Decades of American memories

In 1983-4 I spent an exchange student year living in upstate New York. Here I shared my life with the Kimball family in Syracuse. I was 17 at the time and had never travelled beyond the shores of my birthplace, New Zealand. This was also my first time visiting the USA (and Canada).

More than twenty-two years later,  the experience undeniably fuelled my love of travel. Since then I've been lucky enough to visit more than 45 nations, setting foot on every continent except Antarctica (don't worry, it's on my list of destinations to explore next).

Many of my childhood memories of America came to life during a two-week tour of the US East Coast in October 2005. Garry and I stopped off in Washington DC en route to London. This gave me a chance to see many of the places I recall visiting in 1983 and take in sights I’d missed the first time around. Meanwhile, Garry had his own set of memories to renew as he’d spent several weeks in DC four years ago.

For me, new experiences on this trip included a sodden visit to the Vietnam War memorial. It didn't exist 17 years ago. It's an incredibly poignant monument. One that strikes an emotionally stirring balance between sombre remembrance and simple reflection. 

However, it wasn’t the only new venue that affected us profoundly. We had the same reaction after visiting the Holocaust Museum. Its exhibits were incredibly confronting. You could see our mood change dramatically following such a moving experience.

We also caught a lift to the top of the Washington Monument for a stunning city view.  In 1983 I visited DC in Summer. At the time, we never ventured up to the monument's observation deck as a lengthy queue snaked around its circumference - and then some! 

However, this time, the weather was damp and misty the day we visited. As a result, our photos weren't exactly "award-winning". However, the observation deck was relatively quiet - so we could take our time.

I was delighted to also finally see the interior of the Ford Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on 15 April 1865. The theatre box where he was shot is easily identified. It's framed by flags and fronted by a portrait of the president. However, its elevation, almost four metres above the stage was unexpected. John Wilkes Booth lept from here onto the stage after firing the fatal bullet. I'm not surprised he sprained his ankle in the process.

We also enjoyed the popular tidal basin walk to the Jefferson Monument through the gnarled Cherry tree groves. When I visited in 1983, my host father and I drove there one evening. The monument was spectacularly lit but the surrounding grounds were shrouded in darkness. This time I got to see it in the light of day.

Garry showed me a few of his favourite haunts. This included a street near Dupont Circle where we discovered a new, mouth-watering variety of sushi. Called a rainbow dragon roll, it bore more than a passing resemblance to a Liquorice Allsort log.

During our time in the US capital, we took time out to visit many of its iconic institutions. This included a guided tour of the Capitol Building, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, and the National Archives.  The Library of Congress was a revelation for me. I don't recall visiting it in 1983. I'm sure I would have remembered the collonaded reading room and the soaring ceiling in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Likewise, the library's Great Hall is equally stunning.

I loved the National Archives. Here you can see an original copy of the Declaration of Independence signed by the nation's founding fathers, plus a copy of the US Constitution signed 11 years later. There's something magic about seeing the signatures of historical figures with your own eyes. I still recall how excited I was to see these founding documents two decades ago. A second viewing invoked the same sense of awe.

Finally, as you do in DC, we visited several museums including the Air & Space Museum. Sadly, this Smithsonian institution hasn’t aged well. Most exhibits were surprisingly dated and appeared unchanged since my first visit in the early 1980s. 

I think the Natural History Museum has aged far better. Its dinosaurs were as mesmerising as ever, and its dramatically mounted African Elephant exhibit is just as breathtaking. We also drove out to Arlington to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and pause at JFK's grave with its simple eternal flame.