Hi everyone,

What with it being induction week for international students here at Nottingham I thought it would be as good a time as any to report back on my trip to the States.
I had a great time! Sitting here watching the rain pour down outside it is quite hard to remember the blistering heat I experienced everywhere I went but sunburn doesn’t lie. It just hurts.

I started out in Boston and got lots of research done at the JFK library, ably assisted by the library staff. It can be quite difficult to get work done at the JFKL because the research room looks out over the bay and on a sunny day has a lovely view of the water. I also managed to see a friend’s band play in Cambridge, which is a lovely area, although due to time constraints I wasn’t able to visit any of the Harvard museums but the campus in general seemed very scholarly (and privileged). I also met up with a really nice Nottingham-bound student and did my best to put a friendly face to the University. I hope she has a great time now she is in Nottingham and settles in quickly.

My next stop was in Binghamton, NY, to stay with a friend from my undergraduate days. Once again I had a great time, although there isn’t really too much to do in Binghamton. Still, we indulged in some baseball (like rounders but a bit harder), football (proper football, as in soccer) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns (old school). We even went to a beach, albeit an overcrowded manmade beach on a lake. I met lots of great people who made me feel very welcome in spite of my crazy Nottingham accent.

Another 7 hour Greyhound trip took me to Washington DC for a fortnight of research at the National Archives. I have to say that the nation’s capital was the most impressive place I visited (sorry Binghamton!). It was really fun seeing all the famous monuments, statues, buildings and museums. Favourite museum: Natural Science, a freebie like all the Smithsonians but with a massive collection of exhibits and fossils showing the beauty of the natural world and the elegant explanatory power of evolution. Favourite restaurant: Haad Thai on NY Ave, tasty Thai food with friendly staff. Favourite monument: the Washington Monument is just awesome in that it is visible from almost everywhere, although the Lincoln Monument is so iconic particularly considering the historic speeches that have been made there (I’m looking at you Martin Luther King, not Glenn Beck); the walk around the area to see all the monuments was extremely pleasant with some wonderful views of the city. Favourite statue: Albert Einstein, an interesting depiction of one of the 20th century’s greatest figures, only ruined by a middle aged mother who insisted her daughter clamber all over Einstein to get a satisfactory photo; they took forever but I’m sure it was 100% worth it.

I was fairly reluctant to leave DC as I had a lovely time there but Austin, TX, proved to be an intriguing antidote to the business-like demeanour of DC. Unsurprisingly, it was ridiculously hot in Austin. The food was pretty good; I mostly ate Mexican, which wasn’t as hot as I was hoping for but good nonetheless. I also got to see the famous bats leaving from under Congress Bridge for their nightly feeding which was an incredible sight; huge numbers of small bats flying so fast they become a virtual blur. As ever I spent most of my time in the library but still managed to see plenty of Austin.

All in all I had lots of fun in the States and feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to visit some really interesting places. It certainly made me want to revisit these places, and explore the US in general, when I don’t have to work and have more free time to explore. Don’t know when I will get to go out there again but I’m looking forward to it!

Ben