This visit to the USA was not my first, but it had been a while, and it was fascinating to see what had stayed the same and what had changed. That reflection was not only about America itself but also about me. The last time I came to the land of the free I still considered myself young, or at least youngish. Of course my list of impressions now looks different than it would have back then.
I loved this trip. We managed to fit so much into just one week that, looking back, I am still astonished. It is almost unbelievable what we experienced on such a short road trip, not only in terms of distance but also in variety. Here are my observations from this journey. Yours, Pollybert
1.) Americans talk really loud. You notice them right away, starting from the moment you line up to board the plane.
2.) Austrian Airlines doesn’t serve gin anymore in economy. On both flights to and from the U.S. there was no menu choice either, and the coffee and tea came long after the meal. Lovely service but miserable quality.
by far the worst airline food ever @Austrian Airlines
3.) Always check the navigation system in case you are driving in the wrong direction. If the sun is in your face while you’re supposedly driving east in the afternoon, there’s something wrong.
4.) Don’t trust ChatGPT with all the travel information. Always double-check what AI is telling you.
5.) Staying in a resort in America will rob you blind. Even though there’s nothing else around, you still pay for parking ($25). An Americano and a muffin at the café was around $15. It felt like the worst kind of rip-off.
my extremely expensive Americano @Camelback Resort
6.) Airports in America don’t list departures by time, but by destination.
departures by destination @Chicago airport
7.) It helps to buy wine and carry it from one hotel to the next. There is always ice available to cool down the white one.
8.) It’s okay to be a patriot and show your true colors. Maybe I should start investing in an Austrian flag?
on a street full of houses, be the one with the flag @Chicago
9.) The reason for the ridiculous amount of ice in the water is to overpower its bad taste.
asking for water in a coffee shop @NYC
10.) Toilet paper is so thin that you need to take a huge wad for it to do its job. Another problem with the “thickness” is that little chunks rip off when you grab it, which then fall to the floor unusable.
11.) Buses in NYC have USB outlets to charge your phone.
USB outlet on the bus @NYC
12.) The smell of weed is strong everywhere in NYC.
13.) It’s apparently acceptable to travel in your leisure wear and walk into museums like that. What would Karl Lagerfeld say?
leisure wear in the museum @Air Zoo Aerospace &Science Museum
14.) Tipping 20–25% feels weird at first, but then I figured at least it’s not my fault if people starve.
15.) For an enjoyable road trip with a teenager, bring along another teenager. Just make sure they’re not related!
16.) Always check the hidden fees with Airbnb. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. We booked a place for a certain amount in USD, only to end up with double the fee in EUR. How is that even possible?
17.) Apparently, I am always at work and intensely focused on bringing you the best pictures.
Pollybert at ‘work’ @NYC
18.) You need to sign a waiver for everything. It’s kind of strange when teenagers, literally on the brink of adulthood, need a signed waiver just to go body surfing in an aqua park. What’s the risk here? That they get wet?
19.) Except for one rooftop restaurant in NYC, we only dined indoors even though the weather was lovely. Maybe it was a bit warm, but still, Americans really seem to love their air-conditioned indoor dining.
20.) Traveling with one of my BFFs was the ultimate experience. Except for one weekend in Italy years ago, we’ve never been on vacation together. I’m glad we remedied that. I couldn’t have had a better travel partner along for this joyride.
enjoying the Circle Line @New York City
21.) No matter where we ordered our coffee, whether to take away or to drink inside, most of the time it came in a paper cup. Same with viennoiserie if I ordered some. It made the whole dine-in experience feel cheap and rushed. Practical if I wanted to leave, but most of the time I already knew my plans. I still don’t understand how to figure out in advance if a coffee shop has proper cups.
breakfast @Think coffee NYC
