Once Upon a Year in America: Spring Break part I

A huge question was addressed to me from the beginning of the semester: "where are you going for spring break?" This question echoed through the entire campus during the first two months I was here.

The thing everybody talked about doing first was getting away from that freezing cold weather we were all going through. So tons of students rushed south towards the sunny Floridian state. But I had something else in mind.

I didn't just wanted to go lay on the beach during the day and dance my ass off in a crowded club drinking tequila shots with my friends until the break of dawn (all of which things my body and soul craves to do 24/7).

Somehow, being in the States at this stage of my life has lifted so many expectations for myself that I feel the constant need to try to be all I can be. So I decided to go and get even more inspired. Destination: Washington DC and New York City.

Washington DC

Andrew's surprisingly comfortable F150 Series Ford truck, photo by Martin

We gathered a joyful group of five and we set forward. Thanks to Andrew's truck, we were able to evade the expensive plane tickets. Traveling by train the whole journey was the first plan, but after the turmoil in Libya the oil prices went up and so did the tickets (thanks a lot Gaddafi!). Therefore driving was still the cheapest option since we would be splitting the gas by five.

Hilltop Hostel, photo by Martin

We left at 6am on February 28th arriving at Washington at 15pm, and checked in at our modest but rather cozy hostel situated right next to the Takoma metro station.

Washington's Metro, photo by Martin

The Washington metro makes it really easy to get around the city and being low season there wasn't a lot of ruckus going on, enabling us to have a peaceful and laid back walk through the cities main historic sites.

Chinatown, photo by Mark

Dinner at Vapiano, photo by Mark

Downtown in Chinatown however was a whole different story. Movement was frenetic and the streets thrive with restaurants, bars an pubs surprisingly varied and unique.

Our first meal was celebrated in Vapiano, an international chain of restaurants with an European concept.

Verizon Center, photo by Martin

Not far from it lies the always busy Verizon Center which is a 20,000 seat multipurpose sports and entertainment venue. There, we watched a match featuring NBA's Chicago Bulls and the home team the Washington Wizards. In spite of having put on a wonderful pre-game show, it didn't go so good for the Wizards, having lost by almost 20 points of difference. Go Bulls!

At night, we had some drinks at "The Green Turtle", a sports bar at the Verizon Center that has a really entertaining environment, as well as "RFD Washington" with an outstanding selection of beers and a wonderful staff.

Capitol Building, photo by Mark

By day Washington offers overwhelmingly beautiful monuments and breath-taking memorials. Almost all of the museums don't charge an entrance fee which makes it very appealing to see all of them. However, visiting the museums requires a certain planning since there's only so many you can visit in a day.