April 29th, 1990, I sat on the Greyhound Bus from Port Authority, NY 7:00am to arrive in Washington D.C. at 12:45pm, and recorded, 

      “New York was covered in a misty haze with only the tallest building poking through. It was a magical scene I will never forget.  The Greyhound stations are a little hairy! Waited at the station with what seemed like 100 homeless people, it was so sad.” The later added, 

        “Passed through Penn Station, Newark. Fantastic Art Deco buildings of grey and silver. The bus stopped in Baltimore and all I could smell was pizza. Only a 20-minute break, so I used a vending machine and ate a something called Nacho chips! Talked to a guy going into the military on the bus. He took my photo and said he would send it to me in England!”

 

Having no idea what a Greyhound Bus was like before I arrived in the U.S., I’d purchased a 3-month transferable ticket that allowed me to take any bus in the continuous 48 states. It was super cheap ($300) and unlike the Amtrak, would allow me to see the towns I was traveling through. The downside was that the stations were always in the worst part of town.

“Feeling Lost”     

My journal continues…

​”Arrived at 12:45 in D.C. Feeling very lost in this new city. Met a French guy at the station, who helped me find the youth hostel. It is huge! There are a ton of travelers from all over the world and it’s only $13 per night. This amount of freedom to go wherever I want is liberating and frightening.”

        “Met an American girl, Jacinta, who was staying at the hostel. “She was married at 16-years old, but was already a widow at only 19. Her husband had died in a car crash. We spent the day visiting all the sites including the Capitol, The White House, the Lincoln Memorial and China Town.”

   “Went to the Mall again. Today was an anti-abortion rally – I have never ever seen that many people together in my life. Shocking. Visited a fabulous Matisse exhibit at the National Gallery – it was 100’f. Jacinta talked me into going to the Hard Rock Café. Not my thing. Never even went to the one London! We visited George Town, which was lovely.”

 

Youth Hostels         

Youth hostels are all over the world. They are intended to be a cheap and safe alternative for young travelers who don’t mind bunking in rooms together, using gym-like showers and communal kitchens.

        Before I left London, I bought an International Youth Hostel Membership for a few pounds, allowing me to stay in any hostel in the world. They range from old castles in Europe to small cabins in remote locations. Staying in one usually includes you doing a chore of some kind to help out. In D.C. I took out the trash for the three days I was there.

“Meeting up at the hostel with another English girl I learned about traveling in Florida and figured out the next 3 stops for my trip. Washington is very green and beautiful. Jacinta went with me to the station to say goodbye and I left on the bus at 1pm, April 29th, for Orlando.”

Follow along as I head south.