I'm Back!

Let the post-holiday depression begin! Though, I must admit it is nice to be home and have some 'down time'. The last two weeks in the US of A have been full on and packed with touristy excitement, and boy do I have the photos to prove it. Honestly, a ridiculous amount of photos were taken…

What I LOVED about the USA:

• Cheap filtered coffees from everywhere. This is probably just me, but I do love filtered coffees. Downunder it's all flat whites and lattes, I love them too but there is always a place for a good honest cup of filtered coffee!
• Taking photos willy-nilly and not being self conscious about it because there are so many other tourists doing the same thing.
• Mexican food from everywhere.
• Pizza by the slice. Especially 'a slice of white'.
• It snowed!
• Watching tv and movies from now on and recognising places I've been to. (Does anyone else watch Parenthood? So good, on last night's episode they were in Haight Ashbury - I was just there three days ago!!)
• The drugstores and cheap makeup (seriously - Kiehls products here are 3 times the price, and OPI nail polish is $20 a bottle here compared to $8 in the US. I wish I'd stocked up more but I was freaking out about my luggage being too heavy).
• Cheap magazines. I guess it's because most mags arrive in Australia having been freighted from the US. I couldn't resist buying more and more and hauling them back in my carry on luggage.
• So I keep mentioning the word 'cheap', but you know what else is waaaaay cheaper - movies! We saw Contagion and Drive (both excellent).

What I didn't love - not seeing any celebrities! And let me tell you - I was on high alert the whole time. We even went on the TMZ celebrity tour in Hollywood, which was quite the experience. I thought I was excited by the prospect of celebs but the other people on the tour took it to another level. Our tourguide spoke about working at the Oscars and someone tapping him on the shoulder, and he turned around and it was Natalie Portman. Just as I was thinking 'Is that the whole story then?' (it was btw) the woman behind me screamed 'OH MY GOSH!!!' Part of the tour is stalking celebrities and I am actually thankful that we didn't spot any as that would have involved pulling over to harrass them from within the huge tour bus!

We visited the Statue of Liberty on the last day you could visit the interior. She's now shut for a whole year while she gets spruced up in there.

 United States of colour blocking.

It was the 125th birthday of the Statue of Liberty. Free icecream for all!