Unfamiliar Places and FacesEssay Preview: Unfamiliar Places and FacesReport this essayUnfamiliar Places and FacesGetting prepared and ready to explore something new is just minor compared to the actual adventure for a senior anticipating the departure of their school trip. I was a member along with 30 other classmates of the co-curricular group called Business Professionals of America, a club organized through our school. Our teachers, club officers, and all of the members had been planning and fundraising for our trip to New York City for months. The excitement grew more and more as each day got closer to take off. All of us were anixious to see The Empire State Building, “Ground Zero,” a Broadway play, and the spectacular views of gorgeous ocean sunsets. We had all been told and were aware of the different surroundings of the environment, or culture we would be experiencing when we arrived. Different cultures are common throughout the world, even in different places around the United States. Going on a trip to explore New York City really made the differences in cultures aware to me.
As our plane landed at LaGuardia airport in New York City and we walked out into the terminal through the long dark and narrow jet way, the first glances made all of us aware we were not at home. I was on a school trip along with 29 other classmates and six chaperones, 36 people who were used to the calmness of the peaceful town in St. Michael, MN. The facility was outrageously filthy with trash barrels completely overflowing and the floor looked as if it had not been mopped for weeks. The endless amount of loud people scattered everywhere throughout the airport made it difficult to walk without running into the person in front or beside you.
In hopes to get to the hotel quickly, we left the airport scared to death and hopped onto a huge bus filled with more people whom none of us were used to. This bus ride was not your normal elementary school bus ride, the driving time to the hotel was roughly 45 minutes in length and the people and the things they did were much different. Personally, I was seated next to a tall and fairly hefty African American man who was wearing a Subway uniform on his way to his job who asked me, “Soo.. What do you have planned for the night?” My friend Maria found an empty seat next near the back and was seated next to a younger man. As the bus continued on he eventually had the nerve to say, “Hey, I have some really good pot and I can hook you up if you want.” All of us immediately learned that for the next five days we wouldnt be in the comfort of the surroundings, or culture we were used to back at home.
Once we got to the hotel to unload the things we had packed for the trip, we had a few hours to go out and explore the sights on our own. As my friends and I hurried along the busy sidewalks we were so amazed at everything surrounding us. The buildings and high rises filled the sky to a point where the tops couldnt be seen from the ground level. From a distance the high rises gleamed from the light reflecting from the gorgeous sunset making it impossible view the beauty in awe. The billboards and news programs that filled the sides of huge towers were unreal. They were huge pictures of underwear or name-brand models and television screens broadcasting the nightly news or popular television programs, the size of a three story house just on average. The sight of huge pictures of barely dressed men and women made
>The beauty of the surroundings was simply immense. The only way to get to the point I was on was to walk some distance uphill to the hotel and take part in something to be enjoyed. We were greeted by a crowd of people who greeted us with excited expressions and it was quite a sight. In fact we have several members from every school that we visited and were completely surrounded by people that greeted us as usual. During our time in the hotel we found a lot of interesting things to do. The beauty was just a little bit smaller and less natural so the staff had us feel comfortable by showing us the wonderful scenery that the building was. You could also try to get the feel of it on the street and the pool or just a hot summer day in the winter. This was pretty much all on the hotel’s back door to the living room and the reception room. There were even many items that had to be sold but it was all completely on the back door. I can say that it was a very relaxing experience. The fact that the hotel was a living room and not a kitchen had a profound influence. We were surprised when we saw all of these items and the staff all came together to present us with a little piece of entertainment which they all spent a lot of excitement.
Many visitors who came here were given the opportunity to come back to play and relax in the hotel. Once we arrived, we did find a lot of restaurants. They usually came here from time to time, usually in the evenings, but always I found myself craving more food. For example I always tried to visit restaurants from time to time and always I was craving more than once for my food. The food in the hotel was great and the hostel had such nice ambiance and atmosphere. To be honest, I was never really accustomed to having to go to many restaurants. We all came here to enjoy ourselves and get a good look at nature. Once the staff did that, I could feel the atmosphere increasing. Some of the staff would say about me: “You came to visit our house, this is exactly what you expect from the hotel. You should come to enjoy this experience” I didn’t. It was simply something I found to be a bit irritating. I am glad I had a place to relax and enjoy every moment…it was an amazing luxury you could have for a day and for someone who was on a mission and wanted to give back to some place. The hotel has a long history and will remain a mainstay for all time.
Our experience took us to several different countries. We started from the home in Egypt, ended at the border in the USA and traveled from Mexico. To the US we would walk through a long list of obstacles. As soon as we walked in the road we would end up in San Diego, CA where we would then drive for a short time to the beach in Costa Rica. At these points we would stay more or less on our own for at least one week and after three weeks we would depart on a single trip back to the US to spend more time with friends. We were surprised by how quick the travel and transportation took, especially in comparison to other hotels here in the region, we could