McDonald's...I know I'm lovin' it!

Dear McDonald's,

My name is Melissa Goodman and I have been travelling around the world for almost a year with Alexandra Hewett. We have not been to one country where there has not been a McDonald's somewhere, though they each have their own unique menus to satisfy the local taste buds accordingly. I just wanted to take a moment to write to you and let you know just how helpful it has been having you guys around on every leg of our trip.
While travelling through Southeast Asia, there were times when we desperately wanted an ice cream cone, as the temperatures were soaring. Alas, we are on a strict traveller's budget and this does not allow for treats like ice cream, until we found your cones that were less than $1 and voila, we were able to partake in some delights like the rest of the holidaying crowd. You cannot imagine how nice it is to know that anytime you have a hankering for a treat, you were there to offer it to us for a price that we could afford.
It wasn't until we got to Australia and New Zealand where we rented a van to live in for over 4 months when we really discovered all you had to offer the backpacker and this is the main reason for my letter today. It can be very challenging to travel around in a van with no toilet and no outlets to charge our computers, phones and camera batteries, but McDonald's always offered us a place to 'get sorted' around every turn.
Each night it became our ritual to find a McDonald's so we could eat an ice cream cone, use the toilet, wash our face, brush our teeth and then check our email with your free WiFi, while charging our bits for a few hours of so. And the McCafe...what an idea. The lattes are sublime and they kept me going during some late night Internet sessions. It was so nice to see the community of travellers scattered around each McDonald's eating their meals and checking their emails and other social networking sites. It felt kind of like home in a strange way.
There were other times when the weather has been absolutely dire and we have found respite in McDonald's where we could plan for our next move, catch up on current events in the daily local paper or read some magazines to relax and stay dry. We loved finding all of the interesting McDonald's around each country like the McDeco McDonald's in Hastings, New Zealand and the airplane McDonald's in Taupo, New Zealand.
The staff at each McDonald's was always friendly and helpful and often offered us directions when we were lost. We have come to depend on McDonald's to offer us so much support with just the minor things like a clean sink and toilet and we always know that when we see those Golden Arches, we will be provided with a clean, safe and comfortable spot to recoup.
So, I guess I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for making our trip around the world a little easier and more comfortable, as we are travelling so far from home. We feel that we can always stop by at anytime and will receive the same bright service and clean facilities the world over...and a cheap and delicious ice cream cone to boot.

Thanks again,

Melissa Goodman


***Now let's see if we can get some vouchers outta this letter***