Fall and winter breaks

Nature saves, nature cures, when you have a need... When you are sick of studying and you are extrimely tired of the place, the best way to keep your nerves together is to give up everything you are doing at the moment and go into the woods... That what I did last year, fall break 2005, beautiful weather, wonderful days, just you, some people and nature! We went to the south of Missouri, and to my surprise, at that place, several hours away from Fulton, the nature is beautiful and very different. Sleeping in the tents, eating crap, investigating caves, scaring bats, taking lots of pictures, enjoying the sun, climbing rocks, swimming in a cold water, drinking of course, making bonfires, singing, playing games at night, telling scary stories, laughing at Leslie (crazy chinese guy), canooing, playing volleyball, thinking a lot, meditating... I did so much during these few days than I did during the whole semester :D
However the sadest moment was when I had to come back to reality... e.g. school, Fulton... and everything continued to be the same from day to day, week to week, month to month... Untill the moment, when I gave up and told myself that I need to change the environment. So I went to New York followed by Chicago!!!
WOW! the 3 letters I used to repeat anywhere I went! Impressive! Two amazing, very international cities opened my eyes. I've never though I will be able to see something that I'm used to see only on TV... well, it was time to feel it myself, to wonder around, to smile, to laught, to surprise, to be shocked. Me and my french friend Elodie lived in Harlem, the place that is also known as Lation getto. Some might think that it's must be dangerous in there?! - well, walking in the night streets of Harlem, we would never get scared. In general, both NY and Chicago seem to be safe enough :), but not in a sense of health expecially in Chicago, where I froze every part of my body just going from one building to another. It was COLD! Like at home this month, plus Chicago is known as the city of winds. I didn't die, but the cold made my staying less pleasurable. However, Chicago is 18$ away from Fulton, so I can say that I'm coming back. This place worth being visited several times. :D
Another most impressive thing is that I've never seen the ground from 86th of the Empire State Building and in few days from 101st flour and Sears Tower. My knees are still shaking when I look at the pictures or just remember those moment... The whole trip was an advanture! And everything would be perfect if in a week I didn't have to come back. Moreover, I wish I could spend more time with Amki. Yeah, seeing her at the end of my staying in NY was an amazing feeling, like we didn't say bye to each other in May and we never actually had to be apart for more then half a year... It was like I just saw her yesterday and we had lots of things to tell to each other... but my plain was leaving in 2 hours :( and I had to say bye again with a hope that I will see her again.. very sooon...I wish we could be anywhere we wanted at any point of time: "Why did Eva ate a forbidden apple?"