My American Dream - Georgia

Me: “So is Georgia part of the whole ‘bible belt’?”

Ben: “What do you mean belt…we’re the damn BUCKLE!”

For those of you who know the map of USA, Jacksonville is in the north of Florida…so if you’re thinking Miami…then stop! It’s got the heat and the palm trees but it’s more Southern because it’s so North as apposed to Miami South…ha ha…confused you there hey?  Point is…it’s a hop, skip and quick roadtrip to the border of Georgia…which is where I was headed next.

My cousin, her twins and myself went on a little road trip to visit a friend of hers in Georgia.  I was incredibly excited as it meant I would be seeing another State…which in America is like seeing another country!! Even the State Borders are a big deal…with massive signs welcoming you and even a whole visitor’s centre.  In a way I understand, because as I learnt through the next few months, every State is so different to the next.  In South Africa I’ve always felt a sense of pride and ‘togetherness’ about the country I live in…America you seem to feel that per state...not as a Nation (well, apart from when the country unites because of certain events…9/11, Obama campaign etc).  Things you get on the East Coast you can’t find on the West and vice versa.  As you cross a State border everything changes, from the tax to the speed limit, from the crazy laws to the different accents and even the food changes.  You would only really notice it if you went through a couple of States…which I was really fortunate enough to do.

Anyway, so we arrived at Tybee Island which is just outside Savannah.  We were staying with my cousin’s friend and her family and if there is one thing I can say about Americans, it’s that they are so hospitable! I have never felt so welcome in a stranger’s house before!

To paint you a picture, Tybee Island has a population of about 3 000 people…it’s quite a popular tourist spot and Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck even have a house there (and no, I never saw either of them…’Celebrity Count was a big, fat, ZERO!).  Anyway, all the houses are basically raised Cottages (all white) on stilts with massive wrap around porches and screen French doors…it’s beautiful…a scene out of some romantic novel or something.  Well, until you realize you’re in Georgia and the accents are so southern you can hardly understand a word!  Seriously though…they are fantastic people.  Maybe it’s just me, but I love meeting different people…and experiencing life in the small towns…sometimes that is more exciting than the ‘tourist attractions’ in the big cities.

 So on the first day we went to downtown Savannah which is by far one of the most beautiful little towns I have ever seen.  It was established in 1733 and has an amazing amount of history…the best thing is…majority of the town has been preserved so it’s like walking into a time zone.  Obviously they play to the tourists but I don’t care, seeing a horse and carriage run along cobbled streets in one of the beautiful town squares is just something magnificent.  We spent the whole day walking the streets and seeing all the historic buildings like the Savannah Cotton Exchange, First Bryan Baptist Church and River Street (where they still have Trolleys that run on tracks).  All I can say is I have no idea how woman back in the day used to wear that damn clothing in that heat and I also wonder how many of them face planted on the uneven cobble stones! Heaven knows I almost saw my arse a few times!

So…moving on…that night a friend of our host came around and I had my first American ‘social event’.  We did hotdogs on the grill and whipped up some potent Margarita’s (don't know why but every house I went to they made Margarita's...like instead of offering you tea or coffee...they offer a Margarita...I'm not complaining though).  Needless to say I soon got onto Mikes Hard Lemonade (basically Smirnoff Ice and my ‘drink of choice’ until I met 4loko…which is a whole other story).  We spent the night chatting outside in the heat with a giant fan behind us doing nothing much but swirling the air…which I figured out later is a good thing because you have no idea of the amount of bugs that place has…or the Mosquito’s…mutants I tell you!  What I always find interesting is how social interactions are relatively the same wherever you go.  Initially when I was planning this trip I kept thinking of the possibility that I may not get on with anyone because they will be so different.  American humour alone is completely different to South African and we obviously have different views on the world etc.  However, it’s always refreshing to know that those facts are never an issue…we chatted about music and movies and friends and other common interests and it was great.

By midnight we decided to go to the beach.  There were two great things about this.  1. It is legal to drink in public in Georgia as long as it’s in something other than the bottle (HELL YEAH) 2. Not being one of THOSE South Africans…but…it was great to take a walk on the beach at midnight without worrying or being paranoid that someone was going to mug you.  Look, I know what you’re all thinking but lets be honest…none of us would do that at home as it is a dangerous thing to do…and I’m not bashing South Africa because of it…I’m just saying I haven’t done it in a very long time and it was great.  (Don’t look at me like that…I LOVE MY COUNTRY!)  I couldn’t believe the amount of other people who were out too.  I mean I’m not saying it was packed like Plett Rage…but to see some people having a midnight swim or walking their dogs…or being drunk and rowdy like us...was nice (yes…like a cup of tea).

