Germany Doesn't Suck

I’ll be returning to the US for a visit next year and have started a list of things to do while there.

The timing is a bit of a problem. The best time for me would be between Christi Himmelfahrt and Pfingston. However, considering all that I want to do, that might not be enough time.

Since my closest family currently resides in the northeast, that’s where I’ll be going. However, that means that I’ll be going to Philadelphia – which means I want to be there for the Fourth of July festivities. However, that could be difficult due to the fact that school summer holiday doesn’t begin til 13 July next year.

For those that haven’t been fortunate enough to experience it, Philadelphia has hands down the best 4th of July celebration in the US. When I lived there, it was a 10 day celebration that culminated on the 4th, with a big street festival, concert and fireworks. Apparently it’s now an eight day celebration, so that means spazzing out and running from to event to event at the speed of light so I don’t miss anything- very fun but also quite exhausting (perhaps slightly less since there’s no longer a Wawa Hoagie Day). It also limits the short amount of time I have to do everything on the list I’ve started compiling.

The List:
• Shopping – laptop, other electronics (if the exchange rate remains good), clothes and books;
• Eating – Taco Bell, cheesesteak, Casey’s, Outback;
• MLS game: NYC or DC (since the FC Reál Chester Who-Gives-A-Shits won’t begin playing until 2010 (theoretically));
• A baseball stadium tour: Philly, DC, both NYCs, Boston, Baltimore;
• Broadway;
• TV Show in NYC;
• I also hope to have a family bbq at a certain location that is way too far from civilisation for me, but is the most convenient for my NE family;
• Have Meet-Ups with two or three different groups of internet people from yesteryear.

I hope to be able to combine some of it – perhaps the TV show in the morning, lunch at Taco Bell (do they have those in NYC?), baseball game in the afternoon and MLS game in the evening?

It’s going to be a busy (and expensive) time.