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That's how long I have to wait until my next USA trip. By then, the date will be October 28.

The plan is to experience Halloween in the US. Once again, I am staying with my friend, her son and her cat, which I have nicknamed The Terror.. It's a long story.. Anyway!

I plan on booking the flight in six months. That gives me just over 4 months to save up, which is entirely possible. I am getting a second payout from work next month, so that's going to be put on my savings account. Before you know it, I have enough for my flight to the US.

This time around, I am flying direct! I don't want to change flights, because it can end badly, like my trip home earlier this month. I am also going to go a class up, and select Premium Economy rather than regular economy. More space on the plane and lounge access - two things I have never tried in my life, so I am thinking that now is the time. I also think the food is better, but I'm not sure.

I am prepared this time. The last time, I just picked the cheapest option available, which showed. This time, my flight will leave in the middle of the day, rather than at 6.35 am. That means I can get a good nights sleep at home before I head to the airport. Now that I know there is a direct flight from Copenhagen to DC, that's what I will take from now on. I gave Lufthansa a chance, and they blew it. I will explain more in a future blog.

Now I have my next trip to plan in a few months. And yes, that means another installment of my "Making plans for my USA trip!" blog series!

I have been home for one day, and I am already planning my next USA trip. At least in my head. My next trip will be two weeks, but I am unsure if I want to go back to Virginia, or if I am going to go somewhere else. Maybe I can find a hotel somewhere, which won't break my bank balance. I saw one hotel called Hotel Washington next to The White House, but it's quite.. Expensive..

So I will look into finding a cheaper hotel somewhere. The idea of a motel came into my mind, but I quickly ditched that idea. Too much Criminal Minds, I suppose.

I do know that I want to visit other states than Virginia. Maybe visit all the states, if possible. The United States of America is a big country, so I doubt it'll ever happen. Mainly because I waited so long to visit for the first time. Maybe I'll just save up for a few years and take a full month in the USA, and either fly, take the bus or the train to see as much as possible. I also want to see some history, if there's anything left, anyway .

In any case - I am not finished with the USA. At all!

One week in the USA done! What did I see and experience there? Well. Lots of food, fun experiences and delays on the flight home. More on that later!

So.. Where in the US did I go? I went to visit a friend in Virginia. It's someone I have known for at least 13 years, so it's not something spur of the moment with someone I have only known for a week. No, this is a friendship that goes way back.

I slept on the sofa, which was very comfortable. That was the deal from the start, when I booked the flight. She was unable to get all the days I was visiting off, so I was alone in her apartment with her cat, until she got off work.Then, we'd go out for some food.

The first place I tried was Olive Garden, which was delicious! I got one of those make-your-own dishes, which was regular noodles, a 4 cheese sauce and Italian sausage on top. I liked it a lot.

We also visited something called Glory Days, which had the best sandwich ever! It was a short rib grilled cheese sandwich, and it was freaking awesome.

We also went to DC for some sightseeing. The following day, she was off work, so we decided to head back to DC to get some gifts for my family, as well as coming close to The White House. Naturally, the weather was warm, so it was a little sticky.

Am I done with the USA? No. Not at all! I want to visit again soon!

Ah, yes. Ladies and gentlemen! Today's the final entry in my "getting ready for the USA!" series. It's been 11 parts, but we have finally made it to the end! I am set to leave in less than two hours, and I have already packed my suitcase. I did that two days ago!

I also exchanged all the money that I need for a week long trip, but it wasn't without any drama. I had to exchange them in two stages, because my card would only allow for a certain amount to be exchanged daily. The first stage went off without a hitch. Everything was functioning as intended, so I ended up with $690 then. I still needed $575 more, so I went to exchange that at the airport. "Technical error", said the machine. I tried to draw some money out of an ATM - "Amount exceeds daily limit".. That was weird, since I hadn't spent any money that day. It was only after I got home, that I read a message from my bank. They had some issues with some cards, making purchases and withdrawals impossible. I went to the airport after work the next day, and by then I could withdraw the remaining money.

All is well now!

The next "oh boy what now" was Monday morning. I looked to see if my flight was leaving on time, and it then showed that my flight didn't fly on Wednesday. "Is this some form of joke? A punishment? How am I THIS unlucky with trips to the US?", was my immediate thought. As it turns out, my airline sent me an email at the early hours of Monday morning, explaining that they had to change aircraft, and so I had been assigned a new seat. A few hours later, the flight was back on the schedule.

So now I am ready to go! I still need to pack some toiletries, but other than that - I am ready! Ready to FINALLY visit the United States of America! It has only taken me 38 years to go, but better late than never, right? Before I leave, I have to make sure to take out all the trash and disconnect everything from the power supply. That means switching off every switch and pulling out the plugs from the wall. Everything that's connected to the electrical grid needs to be disconnected. Well, everything in my room, that is.

I have also switched phone subscription, to one that gives me 25 gigs of data in the world. Every electronic device I have to bring with me is on charge. My power bank and the battery for my camera. My phone is fully charged, and I am bringing my charging cable to use in my power bank. I never use public charge points.

