Tolos

Talking with some other ex-pats, I always love hearing about how they were able to accomplish some cut little lifelong "American Myth" dream after moving to the US. It doesn't matter how dumb, silly or trivial it is - everyone had that one little thing they wanted to do. Some things I've heard about include:

- riding a chopper or convertible down a dusty open highway

- getting their pic taken with the Hollywood sign behind them

- buying a pair of shoes from Rodeo Drive

- riding a horse...even buying a pair of cowboy boots and not feeling silly wearing them in public!

- Buying a hotdog in Times Square

Anyone accomplished any little 'visions' they had growing up as a kid?

Sophia_S

I had always dreamed of seeing San Fransisco,ever since the first time I heard the record 'If you're going to San Fransisco' by Scott McKenzie (yes, I am that old!), and in June of 1988 my USAF husband was posted to a Base near SF.....of course it wasn't exactly the same as I'd imagined it to be.....but it was still the most beautiful city I'd ever seen,I still think it is,the whole area is breathtaking...who knows ,we might even end up going back.... eventually!.....Sophia
p.s. met up with my husbands' uncle and aunt nearly every weekend when we lived near SF,they lived in El Sobrante just outside SF...it was like a time warp....they are the nicest people,but definately former(or grown up) hippies,who'd met in SF in the 60's when they moved there from the mid-west,'to find themselves'!

elfman

Climbed Half Dome in Yosemite National Park (via the hiking trail, not straight up the sheer face).
As a child I read about it in old National Geographics and became fascinated by it.

Rockgurl

Yes! Definitely! I had a whole bunch I wanted to do and have done most of them:

* Rode a chopper motorcycle through the desert

* Rode a horse through the desert

* Bought a cowboy hat

* Bought real cowboy boots

* Toured America with a band in the back of a van

* Drove from one side of America to the other non-stop.

* Hung out on Muscle Beach in CA

* Saw Hollywood....my lifelong dream.

Actually, I don't think there's anything left I really want to do. Maybe, spend my 40th birthday in California being fit and tanned. After that I can die happy.

gruffbrown

and lived......

peterbainham

Become Governor of Texas. It will happen, oh yes.

Kate2112

Very geeky but always wanted (from a small child, mine you) to go to Epcot and did

Wanted to do the Sleeping in Seattle/An affair to remember thing at the top of Empire state...did it

Stand at the White House all alone...yup did that very freaking early one morning.

See the Redwoods...Wonderful!

Wanted to do the dude ranch thing...City Slickers....yup pardner did that.

Stratosphere view...over Vegas....yup did that.

Inherit Bill and Melinda Gates charitable trust to run...on the agenda

Lots more to do...and so much country to do it in.

peterbainham

Your partner did a dude?

Kate2112

Peter Peter...you are way too quick for me today

peterbainham

You're the first woman to say that to me since I was a teenager.

Kate2112

As you get older the complaint is likely to change petal (oh my god will he ever get this done and over...hmmm what will I make for dinner...oooh that reminds me of that yellow dress) "oh yes baby harder ...right there ooooooh my god I'm coming again!!! (so if I wear the yellow dress with the white sandals and that bag) "oooooooh baby that was so good can we do it again" (in like two years time with me hiding the Viagra before we even start) ask Lionheart he knows all about this...


Cheq...

Pony

Drive over the Golden Gate Bridge

Ride a Grey Hound bus!! My wife thought I was crazy, but I had vivid childhood memories of thinking it was romantic and an adventure - this is my only mini-dream that didn't live up to the expectation

Visit Apple's HQ (This is a real geeky one)

Gallop a horse across wide open planes

I semi-completed my final one - I wanted to drive all across the US from coast to coast on one road trip, but so far only driven from south coast to Canadian border.

britontour

Seeing the Grand Canyon was pretty cool all be it several thousand feet up and on the way to LA, also Niagra Falls although I was on the Canadian side but it was my first sighting of the States.

Pony

It must have been awesome to experience the shear scale of it from above. We only stood on the edge. It was sad to see the impact of smog creating a haze, comparing the images taken by photographers years ago against the view to date.

gruffbrown

Yeah, that's a weird one, especially the nearer you get to LA, you can see it collecting in the valleys.

(And why isn't the plural of Valley 'Vallies' ?)