Nowadays, when mind has nowhere to wander, its transported to Nashua, NH. I distinctly remember my first day in Nashua. From Manchester airport, I got a taxi. The driver asked me which exit, and that was the first time I had heard that word. Curse you A, I was all alone in the night in a totally foreign nation.
But in US things work exactly by the book. I read somewhere that the taxi cab takes $40 and whoa it was exactly the same amount he asked me. I was totally surprised. :-)
I had a bit of snow-darshan in Detroit while stop-over, so snow didn't remain as much a fancy. And I thought how big could it get until I saw the kind of snow that Nashua had to give me. It was too much, and for too long. Driving used to get so messy, my entire body was shivering one day as my muscles had totally tensed up after driving what felt like an age on 3-North.
We saw Rt 3N-S building up. We saw how, after the traffic increased, the highway was reshaped to accommodate Rt 495 traffic.
US is all about its highways. I still remember my way to
1. Bollywood grill (our fav restaurant, thanks to S) - Rt 3 South -> Rt 495 N (Exit for Lawrence)
2. Boston Airport - Rt 3 S -> Rt 93 N -> Rt 95 S (Airport exit, and TOLL while coming back)
3. Alewife T station (red line) - Rt 3 S -> Rt 95 S -> Rt 2E ("Yaatriyon se nivedan hai ki...") :)
Crazy days... We used to be so afraid of getting lost 'coz the time delay was just too much. And then every town in America looks the same... :)
I got lost in Boston every single time I went, every single time.. Can you beat that?
Fall colors were highlight of New Hampshire. They were, as one would put it, the very essence of NH. Without fall colors, I probably cannot imagine Nashua, Manchester and the entire Mountains region.
White mountain: I never ever got tired travelling to White Mountains. Never. Mom and Dad were happy to be there too. We had coffee by the foot of a hill. Mt Washington was a terror to reach but was a sort of heaven up there. Hot chocolate, fog, record breaking winds....
Manchester: It all started at 80 Dunbarton Road.. :-) And it seemed endless.. Thanks P and M for making our trip memorable.. P's Patties, M's chai , our barging in at un-earthly hours, T's surprise, A-G's xmas party, U-J's newport trip, S's tripping over the covered swimming pool and the trip to Big Apple.... :)
Niagara: :-) :-) .. "Suno no suno na sun lo na".. Chalte Chalte got attached so badly to our 400 mile journey that I don't think Dada, A, S and I can ever erase this memory...
Rain, rest areas, NY thruway - Massachussets Turnpike, Buffalo, upstate NY, Lighthouse..
San Jose, CA. Seattle, WA. Raleigh, NC. Lawrence, MA. Lowell, MA. Stamford, Ct.
Innumerable airports, bus stops, people, souvenirs of memories...
I couldn't believe that I would treasure so much in 2 years!! Really life is too short to experience everything... including first seat adventure of world's deadliest roller coaster!! :-)