So I have just returned (as in yesterday) from 4 days in Massachusetts which was great. I went by train to Boston and spent half a day there. However part of that day involved making my way to the airport to meet Veronica an outbound scholar from Texas (i was 15 minutes late and very worried that id miss her but fate went our way). We went to the Cheers pub for dinner and had a great time getting to know each other before heading out on the metro for 30 mins to meet our ride to Boxborough Holiday Inn for the orientation. We ended up being roommates which was great and we settled in to our hotel room (very nice). Next morning it was an early start as breakfast and registration was at 7.30 (but they werent ready so we just milled around and got to know Dominic an inbound scholar from Germany now based in NYC). Orientation kicked off at 10am and aside from the suprise of having to get up and introduce ourselves to 70+ people things went pretty smoothly. I found out that I wasnt the only scholar having a hard time with the way the American college system works with studies being so thoroughly guided by the professors and I also learned that I am not the only scholar in my district. In fact we have an outbound heading to Lebanon who lives virtually 5 minutes away from me! Saturday was a very long day heading well into the night as the group who organised the orientation were officially farewelling their founder with a lovely dinner and some interesting skits and things. We had several very important people at the dinner including former Presidents and Vice Presidents of Rotary International. We ended the evening at 11pm (there was a wedding going on and everyone figured sleep would be impossible until that ended at 11) and hit the hay so we would be all ready to start again at 7.30 the next morning.
Sunday I got caught out and had to do a skit (i got the easy one so it wasnt so bad) which went well and i lead a rush of people to check out before the day officially started so that we werent all caught in a line when the orientation was over at 12. Veronica and I caught a ride back into Boston to my hostel where the woman mistakely thought we were both going to be staying so Veronica ended up getting a free lunch which was nice. We did part of the freedom trail before parting ways and promising to keep in touch. After that I found a shoe sale and invested in a very cheap pair of designer boots which i have been assured will see me through an North eastern US winter (time will tell). Then it was back to my hostel to get some study done so that I didnt end up getting my first F when I returned to college on Tuesday.
Monday and it was check out early with every intention of finishing the freedom trail only to end up getting caught in a down pour so it was off to pick up a few pressies and then i booked myself on a duck tour (a land/water tour carried out in an old WWII vessel designed for both the land and sea) which went past the sites I had missed the day before. As fate would have it the weather cleared once the tour started but I still got to see most of the things i wanted to see and even managed to catch some photos of them as we sped past. Then it was a quick rush to go and collect my gear and get to the train to head back to Newark and then a run from the train to the bus stop so I could get back to college in time for tea and class.
I made some great new friends and discovered a city that I love and cant wait to visit again.
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