Wilmington: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026

TPTatsiana PalchankaTanechka_for_you · Sep 30, 2010Read

August 26 Standing at the station. Feeling sad( Then Regina walks by, and the boy she was staying with)))) He's her friend, or maybe more than just a friend) But he's definitely not a couchsurfer)))) We sort of met, and we all said, "Nice to meet you"))) But this boy was looking at me with clear anger)) Well, of course, I lured his beloved away on a trip) Must have ruined all his plans))) It wasn't my fault, she agreed on her own))) Forgot to mention! When we were leaving Derek's house, helicopters were circling in the sky! Derek: "Do you know why they're flying here?" Me: "???" Derek: "Looking for escaped criminals" Me: O_O!!!!!! We bought a bus ticket, and the station worker who sold it to us reminded me more of a mean Soviet grandma than a kind American lady)))))) Finally, the bus arrived))) While we were waiting in line to board, a guy walks up to us and says in Russian, "Hi!"))) I was so unaccustomed to there being any Russians nearby that Regina and I just opened our mouths and grinned like idiots))) Turns out he was also a Work and Travel USA participant from the city of brides famous all over Russia - Ivanovo!)))) We checked our luggage, and then chatted with him on the bus))))) At the stop in Wilmington, DE, I was carefully watching my luggage through the window so it wouldn't get stolen!!))) And then I look, everyone had picked up their bags and there was a red suitcase left behind! I looked closer - it was mine! Looks like they took it out! I bolted outside, shoved it back into the bus further in so no one would take it again!!! So, keep a very close and careful eye on your things!))) As we approached Philadelphia, the first thing that caught my eye was a beautiful bridge!))) sigh... We arrived at the station, and Polina met us there!))) A typical French girl!)) How can I describe her to you) She is very relaxed, and when she speaks, she really draws out her words))) She lives literally a couple of blocks from the station, so we walked there on foot)) We went to her place, her apartment is so cool)))) And a beautiful view from the huge windows!) Regina and I slept in the living room, as expected) On the sofa) While we were drinking tea and getting used to Polina's accent, attention(!), classic genre: a Frenchman, her roommate, walks out of the bathroom in just a white towel, completely unaware that there might be anyone else here besides Polina!))) His stunned face was funny enough on its own, despite that white towel, which he immediately started holding up so it wouldn't fall, and quickly retreated to his room) And time to sleeep) It's already one in the morning after all!)

TPTatsiana PalchankaTanechka_for_you · Sep 27, 2010Read

August 22nd Our next destination was Arlington Cemetery, since Jen and I decided that some famous people might be buried there) And that's when the fun began))) At first, I gave the right directions, but then I had to think fast, and I just blurted out a random direction - we need to go there!))) As a result, instead of arriving at the cemetery, we ended up in the city of Arlington, Virginia. From there, we somehow got onto the highway and drove to the Pentagon, and then took some back roads to reach the cemetery) It started raining, so we decided not to get out of the car))) By the way, you're not allowed to take photos of the Pentagon, and only later, while looking through my photos, did I see a picture of the Pentagon and, confused, tried to remember when I managed to do that) It turned out I was just taking pictures of everything from the car)))))))) Then we decided to go to Georgetown again, where we had already been one evening)))) The weather cleared up completely, but there were issues with parking)))) We looked for a spot for a veeeery long time, and eventually found one, although it was on the other side of the street. Jen, tired of searching, shouted, "I don't care! This is my parking spot!" and somehow crossed the road and parked facing the opposite direction of the other cars))))) "Jen, maybe you should park properly, I'm kind of scared to leave the car like this! Someone might tow it to the impound lot." Jen thought about it! "Alright, but you, Tanya, stand in this parking spot and don't let anyone in!!!" I stood in the parking spot, and Jen started to turn around!) What a mess that was! Someone wanted to park, and I started saying that it was our parking spot! When Jen saw it from the car, she turned around 10 times faster))) It caused a traffic jam))) Having parked successfully, we took off, leaving the other drivers to sort out the situation))) While walking along the waterfront, we met a ship captain who does half-hour water tours))) He was trying to get people to ride, but we didn't want to pay) "Ladies, would you like a ride?" - "Only if it's free!" - "Well, I'm inviting you))) Of course, for free)" I was totally shocked, what a day) Departure was in half an hour, so we went for a walk and admired the beauty of Georgetown)) I was amazed by 4 large women who turned on music on their yacht, drank wine, and danced)) Good for them, they were having a blast!))) We got to talking with the captain, and it turned out he was from Ghana, used to work as a captain on cruise ships, but now he started his own business))) Overall, I liked it, Washington is a veeeery beautiful city after all)))))) Quite tired and exhausted, Jen and I decided to spend the rest of the evening on the roof, and Jen had to drive back to Wilmington in the evening. We bought ice cream in the Mexican district and went to James's house))))

YKYulia Kalnyninfanta · Aug 21, 2010Read

So, traveling around America as needed, at first you are surprised by the number of Russians everywhere. It seems they are evenly distributed across the entire territory, or perhaps the Russian government decided to keep an eye on you, my dear, so you behave decently and don't embarrass the great and mighty Mother Russia. Back of beyond – the birthplace of American women's hockey – the city of the miracle on ice (good God, how they go on about that miracle) – also known as Lake Placid (though the locals insist on saying Plaaacid). Imagine a small town (read: village) with a population of three thousand, where by some crazy twist of fate, the Winter Olympics were held twice in the last 50 years. 1932 and 1980. It feels like nothing else has ever happened here. Ever. At all. We arrive in town and the first thing they ask us is where we are from. Because we look more like Tajiks in the Moscow region who can't master the great and mighty language than like elite representatives of the Russian student body. Of course, chest puffed out, we reply that we are indeed Russian, and straight away comes the patriotism and pride for the country. Ooooh! And they reply – oh, you're Russian... well, do you remember how we beat you in hockey in '80? Huh? Pretty cool, right? And how, pray tell, are we supposed to remember that if we were born just a decade after this landmark event? Huh?