In the morning I felt like I was in an American sitcom…a comedy of course.  You have to understand that all we did the whole time was drink…and to wake up and see this mouthwatering, traditional American Breakfast with mountains of fried eggs, crispy bacon, pancakes and waffles (which I still think is waaaaaay better utilized as a DESSERT and NOT BREAKFAST)…I thought we may have a break from it (the drinking)…but not so much.  I think the first Buds had already been cracked open which made me want to move into this house, with these people, FOREVER!!  The rest of the day was spent sitting outside in front of the giant fan (Stan), drinking more Mikes, and watching the kids playing in the splash pool.  I was also introduced to REDNECK GOLF (which I am surprised to have not seen on ESPN…considering I did watch the National Rock, Paper, Scissors Championships when I was there…tell me about it…WTF?).  Anyway, basically you have 2 golf balls on either end of a string and the goal is to throw them balls at a stand (that looks like a clothes horse on its side) and try get them to wrap around the bars…utterly RANDOM…but yet an incredible amount of fun! (Note to self: Start a Redneck Golf League in South Africa).  I won’t lie, it’s also a game I am damn good at…which makes me wonder if there is a little redneck in me! After all....I did sleep with my cousin.

(Get your mind out the gutter…we shared a bed…that’s what a meant…OBVIOUSLY!)

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT GEORGIA:

• Savannah was Georgia’s first city

• Savannah has 21 public squares (one of them was in the scenes where Forrest Gump sits on the bench telling his story…at the bus stop)

• Savannah has one of the first Cotton Mills where cotton and slaves were traded

• Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low was born here.

• Tybee Island has the first lighthouse on the southern Atlantic coast.

• Savannah is home to the oldest black congregation in America.

• You can drink and walk in public (yes…I like this one!)

My American Dream - Florida

Landing at JFK airport was somewhat surreal...and I couldn't wait to see New York...but I would have to wait another 4 months as my first stop was Jacksonville, Florida!! The only part of New York I actually got to experience that day was Jet Blue’s Terminal 5.  The thing about the airports in America is that all the cool stuff is hidden behind the check-in counters…unlike in South Africa where you could entertain yourself for a good couple of hours at restaurants, book stores etc.  I wish I knew this before I had booked my flight to Jacksonville to depart 13 hours after I landed!! All I had in terminal 5 was a Dunkin’ Donuts and rather uncomfortable seating.  The 8 hours of waiting to check-in felt like the longest of my life, but once I walked through those gates I felt like I had entered an alternative world…I had found the hive of JFK…and I have never felt so overwhelmed.  I couldn’t believe this one terminal, in an airport, was bigger than any shopping centre I had been to in my life.  There was so much going on…so many people…boarding through gates and exiting…a selection of the best shops and restaurants…and everyone seemed to know what they were doing except for me…it was the definition of organized chaos.

I had another 3 hour wait until boarding and the only thing I wanted was food (which would inevitably be my undoing in this country!). I had eaten plane food for 2 days and hadn’t had anything in the last 12 hours…I was starving! For the indecisive person I am…a rather detest the amount of choice America has to offer…it makes a simple task like deciding on what to eat, as painstaking as deciding on what subject you want to major in for your degree!! I eventually settled for a meatball sub…which was more like meatballs on a full loaf of bread…or 3.  I could eat off this thing for days it was so big! Anyway, I went to sit down and take everything in and had this sudden wave of excitement…and pure happiness.  Sometimes you work so hard for something that you feel you may never get to the end…and when you do…and especially when it’s something so important to you…it’s just the most incredible feeling in the world.

Jacksonville, Florida.  I arrived at 11pm on Tuesday Night and had been traveling for 2 days already…needless to say I was exhausted! I was, however, incredibly excited to see my cousin who I last saw about 7 years earlier. It’s great how there are those people in your life (life family and good friends) who just don’t change…time is never a factor…and when you see them it’s like you’ve never been apart! It was great seeing my cousin and the only thing that threw me was her American accent…but hey…she has been living there for about 10 years now.

So the one thing I completely overlooked about Florida was the heat!! I don’t know how Horatio doesn’t sweat more in CSI because it is hectic…like 100 times worse than Durban.  The temperature is at a set 29/30 degrees with the humidity never dropping less than 98%.  It feels like you walking through syrup! However, being America you know that everywhere is kitted out with air-con, which is great!

Florida is one of my favourite states because it was where I had my FIRST everything.  From the food I ate to the shops I went to…the places…everything was just incredible because it was the first time I was experiencing it.  I spent 2 weeks with my cousin and her family and they really gave me the full American experience!