What else.. Ah yes, my carry-on luggage. it's been so long since I have been on a holiday, that I have forgotten what to put in it. What I have in it is a shirt, my passport, money and all relevant documentation I need to show at the US border. Next, I have to put my toothbrush, my charging cable, power bank and camera in. By then, it should be 11 pm, at which point, ladies and gentlemen: I will be going on an adventure!

I will not be on the site while I am in the US. I have to experience so much! Oh.. That reminds me.. I need shorts, because apparently the weather is going to be nice and toasty! 26 degrees on Monday.. I also have jeans with me, just in case the weather gets a bit.. Nordic.. I also need some good walking shoes, since DC is a city built for walking. Luckily, I like to walk, so I shouldn't be too put off by that.

But yeah, I am ready to go! I can't believe it's here at last! It seemed like it was forever away just a few months ago!

I will update you all about the trip when I get home!

My dad was born and raised in New York City. He and some of the kids in his neighborhood, joined the Navy during WWII and traveled across the Pacific Ocean a few times. He returned home, married and started a family. An amazing fact: he was aboard the battleship USS Missouri where Japan signed a surrender in 1945 that formally ended the war.

When it was time for vacation, I remember lots of road trips of a few hundred miles to upstate New York, Canada and a few trips to Miami to see relatives.

Around the time I was 6 years old, my parents decided to travel by car to California. The uncle who lived in Florida, reenlisted in the Navy as a career and traveled the world. He was stationed in California and moved his family there. They invited my parents to stay with them. The thought was a great idea to get out of New York City. Also, my dad had some Navy friends living in California, so that made the idea more attractive. Our stay was short. Less than a year later and fate had both families locating to Miami, Florida.

Most of the family travels as a kid brought us through the Southern route across America. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and a few days in Las Vegas! I think I've seen enough endless stretches of desert and mirages. The best memory was the leather fringe jacket purchased at an old west tourist attraction in Tijuana. I wore until it literally fell apart! Miami became my home. I only traveled when necessary and really not for enjoyment.

As a musician, I traveled the East coast a few times, including two tours into Canada. The money was good for a while, but things soured and I was glad to be home, started back at college and anchored myself for many years.

My brother took the Army as a career and made lots of address changes in the US and about 6 years in Germany. My parents traveled to see him at least twice and one had a stop in Italy... Rome and the Vatican. My mom was okay with travel, but it was my dad who had the travel bug!

I've been on a few cruises to the Caribbean, usually sponsored by the company I was working for and twice to Grand Bahama to manage a project assignment for hotel interiors we were contracted to do.

At least 4 trips to Ohio to see my brother... I couldn't wait to return home each time. Probably another Ohio trip is in my future this year.

Ten years ago, one trip took me half-way around the world. Door to door to a major city in South China was about 32 hours and I lost 10 pounds during that trip as I didn't consume food on the flights. Me, food and travel don't always agree. I decided to become semi-retired just as COVID hit, so my travel plans to return were dreams up in smoke.
I'm working on a few long-term projects right now and it won't be this year, but there's hope for an extended visit next year. At least 2, possibly 3 months stay to make it worth my while. My interest is meeting two grand children that I've only seen on video chat. The trip will have meaning and not to satisfy any desire to be a travel bug!



Blog #1,673 and system blog # 71,206.

It's that time again - where a random Dane tells you all about his plans for his upcoming USA trip. This episode is all about being online in the US.

I deleted the previous blog, because I have come across some information that made the blog obsolete! Basically, I was talking about data plans in the USA, and how I had to buy a new sim card once I land in the USA. As it turns out, my phone provider offers something called World, which gives me 80 gigs of data at home, and 25 gigs of data in the USA.

How much is 25 gigs of data, I hear you ask? Well.. It's 277 hours of social media usage, which is what I am going to use it for. I need to update my family and my friends, so 25 gigs of data is plenty. I probably won't have time to watch YouTube videos. But just as a precaution, I have asked my phone provider if I will have the full 105 GB of data, or just the 25 GB.. There's free WiFi everywhere in the US, but I would prefer to not use that. Safety, and everything.. I could get a VPN, though..

In any case, me switching to World will solve the biggest hurdle. That also means, that all my research into sim cards in the USA has been for nothing.. Well.. If I one day decide to take a longer holiday there, then it might be the best option, but for one week? Yeah, my World subscription is enough.

The next step is to buy some small kitchen gadgets, note the price on them and then pack! 17 days until I start that process..

I have forgotten how to pack a suitcase properly.. Send help..

Edit: My phone provider confirmed that the 25 gigs is what I have available, and not the full 105 gigs. Still, 25 gigs is enough, for sure

It's yet again time for your favourite blog - reading about a random Dane planning a trip to the United States of America. This episode is all about what happens the first few hours after I land in Washington DC.

