So, for the last three days I've mainly been drinking the nights away. I actually thought America was strict about buying alcohol, but it turns out it's not that bad at all. Maybe I'm blessed due to my height and general appearance (yeah, right), but thankfully it's really easy.
It's weird how I've been able to drink heavily and still be able to go out and check out the city. The morning after the first night of drinking, I still managed to join up with some guys here and we went all sorts of places. I saw Soho, Little Italy, Canal Street, The Financial District, Ground Zero and the Brooklyn Bridge while being really tired.
Then yesterday I went to Central Park and the huge area surrounding it. All in all, we covered a lot of New York already, but there's still much to see and do, so my time still feels limited.
Today I'm leaving Loftstel for Jazz On The City, but I really hate that I can't stay in one place, but it's just my general laziness that is the real problem. Well, I better get the place clean, so I don't get banned from the place.
It's very nice to read all your comments, I really appreciate it! It's like a slice of home over the internet, so just keep commenting, so I won't feel like I'm too far away from home.
5/26/08
5/23/08
Exploring Manhattan...
The last couple of days I've been walking around Midtown Manhattan, spending loads of money, which has prompted a feeling of guilt due to the large amount. However, I know I probably shouldn't be worried at all, and now that I've got most of what I need, I don't need to shop around for all that more (except perhaps movies).
I've been spending the evenings talking to the people at my hostel, Loftstel, and hanging out with them. It's exciting to hear where they're from and what they're doing. Some are here short-term like me, though most are here to stay long-term, and it's very interesting to meet all the new people. In three days I'm actually leaving Loftstel for another hostel, Jazz On The City, which is in Manhattan, before returning. I couldn't stay at Loftstel because it was fully booked for those four days, but it's also good to move around a bit to see the city from a different perspective.
Today I'm taking a day off from venturing out 'cause I feel slightly exhausted, and I feel obligated to continue writing my screenplay. I didn't manage to get all that much written on the plane (because it was actually pretty cramped and a fat woman next to me limited my space even more(!)), so I really need to get something done.
I've been spending the evenings talking to the people at my hostel, Loftstel, and hanging out with them. It's exciting to hear where they're from and what they're doing. Some are here short-term like me, though most are here to stay long-term, and it's very interesting to meet all the new people. In three days I'm actually leaving Loftstel for another hostel, Jazz On The City, which is in Manhattan, before returning. I couldn't stay at Loftstel because it was fully booked for those four days, but it's also good to move around a bit to see the city from a different perspective.
Today I'm taking a day off from venturing out 'cause I feel slightly exhausted, and I feel obligated to continue writing my screenplay. I didn't manage to get all that much written on the plane (because it was actually pretty cramped and a fat woman next to me limited my space even more(!)), so I really need to get something done.
5/21/08
Flights and arrival!
So, I've finally set foot on American ground. I landed yesterday at around 20:30 local time (and that's 2:30 for all the people in Sweden and Denmark), so when I arrived, I was completely worn out due to jet lag. Then, it took a while to find the hostel, and before I got settled in, it was around midnight.
So far, the trip has gone smoothly. The last flight was a bit of a bore, but that was probably because I was in mood for being talkative while the people next to me weren't. In contrast, the first flight was far more enjoyable as well as the few hours I spent in Heathrow Airport because I was able to talk to someone from Denmark the entire time, and that was a real pleasure.
The hostel I'm living at is actually pretty nice. The neighborhood looks a bit gloomy at night, but I don't mind that at all. There is free Internet, it's spacy, and there's plenty of locker space which is quite nice. The people here are extremely friendly, and I'm looking forward to stay here for the majority of my stay in New York.
Anyway, I'm off to check out the rest of the city. Leave a comment!
So far, the trip has gone smoothly. The last flight was a bit of a bore, but that was probably because I was in mood for being talkative while the people next to me weren't. In contrast, the first flight was far more enjoyable as well as the few hours I spent in Heathrow Airport because I was able to talk to someone from Denmark the entire time, and that was a real pleasure.
The hostel I'm living at is actually pretty nice. The neighborhood looks a bit gloomy at night, but I don't mind that at all. There is free Internet, it's spacy, and there's plenty of locker space which is quite nice. The people here are extremely friendly, and I'm looking forward to stay here for the majority of my stay in New York.