They took me to St. Augustine’s which is one of the oldest towns in America…it was originally a Spanish colony and the town centre has still been maintained with beautiful buildings inspired by great Spanish architecture, and the original Trams that are now used for tours.  It was great to walk around the town and see a little bit of history.

Another fun thing I did was go to the Kennedy Space Centre.  NASA and the space program has been such a huge part of American history and culture and when you go to the place where it all happens you realize why…because it’s something truly amazing.  To see the launch pads where these MASSIVE shuttles get sent into space is hard to wrap your head around.  To learn about the detail of how it all happens...the special gravel they have to use on the road for the beast of machinery (that can take days) to get the shuttle to the actual launch site…to the shuttle itself.  I was fortunate enough to experience what life is like living in the International Space Station and was able to view the ‘workshop’ where they were making more parts to be sent to the Space Station in the next week.  That itself was an unreal experience. I have always been a firm believer that man has never actually walked on the moon…and I don’t buy into that whole ‘moon landing’ moment…but I can say that I am impressed by the technology and the size of these shuttles.  After experiencing the launch simulator…I can safely say that I doubt I would ever want to go to Space…I would most definitely wet my pants.

Things I learned in Florida:

1.      South African beaches are better BUT…their water is so warm!

2.      They fly A LOT of flags in America…and their flags are MASSIVE

3.      In such heat and humidty…guys think it’s cool to wear black socks with slops!

4.      They have drive-thru Chemists and Bottle Stores (I like!)

5.      They have white eggs…like the chocolate ones you get at Easter…weird.

6.      Their bread is ALWAYS soft…which makes me wonder what it’s really made of?

7.      They could really create more jobs if they cut out all the self service!

8.      You’re allowed to ride a motorbike without a helmet…as long as you over 18.

9.      They have free refills on all their soda

10.  They have pizza at an all you can eat Chinese Food Buffet…odd!      

My American Dream - The Arrival

A year ago I made one of the biggest decisions in my life, firstly, to give up being a part of what might have been the best Soccer World Cup in history (and on top of that in my home country) and secondly, to give up my job and everything I knew (including the R50 000 I had in the bank) all to embark on a 4 month trip to the USA and live a dream that I had had since I could first remember.

Up until then the only traveling I had done was around Southern Africa...so basically Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Lesotho (don't judge...it's still a country!).  When I was 18 my sister bought me a ticket to London to spend 2 weeks with her over Christmas and New Years...unfortunately I apparently looked a bit dodgy or nervous so they drilled me with questions in immigration and basically denied me entry into the UK.  Harsh, hey?  Wouldn't anyone look nervous after they've just flown their FIRST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT to a COUNTRY THEY'VE NEVER BEEN TO?????? Of course I looked nervous...Heathrow is the size of my damn home town!!!

Anyway, needless to say I had to wait another 9 years until I got to travel overseas again...and this time I was going to the one place I wanted to see...AMERICA *cue dramatic sound effect...like a gong...I like the sound of a gong* I can't really explain what I was feeling on the morning of my flight...I think my brain was so confused as to what I was feeling...excited, nervous, scared...that it just decided to not feel anything at all! It was the calmest day of my life and I found it quite amusing to watch everyone else panic as if they were the ones getting on that plane.  I had a great send off and even when I was sitting in this gigantic plane taking off into the night sky...it still hadn't sunk in that the next morning I would be in New York City!

I’m not a fan of long distance flights.  I know this was only the second one I had ever been on but still…I doubt it gets any better (unless you fly first class or something). The thing is…there’s always that person that moans about everything and just generally puts everyone in a mood…and then there’s the fact that no matter how empty the plane is…you WILL get the two kids who sit behind you and kick your chair throughout the whole damn flight…and lets not forget that there is NO COMFORTABLE position to sleep in on a plane…EVER!! You spend 19 hours breathing the same circulating oxygen as everyone else and eventually feel like you’ve just come back from a Tri-varsity weekend or something of the same I’m-so-exhausted-and-feel-like-crap-and-smell-even-worse-and-need-a-serious-shower-and-oh-my-word-is-that-fur-growing-on-my-teeth feeling.  To top it off your last meal is breakfast and you could swear your sausage almost got up and walked off the plate at the sight of the scrambled egg swimming in…I actually don’t know what…but why can’t they just give you a bowl of Milo cereal or something??

Anyway…the point is…that a long distance flight means that you’re heading to a far away destination…so by the time you look out the window, and in my case, have a view of one of the most magnificent skylines in the world…the flight seems worth it…and the fact that you smell like someone else’s feet and can’t move your neck to the left and haven’t breathed fresh air for 2 days doesn’t matter…you know why? Because you just landed in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!