ok America-kind of

For reasons that could well make up another blog, I have always been very unenthusiastic with the idea of taking a holiday abroad/out of Ireland. Any ways after much deliberation and mind changing, in November 2013 I decided to go ahead a book a flight to New York in January –a good way to round off my unused leave days (15 if you are in any way curious). If I had a pound for everyone who questioned my reason for going at this time of year and not a “warmer time” like April –I would have had £4 ( I KNOW that’s not a lot –but it give you an idea). The main reason for this time was that if I did not do it then I would NEVER have done it.

This was planned to be in 2 parts but for various reasons-I’m making this very short-want anymore? Email me…if you’re not that far a way-maybe I’ll tell you over a pint or a mug of drinking chocolate.

I don’t know if traveling so far abroad is a phobia of mine or just pure laziness with booking air flights/hotels/getting taxis/buses/train to and from airports etc. I just do my best to avoid that sort of thing.

Now this was actually a good experience –meeting up with 2 people I met on some great cycling holidays in Ireland and also meeting up with a virtual friend (is that the right term?) and her family.

I saw (and did not see) some great sights. New York is amazing, after walking round (part of) Central Park I could see why Sue (my NYC guide) loved it so much. The day I wanted to go to the top of the Empire State there was a return of the snow-and the guy at the lift told me to save my money as I would see nothing. Despite being a blizzard it proved to be spectacular to see and experience. Sue took me to the recording of a TV show-which was a great experience; I was able to watch the show on TV later.

Washington DC was great too-great view from balcony in hotel. Very cold there too-but not as blizzard like NYC was. No TV show here, but Marni was a great guide-even though I only got to see her when she finished work. She went out of her way to make sure I was entertained.

When phoning home “to let them know I was ok and all that” I was told that a friend of mine had died on the day I flew out to JFK –that news was kind of expected as I knew he was quite bad, but was not something I wanted to hear out there.

It has got me thinking, y’know all that “you’ll be a long time dead” and that sort of stuff and I am now going to try to have a “far away” trip every year now. Even if it’s only 4 or 5 days. If I do go back to America (and I hope I do) I think I’ll just stay in the one city this time. It has also got me thinking about re-friending some people on  Fbook too.

When I got back to Ireland and people were complaining about the cold I got great mileage saying “Cold? Compared to what I experienced in America last week, this is T-Shirt weather.”

Any ways Sue,Marni, Carrie & tribe and of course Sue/Marni’s friends that I met thank you for a brilliant time. The trip was a bit of an eye-opener for me. Hopefully next time I’ll have somebody with me-and also be going at a more weather/cycling friendly time of year. The photos should be on flickr soon.