Our trip to Pennsylvania is a separate and, in my opinion, very interesting story. It went like this: in September/October, when all the guys were coming from the villages to NY to fly home, we didn't want to work at all, our mood was 'pilot-like'. Almost every day we would go to the Greyhound station and look around: there stands a white guy or girl with big suitcases, looking around nervously and smoking :) Our clients... We approach, start a conversation, gain their trust, explain where to go, where to spend the night, what to fear and what not to worry about, put them on the subway/bus to the airport, tell them about our summer, listen to their stories... Sometimes we even just helped carry bags to a hotel or the subway. In short, we hung out with the guys, helped them, and filled the autumn that was setting in our souls and on the streets with that. A couple of times, we even took girls home to sleep, '...why spend a hundred on a hotel, sleep at our place, we'll have some beer...'. And I admired them—these were truly brave girls—I mean, imagine, two strangers taking you to their place, going into the building, into the apartment... Even though they were tense, once they were home, washed and fed, we drank beer, chatted, and everyone relaxed. No, no vulgarity—just help, it's very pleasant to feel like A FISH IN WATER in NEW YORK!!! So, that's the introduction. One of those days, we met another bunch of guys, they were waiting for the next group of their friends. While they were waiting and getting advice, we decided to go to Pennsylvania to deliver a package from mom :) While Alesha went home to get the package, I chatted with the new acquaintances, met the second group of guys, took them to a hotel, checked them in successfully, drank vodka with them, and smoked some good southern herb... Barely making it back to the station, I met my friend, we finished the vodka I had saved for him. Then... Remember 'Fear and Loathing'?! I walked into Penn Station just like the two friends stumbled into the restaurant :) Those who know will understand.
We got on the train, woke up at some station, got off—an absolutely empty platform—went up to the station—absolutely empty, hangover, not a soul around, all doors and grilles locked, lights flickering, we should watch fewer stupid American horror movies... creepy, better go back to the platform, convinced the conductor of a passing train to take us to Pennsylvania for free... We arrived around 5:30 AM in Philadelphia—not a soul, went to the square, walked around—a quiet, calm town, people started appearing gradually, we couldn't get through to the person we came to see, no money, we were starving—terribly, we asked people where the homeless eat, we couldn't find that place, and we were getting hungrier—went to the store, stocked up on chocolate bars, filled our pockets with chocolate and Raffaello, sold candies ($0.25) and chocolate bars ($1) to tourists and passersby, picked up cigarette butts, gutted them, rolled them, and smoked. By noon we got through to the right people, met up, talked, they fed us, we gave them the package, they gave us money and bought us cigarettes. We left... I liked Pennsylvania.
