An unforgettable day in Virginia – from university insights to bull riding
October 2nd was a special day for us: souvenir shopping time! After all, we wanted to bring
home some memories — not just for ourselves, but also to show everyone back home: “We
were in the USA!”
So off we went, exploring some great stores — many of them recommended by locals. Let’s
just say, our bags were a lot heavier afterwards!
Learning with Pizza – A Visit to VMASC
After shopping, it was time to learn something new. We visited the Virginia Modeling,
Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) at Old Dominion University.
The team there welcomed us warmly with drinks and pizza (so American), and gave
us fascinating insights into their research work.
We listened to several presentations, heard what the researchers were working on, and
even got to enjoy some funny stories from their projects.
The highlight, though, was the final presentation: “American Football for Beginners.”
To be honest, it would’ve been more useful before we went to our first football game, but
better late than never! Looking back, we could finally understand what had been going on.
With live demonstrations and explanations of strategies and techniques, everything
suddenly made sense, and it was so much fun to watch!
Yeehaw! A Cowboy-Themed Night
After such an interesting and inspiring day, we were ready to unwind and have some fun.
Around 9 p.m., we drove downtown to a cowboy-themed bar, and guess what? They had
mechanical bull riding!
None of us had ever tried it before, but that night we were all in! We gave it our best shot,
laughed until we cried, and just had the best time ever. Between the great music, the fun
atmosphere, and delicious drinks, it felt like a real Western night.
Sadly, there wasn’t enough time left for karaoke, but we’ll definitely make up for that next
time.
One thing’s for sure: We can proudly say we partied in the USA!
