Day: 65

Day 65 -3.JPG

Surprise! I’m in NYC

So, I lied about taking a tour through Ireland in order to surprise my family on their vacation in California. When Jake, who was supposed to spend the summer with me in Africa, canceled on me and my sister started telling me about the four bedroom house that the family had rented on Newport beach for two weeks I got to thinking about rearranging the elements of my trip. When Jasper was started telling me, while we were in Turkey, about his bicycle trip around the US I was sprung on the idea. So don’t you all worry out there I am not done traveling by any means, just redirecting my trip slightly.

The new, and Uber-tentative, plan is three night is New York, followed by in Newport for two weeks chilling out with my family and a few friends (Hey it’s my trip, and who wouldn’t want to spend two weeks on the beach somewhere with some damn cute girls?) until May 21. Then spend one week at home(during which I probably won’t blog; this being a travel blog I can’t justify time at home) for three reasons, Aaron graduates college on the 27th, my birthday is the 28th and my Dad’s two week vacation doesn’t start until the 29th. Then on May 29th (the day after my 27th birthday, so I’ll be hungover) Dad and I are going to set out from Santa Monica, heading north on bicycles along PCH, to camp and ride the coast. Dad has two weeks off then he’ll head back while I spend the better part of another month after that working my way up the coast to Canada. From Canada I may take a train across the country and make my way to the east coast, for a possible visit to Maine. I’ll get back to California somehow in the middle of the summer, and spend a few days at home.

Probably early August I’ll book a ticket to Costa Rica and spend at least a month, possibly six weeks in Central America learning to scuba dive and hiking the rain forests. After Central America I still haven’t made any definite plans but I will still be traveling and have made a promise to be in the Philippines in December and New Zealand in January. Please don’t fret about your favorite traveller stopping, half the fun of a trip like this is to change what I feel like doing at any moment, that is why I didn’t book the around the world airfare in the first place, even if it would have saved me money.

This morning I had to make my way to the airport for my flight to NYC where I am going to spend the next three night with my friend from college, Jandiz, and her roommate (and my sisters 7th grade boyfriend) Hector. I had 27.10 euros left and since I was leaving the continent I didn’t want to withdraw any more, so I had to budget so I could eat, get to the airport, and still have enough for a few pre-flight Guinnesses (Is Guinnesses a word?).

I started with a little internet (2.15 euro) to get yesterdays blog up and the day before’s fixed.

I ate a big Irish breakfast; sausage, bacon, white blood pudding, black blood pudding, a fried egg, mushrooms, roast tomatoes, and toast(10.45 euro).

I had a couple of bus options to get to the airport, I could take the special air bus, which was fast and comfortable but costs 5 euro more, or take the local bus which was 2 euro. Which was for Rob seeing he had plenty of time? You bet your ass! (2 euro)

I arrived at the airport, stuffed, with twelve and a half euros in my pocket. As long as the beers were 4.15 euro, or less I could enjoy three, then constantly get up to pee for my seven hour plane ride to New York. The plan sounded great. I got in line to check my big bag and a nice middle aged Irish man came up and let me know he was going to do a complete random search of my bags for safety reasons. I don’t think he realized I had important drinking to do or he would have never picked me (he is Irish after all), but I went along with him and told him all about The World Tour, where I was going and doing, and all about my blog. He completely unpacked my bag, having me show inside of all my lenses,checking out my computer, rummaged about my clothes and then when he was completely satisfied he helped me repack everything, took me to the front of the check-in line and asked for my blog address! I was impressed, at home they would have spread everything across the airport, all the time telling me not to talk, then left me to repack and wait in line all over. I grant Irish airport security two points!

After my big bag was settled I still had about three and a half hours until my flight, it had been raining so there wasn’t anywhere to hang out outside and kill time today before the airport, so I headed into a coffee shop to get this entry about the revised plan written up before I started in on my Guinness mission.

Guinness Mission:

Shit!

They cost 4.20euro a pint!

F

I’m short 0.10 cents

Two pints later (and about 40 minutes) I am still short 0.10 cents for my next pint, but I remember I still have some change from and assortment of countries in my daypack. I go a rummaging and what do I find? My perfect ten cent coin. The world is revolving around me today. Now if only my flight is this easy…. Oh, yeah I still have a couple of Akbar’s magic sleeping pills! The flight will be simple and come New York I should be ready for anything.

After a couple of Akbar’s magic pills, the flight was uneventful and I landed a mere six hours later at JFK. My friend from college, Jandiz, is letting me crash at her apartment for a few days and she had given me google worthy directions on how to make it from JFK to here house near 52nd st. and 9th ave. I took the Airtrain from JFK to Jamaica station then switched to the E train and headed into Manhattan. When I got to her place,no one was home so I gave her a call. Turns out she was still at work but another friend of mine from college, Megan, had a set a few blocks away. I hiked over there and hiked back, got into Jandiz’ place put my stuff down and showered.

It was only 10:30 and since Jandiz wasn’t supposed to be home until midnight, I went out to walk around and see whats so big about The Big Apple. After about 20 blocks I settled into a Thai restaurant for some noodles and salad and headed back to the apartment, exhausted, but excited to see my friend who  haven’t see in like 3 years. I sat on her couch and checked my email and bank accounts then just passed out. 30 minutes later I am woken up as the front door unlocks and Jandiz comes in to find me asleep on her couch. I wake up and we get to talking (and watching the Lakers game) about her job, my trip, pictures, the world, New York, and what we have each been up to for the last half decade. The night flew by and before I realized it, it was three in the morning and I was going to sleep.

It was a long ass day, and going from and Irish Breakfast to Security Checks, to Budgeting for Pints, to Flying across the ocean, to figuring out the New York train system, to wandering the Big Apple at night, to falling asleep to conversation with an old friend, really kind of takes it out of you.