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| Sunday, July 30, 2006 |
I was wondering what I should and how I should write. This is the first of many entries and what will keep you all interested? What will be fun to write about? There are many ways to write this blog and I don't want to keep it boring because then it will be uninteresting for the both of us. This blog will have a mix of things- what I did, observations, philosophical wondering from the roads, and, everyone's favorite, lots of pictures. That I hope will keep us both wanting to come back for more.
Right now, I'm in NYC or more correctly, right over the river, in Hoboken, NJ. I've been here since Friday and it's been great. It still hasn't hit that I'm going on away for so long. It's hard to imagine such a long time away and what that will be like I don't know- right now, it feels just like a nice vacation. New York has been a lot of fun. It's been relaxing, busy, and filled with friends I haven't seen in ages. Usually I just come here to party with my friends so I took this opportunity to do all the tourist activities I've never done. My first day was spent with friends. I had dinner in Little Italy. Little Italy was a nice little place. Lots of great food and character. Lot's of tourists too but hey aren't we all visitors somewhere? If I lived in NYC, I would eat there quite often. The restaurant had great food but the service sucked....I took a picture of the sign so I can remember to never go there again. The highlight of that whole trip to Little Italy was watching the fight in the transit line. Screw the food, the drama was entertaining! Woman screaming, people getting arrested, people yelling at police. It caused quite a scene and was the quintessential NYC moment.
I have to say that waking up early is a pain. I'm not used to doing so and having to wake up at 7 to get the first ferry to the Statue of Liberty was not fun or it wouldn't have been fun- I don't really know as I just slept into 9. On the way I passed the WTC memorial site. I stopped for a bit and looked at the giant hole and looked around. In the front the city has a wall of names and a timeline. I found the whole thing really morbid. It wasn't weird that people stopped and looked- it was weird that the while thing had become more a tourist stop than a memorial with the throngs of tour groups getting their picture with it. Shaking that off, I saw the Statue of Liberty. If you've never seen it- you have too. It makes you wodner what some of our ancestors thought of it as they came in on a ferry towards Ellis Island. A word of advice though- don't get there after 10am or you will wait forever. When I got off the ferry at 12:30 there was a 2hr wait!!!! It's a great site...awe inspiring. The park around isn't that great but to read the history and see this giant statue was breathtaking.
I spent the rest of the day walking up 60 blocks to hang out in Central Park. I must have walked like 5 miles on Saturday. By the time I went back to jersey for my friend's B/f birthday, I could barely move my feet. In fact, after all the walking today, I still can't.
My last day was spent seeing Trinity Church, Wall St, and a few other sites along with meals with friends. Trinity Church is breathtaking. I mean it is one great piece of gothic architecture. Some ceremony was going on when I went there so there was no way to get pictures of the interior but I sat in the Sunday worship. Interesting but not my cup of tea. So following that affirmation of God, I saw Alexander Hamilton's grave site and the big Wall St. bull. My buddy Mark, who did his own round the world trip last year, took me out to lunch at this Korean restaurant. Never had Korean before. It never looked good- all those bowls, weird looking bowling dishes, and plates- more like a project than a meal. I got to say though it was one great meal. I'm going to have to eat Korean more often. It's been great going out- all my friend's keep buying me a meal or a beer. It's wonderful and very generous plus it helps me save money! I have such nice friends.
Before I forget, this is my funniest moment in NYC. Last night we go to the bars in Hoboken. None of them are anything special but one stood out for being exceptional bad. We walk into this bar, Lucky 11, and it seems nice at first. Trendy decor, dance floor, good layout. Then you stop and realize, it's not that nice- it's the most New Jersey trash bar ever! People were dancing to bad music like it was 1999 and dancing like an old guy trying to be hip was cool. All the girls look like crack heads and are acting as equally ridiculous. I've never seen so many guys pull the "grind from behind" move and actually succeed. One woman was wearing a buckle shirt! I never saw anything that ridiculous since the age of "flavor flav." It was the funniest and maybe trashiest bar experience I've had in a long time. It was so bad it was good!
So tomorrow I go to Phili and I promise in the future I won't make these so long and I'm sure the more I write, the better the writing will get so stick around! And I know you are all wondering where the pictures are. Well, I haven't gone through the ones I've taken yet. Towards the end of the week, I'll have them all online so you can look it. Until then you are stuck with just reading!
Until next time,
Matt
P.S.- No celeb sightings.
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posted by Nomadic Matt @ 4:51 PM  |
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| Wednesday, July 26, 2006 |
Dear All,
The time has finally come for me to leave. After a year and a half of waiting, planning, waiting, it is time to go. It hasn't really hit me yet that I really am doing this. Right now, I'm just anxious to get on the road. I'm sure somewhere crossing the US I realize that I am actually doing this and I'll just grin ear to ear. I'll tell you though I am very excited to see the world. Over the past three or four months, my saving ways have turned to spending ways and sadly, I won't get to visit all the places I had originally hoped for but I updated my travel plans on the left. As it stands now, I won't be coming back until October 2007. (It could have been December 07 but I took full advantage of all those days I had off....and a few vacations! o well!! hehehe) That's a long time to be away but I look forward to really being out there and seeing so many new and different things. For the first time, I feel totally free. I have nothing to hold me back from doing anything now. No degrees to finish, no bills to pay, no leases to stay to, no job to hold me down. I always liked things planned out, always like knowing what's the next step but for once, there is no next step...and I love it! The future is a mystery and all the surprises are back. Now, I'll never really know where the day may take me. I've set many goals for myself on this trip...Start doing yoga again, give up gambling (evil), do push ups daily, meditate, and a few more personal ones I'll (probably) share along the way. Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I'm gonna finally try to live up to all those ideals I have in my head.
