Friends,

I have decided to take some time off between March and June. Having finshed my Master's degree in September, I started working at my home university straight away and doing some preliminary work on a PhD proposal - i.e. things have been going way to fast for me lately, and I need some time to ponder the next couple of years of my life, whether I really want to embark on the 3-year endeavor that a PhD is, and if so where.

To cut it short: I settled on going to the States for 90 days from March 1. Specifically, I plan to live in Boston for a month or so and then very thoroughly explore New England (I presume going to Maine in March would be insane for anything other than skiing, which I don't plan to do). I take it some of you have been up there, and wondered whether you would care to suggest some things I should do/see/buy/taste. Everything is welcome and much appreciated.

To give you an idea of what my planning is so far, a couple of bullet points:

- Eat tons of lobster
- The Cape, Hyannisport, etc.
- LL Bean flagship store
- (budget permitting) a whale-watching cruise - tharr she blows! Alternatively, as a landlubber I'd love to learn how to sail. I don't know if they have any courses in spring - seems unlikely to me (?).
- Plenty of college towns: Princeton (NJ, I know), Ithaca, Hanover, Cambridge, Amherst, etc. - any recommendations off the beaten path?
- Newport, RI is supposed to be charming
- Maybe Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket? Probably couldn't afford a soda there tho

After NE, I'm off to Michigan to visit friends, and will try to make the pilgrimage to O'Connels on the way. So anything between NE and MI is a possibility, too!

My planning's not very advanced as of now, so I'm basically open for anything... including you meeting me for a pint! Oh and I should mention that I will probably have access to a car. Unless you tell me the US of A can be seen w/o one, which I doubt.

Many thanks,

D