Anyway, I'm off to check out the rest of the city. Leave a comment!
5/19/08
America draws nearer...
After leaving Denmark Friday morning, I arrived in Sweden together with my dad to visit the great nation of Sweden. With (presumably) no need to introduce Malmö which we Danes have slowly, yet gradually invaded over the last few years (in an attempt to make a hostile takeover in the years to come), I went here to wind down and relax in the company of my family.
In the last few days my dad and I have had the luxury of staying with my brother and his girlfriend in their apartment, and we've had the fortune of being in the company with them as well as my sister every day since we came.
Without my sister, I probably would be a gigantic question mark, wandering around in complete ignorance. She travelled as backpacker around the globe some years ago, so she knows a lot about what to do, what to expect and what to bring for my trip, and if it weren't for her, I'd probably never have been this prepared.
I must admit I feel very tranquil about the whole ordeal, much calmer than what I would have expected from myself. It borders on being disturbing because I probably should be worrying and wondering about a whole lot, but that just isn't the case, it seems. Whether this is good or bad, time will tell.
In my blog posts, I will also be adding a bit of updates about the screenplay as well as the comic book I'm writing. While I've temporarily shelved the latter for the time being, writing the screenplay is both exhilerating and fun because I'm in the process of adding better content and deleting irrelevant content. It just keeps evolving into areas I never imagined, and yesterday I managed to give the movie an entirely new addition in the ending, making it end on a bittersweet note which hopefully will be slightly more satisfactory and a little less gloomy.
The next time I post I will probably have arrived in New York City at a hostel called Loftstel where I'll stay for a week or so, but more on that later.
In the last few days my dad and I have had the luxury of staying with my brother and his girlfriend in their apartment, and we've had the fortune of being in the company with them as well as my sister every day since we came.
Without my sister, I probably would be a gigantic question mark, wandering around in complete ignorance. She travelled as backpacker around the globe some years ago, so she knows a lot about what to do, what to expect and what to bring for my trip, and if it weren't for her, I'd probably never have been this prepared.
I must admit I feel very tranquil about the whole ordeal, much calmer than what I would have expected from myself. It borders on being disturbing because I probably should be worrying and wondering about a whole lot, but that just isn't the case, it seems. Whether this is good or bad, time will tell.
In my blog posts, I will also be adding a bit of updates about the screenplay as well as the comic book I'm writing. While I've temporarily shelved the latter for the time being, writing the screenplay is both exhilerating and fun because I'm in the process of adding better content and deleting irrelevant content. It just keeps evolving into areas I never imagined, and yesterday I managed to give the movie an entirely new addition in the ending, making it end on a bittersweet note which hopefully will be slightly more satisfactory and a little less gloomy.
The next time I post I will probably have arrived in New York City at a hostel called Loftstel where I'll stay for a week or so, but more on that later.
5/13/08
Launch! Purpose!
Today is the official launch of my new blog, entitled Goffer's Travels. As posted in the description above, my intention is to write about my travels in the United States of America to which I'll be leaving in precisely one week. Stress, excitement and worry are daily troubles now, as I have to have everything ready for Thursday when I'll travel to Sweden to visit my two crazy siblings, which I'm very much looking forward to.
This being my first post in the blog, I suppose I should explain why, o', why I got the crazy idea to leave little Denmark and visit the USA. Furthermore, people are probably wondering why I'm doing it entirely on my own.
To tell you the truth, it's a multitude of factors that have led to this idea. Since I was a kid, I've always wanted to visit the Land of Opportunity. America has always been this mystical place where cultures and foreigners have, through much adversity, united to form a country. Another source of fascination is the power the land possesses, for better or worse, but the most interesting thing about the place has to be the people which are as diverse and interesting as the country itself. When I go there, I'll have the pleasure of meeting these people who live there and talk to them about the place.
The USA is the quintessence of grandiosity, and there are numerous places to see and visit. By comparison, Denmark has very little to offer on that area. Therefore, as the USA have been subject of my fascination for a long time as well as having a variety of sights and landmarks, it was an obvious choice to go to.
