Thirteen hours' flight is already tiresome, things become worse when you ought to deal with jet lag.
We checked into the inn at around 11 p.m. after more than 3 hours drive from JFK to Washington D.C. Unexpectedly, I got up at 5 a.m. and were not able to fall asleep again. In this way, I started my first day in the United State.
My first breakfast was in the inn, where I got an opportunity to eat authentic American breakfast. However, to my dismay, the cold milk totally upset my stomach, then, I can only drink hot water during the following days, which was wicked painful!
Washington D.C. was the first city we visited. It is no wonder the capital city of the country which is gorgeously designed and built. We were astonished by those broad and neat streets, and what's more, by the splendid architecture. The White House, the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, National Museum, all of these scenic spots gave me memorable impression. With big trees standing by the sideway, one thing astounding was wherever you were in this city, you felt like you were in a picture but not in reality.
We had a rather packed schedule, therefore we should rush from one state to another. When we left Washington D.C. to the big apple, it dawned on me that every city in the USA had its unique feature, they were completely different.
After walking along the fifth avenue for nearly an hour, we finally got to the destination-the Time Square. With all delicately designed skyscrapers towering into the sky erecting around the hectic square, I felt like a miniature toy. I can not image how tiny I am, in the heart of Manhattan, in the busiest place in the world, where thousands and thousands of people dreamt about making a living here.
In New York, and also Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, I was strongly convinced that America is a country of liberty. People are free to pursue what they are supposed to get. Liberty bell and statue of liberty are both iconic symbol of Americans' dream. They represent the striving of Americans for ages.
Perhaps the reason why I had such a colossal culture shock is that this was the first time I step out of my motherland to a brand new place which was entire friendless to me, hopefully I had 39 accompanies and 3 considerate teachers, but it was still a hard nut to crack when it came to reality.
When pedestrians wanted to cross the road, any vehicles would stop immediately no matter if there was a traffic light; polite and formal language like thank you and excuse me can be heard wherever you are; drinking water can be accessed from the taps, but the only hot drink was coffee…More importantly, I started to be aware of Americans' strong sense of time which Chinese people need to work on. The waste of time is not affordable for any one.
When the trip drew to its close, everyone was wistful for the days gone by, and on the way back home, I was lost in thought, in contemplation about these fifteen day which we were together and how to forge a clear vision of my future life.
