was there was, I think, for two nights in San Antonio, probably five-and-a-half or so years ago.
Anyway, this was an okay trip, not great, but if nothing else, I got some nice stuff (sometimes I love having a big-time consumer-mom), and spent time with people in my family that I like.
-The long, long trip home. We left at 8 in the morning. We travelled by car through five states (Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York) and one province (Ontario). for that part of the trip, there were five adults in the car (seats: 5), and a trunk that couldn't possibly have been loaded down any further.
-While travelling to Virginia, the time that we spent there, and while on the trip home, the thing that struck me was the number of American flags, everywhere. Next to gas stations, on bumper stickers, coming out of car windows...
-rottenfruit and I went horseback riding. This was nice enough, but too tame. The guides kept all of us on a pretty short leash, and I'm glad that we didn't really have to pay for this deal.
-I also went swimming and played basketball and ping-pong. I did those things pretty much everyday of the trip, I think. My basketball skills are so shot
-I went golfing with my dad and two of my uncles. It was nice. I'm glad I got out. I'm not a big golfer or anything, but when I'm out there, I usually enjoy it. I beat my Uncle Chris, which was embarassing for him, since I hadn't played in two years. Over 9 holes, I shot 58.
-Elizabeth and I spent a good deal of time in the jacuzzi while we were there. We had one in our condo (we weren't in a hotel, but in a timeshare condominium that my aunt and uncle own, kind of, sort of). It was really large, and really nice. That's what I'm working towards now. My mother knocked on the door when the two of us were in there on the first night - we were both wearing bathing suits - to offer us bubble bath, and the next night, she asked me why we weren't naked in there. I said, "becuase we're afraid my mother will knock on the door while we're in there". She didn't bother us again.
We spent a couple of days shopping in nearby Harrisonburg, Virginia, and that's where I got to do one of the things that I most enjoy while travelling: observing the local populace and culture. There isn't a big difference between the people in Montreal and Harrisonburg, but it's certainly there. There's the obvious stuff, like the accents and the fashion styles (people in Virginia dress more old-fashioned, for the most part). Culture-wise, it's strange to see guns in Wal-Mart - hell, it's strange to see Wal-Marts everywhere! It's strange that everything is so big in the United States. It's big-box stores all over the place now.
There are some nice things about the U.S. - as Elizabeth pointed out, people there seem to be friendlier - but it still feels quite foreign. Maybe that's just because I want it to feel that way, though.
There were also two great hot tubs at the activities lodge that were outside.