So, the elusive Labor (sic) Day weekend arrives. Elusive because no one can tell me why we get a day off classes for it, and what it actually is - but it's a holiday, so I ain't complaining! The plan was for a small group of girls to travel down to Charleston for a relaxing weekend. As with most plans, the plan didn't go to plan. So we ended up in Charleston with about forty other international students. The town didn't know what had hit it. Anna's mum lent Anna her car for our transport - I say "car", it was practically a mini bus. It would have fitted eight girls in pretty comfortably, had we not all brought massive suitcases for a two night stay. Yes, we DID need three going out dresses and a few pairs of shoes each, honestly. As it was, it was a bit of a squeeze, with Anna's rear vision seriously impaired by the tower of bags, and the passengers all getting numb feet from lack of leg room. But it was a funny trip, enhanced by crisps, Cosmo and lots of songs on the radio we could sing loudly along to. As we approached our hostel where we would be staying for the next two nights, we began to believe the people who had warned us it was in the 
ghetto. It was in the ghetto. Lucy handily pointed out the fact that we were very close to a hospital, funeral parlour and florist should one of us get shot by our sketchy neighbours. Awesome. Thanks to our combined map-reading skills (or lack of them), we managed to pull up in front of a very dodgy looking grimy house, whose curtains appear to have been slashed by a knife, thinking, (incorrectly, as it turned out,) it was our hostel. Luckily Anna double checked the address just as Rachael raised her fist to knock, asking to check in.... Cue screams of "Get back in the car. GET BACK IN THE CAR! WE'RE GOING TO GET SHOT!!". Not an over reaction at all. The hostel turned out to be far more pleasant than that, yet distinctly hippy-ish, and also supplied us with mixed sex dormitories. The staff happily introduced a 35 year old New Yorker male as our "new roomie!!". Suffice to say, we all crashed in one all-girls dorm. Initially, all was going well hostel-wise until about 12pm on the second night of our stay. As I and three others of the party were getting ready for bed, a massive cockroach scuttled across the bedroom floor. Predictably, chaos ensued. Jordan couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, but there were tears involved. Anna hysterically took photos of both us and the cause of all the fuss, as I clung for dear life, inexplicably, onto her t shirt sleeve, balanced on a very old and rickety bed. At the time, what we did next was logical, rational and sensible. Looking back, we may have over-reac
ted somewhat. We packed all our bags, screaming/crying/laughing all the way, keeping an eye out for the roach now making it's way across the ceiling. We then put all our bags into the car boot, and preceded to discuss what would be a more sensible option; to sleep in the car with the seats reclined, or to make the three hour drive home now, to avoid sleeping in cockroach room. We were seriously considering both, Luckily, Rachael rationalised the situation slightly with the suggestion we all sleep in the other room we booked; but we spent all night feeling imaginary cockroaches crawling all over our legs, and on a constant adrenaline high.
ghetto. It was in the ghetto. Lucy handily pointed out the fact that we were very close to a hospital, funeral parlour and florist should one of us get shot by our sketchy neighbours. Awesome. Thanks to our combined map-reading skills (or lack of them), we managed to pull up in front of a very dodgy looking grimy house, whose curtains appear to have been slashed by a knife, thinking, (incorrectly, as it turned out,) it was our hostel. Luckily Anna double checked the address just as Rachael raised her fist to knock, asking to check in.... Cue screams of "Get back in the car. GET BACK IN THE CAR! WE'RE GOING TO GET SHOT!!". Not an over reaction at all. The hostel turned out to be far more pleasant than that, yet distinctly hippy-ish, and also supplied us with mixed sex dormitories. The staff happily introduced a 35 year old New Yorker male as our "new roomie!!". Suffice to say, we all crashed in one all-girls dorm. Initially, all was going well hostel-wise until about 12pm on the second night of our stay. As I and three others of the party were getting ready for bed, a massive cockroach scuttled across the bedroom floor. Predictably, chaos ensued. Jordan couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, but there were tears involved. Anna hysterically took photos of both us and the cause of all the fuss, as I clung for dear life, inexplicably, onto her t shirt sleeve, balanced on a very old and rickety bed. At the time, what we did next was logical, rational and sensible. Looking back, we may have over-reac