Anoher motive may lie in the fact that I'm a writer. Having written stories, short and long, since 7th grade, I've always hoped to be able to publish a novel at some point. But for the last couple of months, I've been working on developing a film script. Though I have neither hope nor ambition to the script ever making it as far as going into film development, the possibility, however small and insignificant, is there. I have always loved films, and if it ever happened, it would be a dream coming to life. And if it doesn't happen, I would at least have the experience as well as the exercise in writing a movie script.
Also attributing to me being a writer, I have been working on a comic book script as well. Admittedly, I am also a fan of comics that somehow go beyond simply having good guys and bad guys being pitted together and fighting. Having read some interesting comics that are not only aimed at children but an adult audience as well, I am a firm believer in the fact that comic books can be just as challenging as a regular novel. Most people just don't know where to look for the right graphic novels and have a prejudiced understanding of what a comic book really is. My intention is to further develop comic books that are complex, moving and thought-provoking.
Finally, there is no real reason why I've decided to travel alone. It was never a conscious choice I made when I decided I wanted to travel somewhere, but having decided, with full determination, to visit America at some point in my sabbatical year, travelling alone made it easier because my plans could be very flexible and changed at will without having to worry if a possible companion would find it convenient as well.
The next couple of days will probably not be all that interesting with me still being in Denmark. I'm leaving May 20th for my first destination, New York, where I'll stay approximately three weeks. Until I reach that date, I'm probably going to be nervous as hell, but when I'm sitting on the plane, most of my worries will be gone. Christ, a week sure seems like a long time.
Oh, and you're very much welcome to leave a comment, especially when I've left Denmark.
:-)
This being my first post in the blog, I suppose I should explain why, o', why I got the crazy idea to leave little Denmark and visit the USA. Furthermore, people are probably wondering why I'm doing it entirely on my own.
To tell you the truth, it's a multitude of factors that have led to this idea. Since I was a kid, I've always wanted to visit the Land of Opportunity. America has always been this mystical place where cultures and foreigners have, through much adversity, united to form a country. Another source of fascination is the power the land possesses, for better or worse, but the most interesting thing about the place has to be the people which are as diverse and interesting as the country itself. When I go there, I'll have the pleasure of meeting these people who live there and talk to them about the place.
The USA is the quintessence of grandiosity, and there are numerous places to see and visit. By comparison, Denmark has very little to offer on that area. Therefore, as the USA have been subject of my fascination for a long time as well as having a variety of sights and landmarks, it was an obvious choice to go to.
Anoher motive may lie in the fact that I'm a writer. Having written stories, short and long, since 7th grade, I've always hoped to be able to publish a novel at some point. But for the last couple of months, I've been working on developing a film script. Though I have neither hope nor ambition to the script ever making it as far as going into film development, the possibility, however small and insignificant, is there. I have always loved films, and if it ever happened, it would be a dream coming to life. And if it doesn't happen, I would at least have the experience as well as the exercise in writing a movie script.
Also attributing to me being a writer, I have been working on a comic book script as well. Admittedly, I am also a fan of comics that somehow go beyond simply having good guys and bad guys being pitted together and fighting. Having read some interesting comics that are not only aimed at children but an adult audience as well, I am a firm believer in the fact that comic books can be just as challenging as a regular novel. Most people just don't know where to look for the right graphic novels and have a prejudiced understanding of what a comic book really is. My intention is to further develop comic books that are complex, moving and thought-provoking.
Finally, there is no real reason why I've decided to travel alone. It was never a conscious choice I made when I decided I wanted to travel somewhere, but having decided, with full determination, to visit America at some point in my sabbatical year, travelling alone made it easier because my plans could be very flexible and changed at will without having to worry if a possible companion would find it convenient as well.
The next couple of days will probably not be all that interesting with me still being in Denmark. I'm leaving May 20th for my first destination, New York, where I'll stay approximately three weeks. Until I reach that date, I'm probably going to be nervous as hell, but when I'm sitting on the plane, most of my worries will be gone. Christ, a week sure seems like a long time.
Oh, and you're very much welcome to leave a comment, especially when I've left Denmark.
:-)
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