Perhaps like every holiday, I come back and realise that I don't actually want to be home, I want to me somewhere else. America for all the times I have been never fails to live up to more than I can expect of it. This years destinations New York, Philadelphia and Atlantic City were all fantastic. However, beforehand I could hardly express complete excitement. For one I had been to New York before and fooled myself into thinking it wouldn't be as good the second time. There was also the fact Atlantic City didn't appeal to me much. Add on top of this peoples claims that New Jersey (which is the state Atlantic City is in) was the "armpit of America", well, I wasn't overly hopeful.
However, America did it again. New York was amazing, I could live in that city. It really is like nothing else I have ever seen. It is the sheer scale and feeling that is behind it. It is true, perhaps not the most friendly city at times, especially if you are lost on the subway. Beyond that, I know I am going to end up going back. Hopefully this will be as soon as possible. It's a big city that gives you big ideas.
Philadelphia is what I would describe as a cross between Washington D.C. and New York. I don't know if anyone would dare to agree with me on this comparison. It is like these two because it takes the classiness of D.C. and the city feeling of N.Y. and combines them. Odd for an English man but I was looking forward to arriving at Philly. Mostly because of my support for the Philadelphia Flyers (a NHL ice hockey team) and the cities place in the TV show Cold Case (which meant I knew what it looked like) and of course not forgetting It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Atlantic City had the most to prove I suppose and whilst initial reactions of New Jersey weren't too great it became clear there is a split between the North and South of the state. The south being the nice side of town. AC was nice, more relaxed and full of heat wave. Whilst I probably won't ever go back again, it is nice to have seen it.
I'd spent the last year thinking that I no longer wanted to live in America. It is amazing what two weeks can to eradicate that sort of idea.
