I’m awake. It’s 7am on my first full day in New York and I’ve been awake for an hour. Jet lag. So, as I’m the only one up in our tiny room for three and according to Josh, he won’t rise until at least 11, I’ll tell you a bit about the journey here.
Monday 9th August 2010 was a four-city day. I started my day at 3:45am waking in order to get to the airport for my 6:30am flight to Sydney. After an especially amusing check-in with a comical man resembling Richard Attenborough, I waved goodbye to my parents and headed on my way. Let me tell you something, I’m an incredibly intolerant passenger on any form of public transport. I pick my least favourite travel companions early in the trip and focus any of my frustration on them until I reach my final destination, at which point, I let go of my anger… Mostly.
On the BNE-SYD leg of my journey, the object of my anger was one Sleepy McElbows sitting next to me. Thankfully, the flight is short and we soon parted ways. I was barely into the terminal when she was replaced by a man who chose to queue to my right instead of behind me, muttering to himself in some kind of European language. Again, this was short-lived as I soon lost him in the crowd.
I made my way through all the necessary checkpoints and waited calmly at my gate. SYD-LAX passed in the usual blur of long-haul travel. Read, sit, sleep, eat, watch assorted TV shows and films (Date Night, I Love You Too, Valentine’s Day, Modern Family, The Simpsons, Talking About Your Generation… In case you were wondering), stare at other people’s TV screens watching soundless films (Clash of the Titans), sit, sleep, eat. It’s rare that I ever watch anything decent on flights. I once watched Bratz-The Movie and several episodes of Lizzie McGuire. For some reason, I prefer to use the time to watch that which I would never usually view. I think I like to know I can guiltlessly fall asleep in the middle of things.
About two and a half hours out of LAX I had the horrifying thought that I couldn’t remember packing my hairbrush or make-up. Yes, I was on my way to the USA, a developed country that would allow me to purchase anything I desired (with regard to cosmetics), but that process would require me going out in New York, one of the most stylish cities in the world without the aid of make-up or a hairbrush. Absolute terror. I thought about this with mild (or extreme, whatever) panic in my heart for the rest of the flight before a call home allayed my fears and let me breathe again. The make-up was in my suitcase. The hairbrush, I then found, was placed conveniently in my handbag. Good to know that my semi-conscious, 4am, non-morning person brain was well aware of my vanity.
Apart from taking a brief moment to eat something beef-themed, I slept from LAX-JFK making the flight seem mercilessly short and I was soon touching down in my fourth, and final, city for the day. I walked out into a humid, somewhat overcast afternoon and breathed in fresh (for an airport in a polluted city), unrecycled air. It smelt like summer and I felt instantly happy!
Driving through the ‘burbs, I spotted my share of “typical” American scenes. First, a bunch of kids on a basketball court and we’d driven no further than half a block before I spotted another group on a baseball diamond. Driving past a white house I saw a man watering his hanging plants with a spray bottle. His son crept up behind the fence with two water pistols in tow, but Dad got in first with his spray bottle sending his son running and giggling. Seriously, it was a scene from a cute 1980s sitcom. This country delivers.
I made it to our apartment in Woodside, Queens where a very beardy Josh was waiting for me outside our apartment building. I am staying with Josh and Justin and our room is tiny, but airy and pleasant. After a desperately needed shower we wandered off to find dinner, settling on a small Indian place. The food was good, spicy and full of flavour, a welcome change after Qantas cuisine. We were the only customers and all of the staff stood by and watched us eat, a somewhat confronting experience, but none of us cared as we literally devoured the entire meal. After a bit of a wander to familiarise ourselves (well, me really, the boys explored during the day) with Woodside we headed home and I fell into bed. Never has bed felt so… delicious.
Looking forwards to today’s adventures when the boys wake up!
Missing everyone heaps. Sending mountains of love… JC xx
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