The original plan was to be picked up by my friend, but work has gotten in the way of that, so I have been to Google Maps to see, how I can get to her place by myself, without having to deal with cabs. I found the PERFECT route, and since I am from a country where public transportation and metro is a huge thing, I will find it incredibly easy!

The route I have found takes me from Dulles to East Falls Church and then the bus further on to my destination. And yes, before you ask: I WILL be that annoying tourist with a itinerary on a piece of paper, with a confused look on my face.

So my day of traveling looks like this: Airport at 1 am at the latest. Flight to Frankfurt, Germany at 6:35 am. Layover for about 2 and a half hours. Boarding my flight to Washington at 10 am, flight departs at 10:30 am. 9 hours later: Touchdown in the USA! My first test awaits me: Clearing US customs.

From what I can gather online, and through friends and family, they ask a few questions: Where I am flying in from, what I do for a living and the famous "business or pleasure?". Note to self: Don't say Copenhagen when asked where I am flying in from. Frankfurt, is the correct answer.

Once I clear customs, I have to find my suitcase and then I am ready to start my holiday! I still need to figure out where the Silver metro train is located, but according to Google Maps, it's a short, 11 minute walk away. Next, I need to get one of those SmarTrip cards. I saw a video on YouTube where it clearly tells me where I can buy such a card. I just don't know how much to put on, since I have no idea how much I need. I might just put $20 on it, just to be safe. I don't want to run out of money.

So to sum up: I am in the air for a combined 10.5 hours, if everything is on time. The journey from the airport to where I am staying is another 1.5 hours, so that's 12 hours. Finally, there's the customs line, which can take about an hour. We're now up to 13 hours. Then I have to include the wait time at both Copenhagen and Frankfurt airports. 1 am to 6:35 am is 5 hours and 35 minutes, and the wait time in Frankfurt is 2 hours and 35 minutes, for a combined wait time of 8 hours and 10 minutes.

Add that to my flight and wait time at Dulles, and we're up to 20 hours and 10 minutes - almost a full DAY of traveling. When I arrive at my destination, I am SO going to sit down and relax!

Here we go again - another installment of your favourite blog ever: Planning the trip to the United States of America.

In this blog: Papers. Specifically which papers I have to have in order.

In these troubled times, we all need to be a bit more safe and secure, which I have no problem with. I need two pieces of paper for my USA trip.

Document one is the following: Proof of Covid-19 vaccination for non-citizen non-immigrants passenger disclosure and attestation to the United States of America. What this essentially is, is a document where I say if I am vaccinated against Covid-19, if I am exempt from vaccination or if I refuse to be vaccinated.

The second document I need, is my vaccination disclosure form, where it says how many shots I have been given, and when I was given them. I am fully vaccinated and boosted, so that's not going to be an issue once I get to the gate in Copenhagen. I need to present these documents there, before I check in.

For that, I need a printer. It just so happened, that there's a few at work, so during today's VERY quiet afternoon, I printed everything out, and signed what I needed to sign.

Now I need something to carry the documents in. I don't want to fold them or bend them out of shape, since it doesn't look professional. I want my trip to go as smooth as possible, which means I needed something, like a pocket folder. Luckily, one of the supermarkets here had that in stock.

So now, everything is set. My next order of business for my USA trip, is to pack my suitcase and head to the airport. My plan is to pack in 25 days, on the 30th. That gives me a few days to go through everything and make sure I have what I need when I travel. It's been such a long time since I have flown, that I have forgotten what to bring.

Passport, money and travel documents, as well as the ticket. I can check in 48 hours before my flight, but I think I'm just gonna wait until I get to the airport. I am that kind of traveler who arrives HOURS before my flight. In this case, I am making it so I am at the airport at half past midnight - plenty of time to settle down and calm my nerves. I always do that. Head to the airport in the middle of the night, just so I don't have to stress. It's much nicer to just arrive a few hours before the flight.

Given that my first flight is at 6:35 am, I have to be there at 4:30 am anyway, so it makes even more sense that I arrive that early.

It's all getting very real, very fast. I am very excited!

It is that time again! It's time for your favourite blog ever - my planning for the USA.

The last blog was about the food. This blog is about something else.. It can't always be about food, right?

My friend, who I am visiting, told me that she would be working Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Saturday, she's off at 3 pm, so I need to keep myself busy and/or entertained until she's back home. Fortunately, I love exploring. All I really need is some water, a good pair of shoes and my camera. With those three things, I can be busy for hours. I can look at the local area, for example. I could also help her with grocery shopping. The possibilities are endless!

I COULD also be a total recluse and spend the entire day watching TV, but that's not fun. Not fun at all. Besides, I am in a new country, so I need to experience shtuff.. Flying 4173 miles just to watch TV is just.. Not it..

I need to ask my friend if I can get a spare key so I can go exploring while she's at work! She's off work Sunday and Monday, so those days can be spent driving to DC. I'm thinking we're going to hit a shopping mall on the Saturday, but nothing's set in stone just yet.

My trip is 51 days and 11 hours away! I should start packing soon..