I'm going to miss you all while I'm away but if your ever planning a vacation, look me up! Maybe we will be able to meet somewhere. I'm excited to see so many those long lost friends when I drive cross country and to already have a few visitors while I'm overseas. I'm going to update this blog the best I can while I travel and try to stay on top of my e-mails. The internet makes it easy to stay in touch and I hope many of you read this, comment (you do not need to be a member to comment here- anyone can!!!), and stay in touch! I'll be wondering what's going on back home. Don't be strangers.
So, tomorrow comes with one desire- to take me away. It ain't easy to say goodbye but you know I got to go and lord I wish it wasn't so save tonight and fight the break of dawn because come tomorrow....
Tomorrow I'll be gone.
Love and until next time,
Matt
THIS IS OLD SITE!!! CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY NEW ONE!!!!
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| posted by Nomadic Matt @ 12:38 PM |
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| Friday, July 21, 2006 |
So, I thought I would share a quick story with you...one last time before I leave. As you could imagine, I have a lot to do before I leave next week. That last thing I really need right now is for things to get complicated and problems to arise but the best laid plans always go wrong. So here's my headache:
When I go to Australia next year, before my friend Kristin joins me in Sydney, I'm going to be taking the Oz Experience Bus. It's a hop on, hop off again backpacker bus. Lots of young people, lots of partying, lots of fun. Not only does it take care of my transportation across the the continent, it takes care of some hostels, food, and actitivities. With the pass valid for one year, I figured by now, save hassle, save $ in the currency conversion. So I go to STA travel's website and purchase the pass with express shipping. A week later I have no pass so I call them and they tell me, we'll refund your shipping and resend it out overnight. Fine whatever. Two mail days later- no pass. Call them again- whoops its an internet pass, we'll e-mail it to you. One day and two phone calls later- no pass. Call back again- ooo well if you call OZ experience and give your name, they will have your information, we (STA) just collect money and pass the passenger info onto them. GRRRRR!!! At this point I'm pretty pissed because why do I, the customer, have to do this when this is your job? So I go get a calling card and call Australia which taught me that making an international call is a pain in the ass.
So I call and guess what? They have no info on me. Now I'm really pissed. I call back STA Travel and after a quick little argument, they argee to refund my money. So now, I have to go buy the pass when I get to Austalia. I saved all the e-mails just in case my refund doesn't come through. In the end I should have just gone to the STA store and bought it in person, now I'm just going to do it in Australia...but who knows, maybe by then the dollar will be great and it won't cost me that much!! or maybe not...
The lesson here kids is that something will always go wrong with an adventure........and never use STA Travel!
Next time I write, I'll be setting foot on the road!
Until then,
Matt
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| posted by Nomadic Matt @ 6:18 AM |
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| Tuesday, July 18, 2006 |
Well, not much to say here. I'm wrapping things up. This week is my last week of school and work...in fact Friday is my last day. I'm very excited. I checked out a long time ago and I'm so ready to leave..I'm just not interested in work or school anymore. It's time to get on getting on. I'm ecstatic to be done with work and school after all this time. I've spent years following that path of college, work, grad school....the path society seems to lay out for us. You always moving toward something else, always some new responsibility that you have, some new bill, some new task. As much as we are free, in many ways doesn't it feel like we are prisoners? There's so much we always want to do yet so much always seems to hold us back. Well, I've come to learn that nothing holds us back except ourselves. So now, I get to break free and before me lays a path that is shrouded in fog...I'll make my own way and do my own thing. I'm thrilled because for the first time, I feel like I'm fully free and that nothing can hold me back from doing whatever the moment brings.
So next week I begin my trip not really knowing what the future holds and I love the uncertainty. Right now, I'm just finishing up all the little loose ends here, getting what I need, saying my goodbyes, packing, and just relaxing.
One more week.....one more week.
Until next time,
Matt
THIS IS OLD SITE!!! CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY NEW ONE!!!!
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| posted by Nomadic Matt @ 6:44 AM |
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| Thursday, July 06, 2006 |
Suddenly, it seems everyone I ever knew in the Boston area is popping their head out of the woodwork to say goodbye. I finally had a weekend off and I used it to begin the seemingly endless goodbye parties and dinners I am having. This weekend was one booze filled weekend, in which I think I am still nursing a hangover from.
It's funny how when you are about to go away, you realize how many people might actually miss you while you are gone and how many people just might not. I've been invited out on countless dinners and endless parties. It's good to see a lot of people one last time, especially since I am hoping that I don't have to move back to Boston when this long trip is over. In the next two weeks before I leave, my calendar is jam packed with dinners and parties with sad goodbyes and see you laters.
I think though at this rate I am going to end up a fat drunk if people continue to take me out to dinner and buy me drinks...then again, I probably could use the extra calories. :) and I like the attention! :)
In other trip news, I am slowly making my way through my list. I'm in the "sorting" phase. Everything I need is slowly making its way near my pack to soon be in my pack. Its a tediously long process, especially since every five minutes, I realize I need something new. This last month towards the departure date seems like an endless eternity but I eagerly await July 28th like I've waited for nothing else.
Leave some love.
Until next time,
Matt
THIS IS OLD SITE!!! CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY NEW ONE!!!!
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| posted by Nomadic Matt @ 10:01 AM |
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Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Cambodia
Canada
Cayman Islands
Costa Rica
Czech Republic
England
Greece
Guatemala
Italy
Japan
Laos
Malaysia
Mexico
The Netherlands
Norway
Singapore
Spain
Thailand
United States
The Holy See
Vietnam
