Hello all for the very first time on my USA/Toronto trip! I'm so tired but wanted to let you all know how my journey to New York went...
Mum, Dad and Adam drove me to the airport on Thursday morning Melbourne time. The airport was manic, people everywhere! We said our goodbyes and through I went. It's always so weird going through that gate alone. You go from hugs, conversations and goodbyes to having no one you know nearby.
But this didn't last long! Whilst waiting for my flight a girl from work posted on Facebook she was there too, so I went and said a quick hello to her and her husband before they boarded to go to Sri Lanka.
While waiting to board my flight I reflected with a laugh at how nervous I was when I flew solo for the first time at the end of 2010. I've only recently started telling people this, but I was so nervous that I threw up in one of the pot plants near the bathrooms! Pretty embarrassing, but it was a really big deal for me when I was 18. Now I guess I'm used it a lot more, but I still get a little nervous. You'll be pleased to know there was so throwing up involved this time!
We boarded all ok, but due to problems with refuelling we were held up in the plane for an hour. This annoyance was made up for by the fact that I had managed to snag a seat in the upstairs economy section on the upper deck of the A380. I had so much leg room and a huge compartment next to my arm rest for all of my stuff. Even stretching out my legs I couldn't reach the wall in front!
The flight passed fairly quickly I guess. I watched a strange movie called 'Nerve', slept for two hours and then watched 'Me Before You' (for the fifth time) and cried while watching (for the fifth time!!). I slept a little more and then watched some more TV. I watched the sunrise over the pacific.
Originally I was meant to land in LA at 6.35am and depart for New York at 8.20am. As we approached I became pretty anxious about how I would make my flight. In the end we landed at 7.10am, and the crew announced that my next flight had been delayed from 8.20am to 12 noon. Phew - all the queueing, collecting bags, rechecking bags nonsense meant that I didn't arrive through security until 9am. So it was actually very lucky!! The silver lining also was that I got a $20 US meal voucher because of the delay. So I bought as much as I could at Starbucks to keep me going! I was so tired though and everyone spoke so quickly that I'm fairly sure all the security people thought I was an idiot.
Boarded the second plane, and look, I wasn't having much luck today. We ended up leaving over four hours later than we should have after further delays. A lovely man named John in his sixties from Brisbane was next to me and we chatted away which helped the time pass more quickly. I counted myself lucky when a young couple on the other side of us told us they had booked NBA tickets for tonight and couldn't go due to the late flight! At least I didn't plan anything!!
The flight went alright. I slept a little more, didn't eat anything except a bread roll chatted to John and finally at 8.30pm local time we touched down.
I've been to a lot of airports over the years and I always expected that JFK - being one of the larger and busiest in the world - would be very organised and logical. I was wrong. The baggage carousel was absolutely tiny, so much so that not everyone from our flight could fit in the claustrophobic room. There was also no toilet!! I stood with John and his wife Terri and a fellow solo female traveller called Sonia. And we literally waited 50 minutes for our bags to come out. Not. Impressed. JFK!
I said 'bye to them and headed off to the air train. It was cold outside but I loved it. I've felt a bit unwell for the last few days and cold weather usually helps. I got the air train and then switched to the A line and the G line (got slightly lost - but recovered!) and walked the two minutes from here to our air BnB accommodation in Brooklyn.
Here I met Shannon and Alisha, two of my friends from London. Our flat is great and it was so good to see them!! We chatted until Jess (our other friend from London) arrived. She had a worse deal than me, her LA to New York flight was cancelled so she was held up for hours! But alas we are all reunited after 13 months <3
The four of us are here now chatting. Annoyingly I'm wide awake, but looking forward to tomorrow and all that is to come!
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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