Autumn in New York

I don't usually blog about transits, but New York deserves to be the exception. Having just arrived back in the UK to true winter temperatures, it's strange to think that only yesterday I was experiencing autumn in New York. With temperatures hovering in the mid-late teens and beautiful rusts and golds in the trees, it seemed more like early October than late November.

View over the city from the plane

My journey from Managua to New York wasn't the most relaxing of experiences. But I've only got myself to blame. When I left the UK, east coast USA was 4 hours behind the UK (with UK clocks going back the night before I flew out to Bolivia). However what I didn't realise was that a week later, American clocks also went back an hour. So when I arrived in Miami for my transit to New York I was convinced it was noon and only had an hour and half to clear immigration and customs. Sounds like plenty of time, but for anyone who's every transited through Miami, you'll know what I'm talking about. The line for immigration snakes back and forth, 10 lines wide with each lane about 50 metres long. It took me just over an hour to get through so I had 30 minutes to left to collect my bag, clear customs, recheck my bag, go through security and get to my gate. Challenge accepted.

After long lines at every stage, I finally arrived at my gate virtually exactly to the minute (I thought) the gate should open. Turns out right minute, wrong hour. I still had a whole hour to go as my watch was on east coast summertime. Yes, I know... Why didn't I look at an airport clock instead? Why didn't I figure out the time difference in advance? Why didn't I ask someone if I was going to make the flight so that they could tell me what an idiot I was? Hindsight's a wonderful thing. But not quite as wonderful as the whole hour I had to enjoy my lunchtime gin and tonic and chicken chimichanga...

The PHEW G&T

So, why New York? Well, for starters, it was on the way home, I haven't been there for about six years and it's an amazing city. But mainly because two years after meeting them on a Restless Development trek I did in Nepal (before I started blogging) I could finally catch up with the lovely Ezrins. When you walk and talk for seven days, sleep on the ground, don't shower and eat the same food nearly 3 times a day, you fast forward friendships that take years to build, so catching up with Josh and Carolyn after two years felt like I'd only seen them last week. Thank you so much for having me to stay in your beautiful home - looking forward to returning the favour in my teeny tiny flat whenever you're ready!

Having been to New York a few times before, it was so nice to visit the city and just soak it in, rather than get on the tourist trail. So we went for dinner on the Upper East Side, took a yoga class, had brunch, wandered around with no pre-planned routes, had coffee and went running round the reservoir in Central Park. It was also really good to catch up with Andy, my old flatmate in London, as well as Martina and Stefano who've moved to the city from London as Martina just started work at the UN. 

Post-yoga brunch with Carolyn and Wendy

View onto Madison Avenue from apartment

Beautiful Upper East Side architecture

Autumn colours in Central Park (in winter!)

View across the reservoir on a cloudy Sunday...

And bright Monday

Monday morning run round Central Park and reservoir

New York selfie with Martina and Stefano

So, ten flights and just over three weeks later, I'm back home in a bit of a jet lag haze. Think this one might have been pushing the limits, even for a nomad like me. So I'm looking forward to staying well away from longhaul flights/airports till the new year when I can hopefully move into my new flat in London before heading off to Thailand and the Philippines in February.