MaccyD's

Yesterday, I had to battle through the cold, snowy and dark conditions to walk to a suburb of my local city. I couldn’t get the bus or tram due to the weather conditions and I didn’t want to stay at home as I was due to visit a new private student. It took me around 2 hours to walk there and another 2 hours back. I found it physically enduring to walk through the snow and half way through the return walk I began to look for somewhere to eat or rest up and magically I found a Maccyd’s.

As I sat there consuming my slightly overpriced trash I remember how thankful I am to the 'golden arches' and their support during my years of travel and now as an English Teacher.

You see, No matter where you are in the world the most reliable place to eat, in an unknown place, is at McDonalds.It is the only place you can guarantee yourself something that probably won’t kill you at 2 am in the morning, or where you can a coffee in warm surroundings, or where you can use clean toilets, for example. I remember numerous times I have been travelling by bus, train, plane, foot and upon my arrival at my destination, McDonalds has been the source of refreshment and refueling.

When I was younger and more naïve, I used to endeavor to find an authentic ‘local’ restaurant or Café to resupply, but truth is, it’s a lot of effort to do and risky. You can never be sure of the value for money, cleanliness, or edibility of unknown establishments. I made the mistake in Paris and Rome of doing such; I was weary from travel and decided to chance a local café both times. In Paris, I spent nearly 30 euro’s on a poor coffee and rubber croissant and in Rome the calzone I ordered laid me up in bed for two days.I’m not trying to say that when your outside of familiar surroundings to always try and hunt out a McDonalds, just that when you’re tired, unwashed, hungry and desperate for the toilet, your safest guarantee is a McDonalds.

So Thanks MaccyD’s for all your help and support when I have been in foreign realms, your homogenous, capitalist ways are a savior to travelers, explorers and English teachers alike.