ted somewhat. We packed all our bags, screaming/crying/laughing all the way, keeping an eye out for the roach now making it's way across the ceiling. We then put all our bags into the car boot, and preceded to discuss what would be a more sensible option; to sleep in the car with the seats reclined, or to make the three hour drive home now, to avoid sleeping in cockroach room. We were seriously considering both, Luckily, Rachael rationalised the situation slightly with the suggestion we all sleep in the other room we booked; but we spent all night feeling imaginary cockroaches crawling all over our legs, and on a constant adrenaline high. Our occupations during the daytime were slightly less dramatic. We spent a day on the beach topping up our tans, before hitting the nightclubs of Charleston, after which we enjoyed the biggest pizza I have ever encountered - and possibly the best I've ever found for sale at 3 30am. The next day we had a wander around Charleston, looking at the horse and carriage rides, visiting the market and purchasing tacky tourist keyrings, and browsing at the very up-market shops - Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Saks Fifth Avenue etc etc. Unfortunately the student loan didn't quite stretch far enough to make substantial purchases. Then the three of us who are proud of our geeky sides made a trip to Fort Sumter, where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. Located about half an hour's boat ride from Charleston harbour, it was seized by Confederate forces after a day of bombardment, and remained in Southern hands throughout the War, despite many Union attempts to reclaim it. There are many other surrounding Forts you can see from 
the island, including Fort Johnson, and the Union fort three miles away. Some of the Civil War cannons are still in place, though the walls are now only one storey high due to bombing during the Civil War. We also saw the original American Flag which was initially flown by the Federal Army, then torn up by the Confederate gunfire in 1861 and replaced by the Rebel flag. We also visited the Charleston Battery, on the harbour, where the Confederates shot at Fort Sumter whilst in Union hands, and later at the nearby Union fort. The Confederate Forts where integral in the blockade-running which enabled the South to survive as long as it did during the war, as they protected to an extent the shipping routes into Charleston.
the island, including Fort Johnson, and the Union fort three miles away. Some of the Civil War cannons are still in place, though the walls are now only one storey high due to bombing during the Civil War. We also saw the original American Flag which was initially flown by the Federal Army, then torn up by the Confederate gunfire in 1861 and replaced by the Rebel flag. We also visited the Charleston Battery, on the harbour, where the Confederates shot at Fort Sumter whilst in Union hands, and later at the nearby Union fort. The Confederate Forts where integral in the blockade-running which enabled the South to survive as long as it did during the war, as they protected to an extent the shipping routes into Charleston. We also walked along Rainbow
Road, where all the biggest and most impressive ante-bellum houses are built - and decided which ones we wanted to live in the most! I have never seen houses anywhere near this big, and with beautiful white pillars and clapboard. One evening, we went to 'Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co.' diner, a Forrest Gump themed diner - apparently based on the Shrimp Company in the film, serving re
ally good seafood on newspaper, and selling Gump-based memorabilia. One of my roomies managed to spend $50 on Forrest Gump orientated clothing. That's dedication. The walls were covered with stills from the film, and the tables had famous quotations written on them. The cocktail menu was on a pingpong bat, and you alerted the waitress's attention by changing your sign to either "Run, Forrest, Run", or "Stop, Forrest, Stop". We returned on Monday morning, after a brief stint in the factory outlet stores for some, and a viewing of The Time Traveller's Wife at the "movie theatre" for me (seriously emotionally draining but amazing for those who care), exhausted, sunburnt and thoroughly sick of each other's hysterical, immature and dramatic company. An amazing weekend. :)
Road, where all the biggest and most impressive ante-bellum houses are built - and decided which ones we wanted to live in the most! I have never seen houses anywhere near this big, and with beautiful white pillars and clapboard. One evening, we went to 'Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co.' diner, a Forrest Gump themed diner - apparently based on the Shrimp Company in the film, serving re
ally good seafood on newspaper, and selling Gump-based memorabilia. One of my roomies managed to spend $50 on Forrest Gump orientated clothing. That's dedication. The walls were covered with stills from the film, and the tables had famous quotations written on them. The cocktail menu was on a pingpong bat, and you alerted the waitress's attention by changing your sign to either "Run, Forrest, Run", or "Stop, Forrest, Stop". We returned on Monday morning, after a brief stint in the factory outlet stores for some, and a viewing of The Time Traveller's Wife at the "movie theatre" for me (seriously emotionally draining but amazing for those who care), exhausted, sunburnt and thoroughly sick of each other's hysterical, immature and dramatic company. An amazing weekend. :)
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