Free time and travelling in the USA
When I came up with an idea of taking part in W&T
programme, most people reacted with genuine enthusiasm and encouraged me to go
to the USA. However, there were still some people who seemed sceptical. I could
hear a plethora of arguments which I should consider before embarking on such a
distant journey. ‘Why do you even want to go there? It’s so far away... You
need a visa... The programme is pretty expensive... The earnings are higher in
many European countries...bla...bla...bla...They have....GUNS!’ The last one
was the charge of the highest gravity. And as it turned out later, it was not
that groundless. Actually somebody was aiming a gun at us! But don’t worry.
Everybody came out of the incident unscathed. I’ll recount it in detail a bit
later because what I’m getting at now is how happy I am that I didn’t listen to
those who presented a rather gloomy vision of the journey. I think that I
already mentioned it but it was the best decision in my whole life that I plucked
up the courage and decided to come to the USA. Literally! Not only did I learn
a lot about myself but also I gained a broader perspective on life in general.
But the most important of all are all the unforgettable memories. What I feel
right now is ineffable. There are no such words that could render how precious
for me was the time spent in America. So enough of this talk, let’s watch some
bits and pieces of my free time and travelling in the USA.
I hope that you enjoyed the video. I must say that I enjoy
it every time I watch it. So if you see me gazing at my computer screen with
ecstatic eyes, for sure this will be the video which I’ll be watching ;)
As you probably already know, we spent the first three and a
half months in Colorado. It’s a pity that this is a state which goes unnoticed
and is very underrated. When people are asked about their dream spot in the
USA, they usually think about California, Florida or New York. Believe me,
Colorado is astounding! Awe-inspiring! Breath-taking! Surely, it must’ve been
love at first sight. I can’t account for it in any other way. What fueled the
flames of love was definitely Beaver Creek. A small and quaint village whose
inhabitants captured my affections each and every day. They were loving, caring,
optimistic, always eager to start a friendly chat or to offer help. No wonder I
enjoyed spending lots of my free time with them. To tell you the truth, I
didn’t have much free time in Beaver Creek since I worked a lot. But at least I
learnt how to appreciate every single moment and take the most out of my life
in Colorado. Whenever I had a day off, I tried to be as active as possible. Most
of my days off I spent on hiking. I could recommend the Beaver Lake Trail and
Overlook Trail. The first one, as its name suggests, leads to a very beautiful
lake. The second one presents its hikers with a wonderful panorama of the
mountains. But the most rewarding and memorable hike for me was my first
fourteener. The Quandary Peak. Next to Breckenridge. About 60 miles from Beaver
Creek. The hike took us about seven hours in total. I didn’t realise that it’d
be such an exhausting experience. Believe me, taking exercise or even breathing
at such high altitute is no mean feat. But it was totally worth it! The scenery
was...WOW! Just take a look.
Another beautiful trail that you shouldn’t miss being in the
area is the Hanging Lake Trail. It’s about 50 miles from Beaver Creek, in
Glenwood Springs. Turquoise water, charming waterfalls, gorgeous canyon
walls...Has it already made you dreamy? If not, the photos speak for
themselves. Another memorable place for me was the Glenwood Caverns Adventure
Park. What particularly became embedded in my memory was the cave tour. The
cave was spectacular, the guide was hilarious, his lecture was highly
informative. It may all sound like an excerpt from a guidebook but it’s really
true. Glenwood Springs really enchanted me.
And the highlight of the day...The Giant Canyon Swing! I
still don’t know whether it was more terrifying or more incredible. Even now,
when I look at the video, it sends shivers down my spine. The image I still
have before my very eyes is the precipice which I could see from the top of the
swing. Actually, I’ve just decided. It was INCREDIBLE! I’ve tried the swing
twice and I’d do this once again!
In September, we finally had plenty of time for travelling.
On the one hand, we couldn’t wait and explore other states in the USA, but on
the other hand we had to say goodbye to Colorado. I still remember my last day
in Beaver Creek. It was the most emotional day for me. But as they say... to
begin a new chapter in your life, you have to close the old one...So off we
went. We rented a car and started our journey. Entering Utah, we already
noticed the change of scenery. All the rock forms were spectacular. But once we
arrived in Arizona and saw the Grand Canyon, we were completely at a loss for
words. It was ASTOUNDING! I think that all of my friends who I travelled with,
including myself, had such a moment that we couldn’t get a word out looking at
the endless canyon. It was so gigantic that none of us could comprehend it.
The next destination was southern California. We got there
late at night. I remember the moment we opened the doors, got out of the car
and instantly noticed the change of climate. We immediately felt the heatwave
although it was already 1 am. I was truly amazed at the flora, its variety, a
wide kaleidoscope of its colours. The aura of the place is indescibable. You
have to be there to feel the vibe of the place. You have to take a bath in the
ocean to feel the breeze in your hair and to feel that the place is special.
Southern California was another place which I fell in love with.
We were not that enthusiastic about nothern California. No
wonder. Our first encounter with San Francisco was not very fortunate. If
somebody points a gun at you in the middle of the night, or even worse - if
somebody fires a shot inside your car in the middle of the night in the USA,
you can’t call it fortunate. Ok – enough of building up this suspense. It was
just as well that we were not in real danger. It seemed so but fortunately it
wasn’t that perilous. It was... just a confetti gun. But if somebody draws a
gun, you can hear a shot and you see a flash of light, you most probably expect
the worst and your whole life flashes through your mind. So some pieces of
advice for you! Don’t go to San Francisco prior to finding accommodation.
Finding any vacancies in the middle of the night may be verging on the
impossible. Don’t stop your car to use the Internet with your windows lowered
in the city centre. Don’t make eye contact with seedy people. Even unwittingly.
They may start talking to you. If it’s too late and they start talking to you,
don’t try to continue the conversation just to be polite but run away as fast
as possible. So basically, that was our story. No one was harmed, we just
received the freight of our lives. All in all, SF fell short of our
expectations. Maybe our expectations were too high because everyone had assured
us that we’d love the city. Maybe we weren’t prepared to see so many weirdos
and homeless people in the city. But despite all this, I’m glad that we visitted
it and we could see another facet of the country as well. Otherwise, it would
be too idyllic, right? What’s more I’m really glad that I could see the Golden
Gate Bridge. This moment was special and kind of symbolic for me. I could see
the landmark of California with my own eyes. I could take a photo against a
background of the most popular symbol of San Francisco, which I had seen just
in books and films until then.
And finally, our last destination was New York City. We
didn’t expect that the city would make such an impression on us. After living
in Beaver Creek, it was a totally different experience. Breakneck pace, a flood
of people, abundance of everything...it all made the city mind-boggling.
Although I knew that I couldn’t live in such a place permanently, I loved it.
NYC offered so much that it wasn’t possible to get bored there. The days we
spent there were very intense but at the same time absolutely amazing. Now I
know that New York is a must if you visit the USA.
I must say that it’s extremely difficult for me to sum it
all up or to end my short story in a clever or witting way. It’s so difficult
to commit all of my thoughts and feelings to paper. I’ve got an impression that
no matter what I’ll write, it won’t be enough to express how I feel about all
of my American experiences. So I’ll let others speak for me:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain (1835-1910)
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