A WRAP UP, FOR NO ONE

I returned from my trip East late Monday night, and since then it has seemed like I've been trying to play catch up with life. Two days back into the workforce and I still feel like there is something I've forgotten, something I should unpack, and someone I've left behind.

Let's call this Vacation Brain shall we?

Since my return I've tried valiantly to wrap my trip up, both in my head, and on this site. People continue to ask how it went and I never really know how to answer. "Umm great?!?!" seems to be doing the trick so far. My question is, would an answer like, "I had the best time. NYC was surprisingly normal, and turns out Yale is just another college town, but filled with more snobs and a free shuttle," just make people uncomfortable? 

Hmmm, I think it just might.

As I ponder things to fill my dear readers in on pertaining to my trip, my impulse is to write about how it is impossible not to get goose-bumps getting off your airport shuttle and seeing Grand Central Station looming before you. Maybe this would also be the time to share a picture I took as I was filled with the very awe I am trying desperately to articulate.

But is my picture really all that impressive? Probably not, and I find myself thinking that Grand Central is something that must be seen in person.

I could tell you how shocked I was at the sheer grime of New York City. Maybe about how after riding the subway I couldn't help but feel that I needed a shower or a moist towelette sponge bath. Talk about how I've ridden the subway systems in London and Athens, Greece, and how even getting lost in the Athens subway I never once thought to myself, "Shit. I just touched a wall, and now I'll probably die of some undiagnosed subway disease."

But then I think to myself, Why talk about that, it's just grime.

Maybe I should I talk about how amazed I was at the stereotypical Yale Students. About how shocked I was that everywhere we went, and everywhere we loitered someone next to us was talking about their grant proposal, or reading the worlds largest text book, or lecturing their little sister on how when it came to colleges it was, "Ivy leagues or death." Shit. You. Not. 

But then again, I probably should leave that part out. Instead I'll show you a pretty picture of Yale.

 See, now we all feel better.

Should I mention how hilariously old womanly it was that LP and I couldn't stop talking about the 'good-o'l-days' all weekend? Possibly fill you in on how we spoke about these seemingly far off events as if we've suddenly changed drastically from the binge drinking, chaos causing, theme party participating, freak shows we were back in college. Would it really be smart to tell you about the two hours we spent in the hookah bar taking GLAMOR SHOTS?

No, I definitely don't want to do that. THAT would be embarrassing.

What about sharing with you a tale of a 2am trip to the drugstore for essentials after we'd closed down the Yale Graduate Student Bar? Would that be a good idea? Does sharing a picture like that scream MATURE ADULT?

Nope. Not all all my friends.

From the looks of it, the only thing this picture really screams is STONED. But alas, there was no weed for this little lady. Turns out all you need to feel stoned is some hookah (but I will admit it seemed to be seriously strong hookah at that), and a vodka soda, or twelve, to give you those stoner hankerings that leave you reaching for a 2 lb container of cheese puffs, a snickers ice cream bar and some Dibs.

So I guess when it's all said and done the only thing I can really tell you about my vacation as a whole is that it seems that we've gotten older for sure, but we definitely haven't changed.

Ashley, the Might Still Be In College Accidental Olympian

Comments

[Sarah]

OMG. I love Dibs. The trip sounds like fun. The last trip I took, I got norovirus. Here's to hoping you didn't pick that one up from the subway... :)

[Rachel]

I don't know about you, but most of the time I see my college friends we devote some time to talking about how great college was and how sad we are we're not there anymore. So I feel your pain. And yes the NY subway is the grimiest POS I have ever seen. Especially coming back from Rio where you could eat off the floor it's so clean. During my morning commute I play the "find the rat" game when I wait for the subway. sick! anyway, glad you had a great time. living with my parents doubles my commute but i get to go through grand central every day, so that does have its perks :)

[Ashley, The Accidental Olympian]

SARAH -- Definitely haven't contracted norovirus, but I did manage to bring back my cold. So I guess I could blame the NYC subway for extending my cold if I wanted to get really persnickety.

RACHEL -- I can't believe that a part of every morning is spent playing the 'find the rat game'. BUT, I do agree that the reality that you get to make a daily stop over in GC makes all the rat spotting just a smidge less disgusting.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

I have that same urge to shower every time I visit NYC! (Despite the fact that, these days, the only way I can be convinced to enter NYC is in my MIL's car and with bribes of a fancy dinner.)

Sorry you had a bad Ivy League experience! Not all Ivy Leaguers are snotty. Some. But not all.

[Ashley, The Accidental Olympian]

DOC'S WIFE -- The ivy experience wasn't 'bad' per-say, just eye opening. I had visited Yale before just walking around, but this was the first time I had ever spent a lot of time in the town/school interacting with people.

No one but the 'Ivy or death' chick was every outright rude to us really. Just some of the conversations I overheard last weekend were pretty wild and shockingly stereotypical.

I guess it was just a feeling...