Looks like I've figured out how to use the blog.

Most of you are students who went and spent the summer in the States like meek little mice, worked, and came back just as meek. I know, I went that way myself, I came back the same way. Yes, you drank, caused trouble, shoplifted, drove cars, and maybe even walked down Broadway—WELL DONE!! You burned through it.

My story isn't about travel—it's a story of my worldview taking shape, an escape from the matrix, with adventures happening along the way.

First, a little about myself before:

I lived, studied, dated a girl, worked part-time, hung out in the evenings, and drank a bit, because I lived in a student dorm—all gray and dreary.

After my 3rd year of university, I went to America, came back full of impressions and joy from what I'd seen, just like most of you. Here http://www.amerricana.ru/story8.shtml is the detailed story of my pathetic (as I realized later) and empty existence in the States the first time.

And a small preface to the story about the second trip.

In my 4th year of university, the following was decided: 5 classmates were going, two of whom were girls, and me.

We didn't really travel together, since everyone had offers in different places. The guy I went with last year didn't go with me this time, but with another dude. The girls were also separate—straight to NY (meaning the city), and as for us, with my new friend (before this, Alyosha and I practically didn't talk), we were off to who knows where.

Tyumen airport, his parents are seeing us off, his mom gives us a small box to deliver to a friend in Pennsylvania... and we set off, thinking hard the whole way about where, which state to go to.

Moscow, right up until boarding, we keep thinking hard, Chicago pops up.

Alyosha flies out two hours earlier, with an agreement to meet at JFK.