so it's been decided. it's official. i will be leaving in july to go on the adventure i have been planning for years now. it's about time. i am so ready to leave everything behind and go discover what else there is out there for me.
work has definitely been a big part of my decision - too much crap to deal with and i am tired of it. i am just plain exhausted of coming into work and not knowing what to expect. of having to deal more with staff and management situations than the actual clients themselves. but that's not just why i am leaving. this is not me running away. this is me running towards the life i have always dreamed of and have been simply waiting for the opportunity to come my way.
well - here's the opportunity and im going to grab a hold of it and never let go. nothing can stop me. i won't let it.
i am so excited to see where my travels will take me. who knows - i mean, i have a general idea of where id like to go and what id like to do - but something like this is better not planned. it leaves me open to the possibility of anything.
all that said - its still a little more than a month before i get to go. i mean, hell - i still have to hand in my letter of resignation at work. that should be interesting. between that and doing a garage sale to sell my stuff and having my birthday party as a way of saying goodbye to everyone - it's going to keep me busy.
on another note: if there's one thing that i've learned in these past couple weeks - its that the world is filled with people that are content to just blindly make their way through life without ever trying to understand where they've been and what they've done and how they can move forward and challenge themselves to be better people.
i mean - fine, if your one of those people that just kinda float through life and that's cool with you - whatever. i can't judge. where i have an issue with it is when you're that type of person, but what you do is not just float - you also railroad through your experiences, damaging your relationships along the way and not ever stoping to think that maybe you had something to do with it. THAT - is where i have a huge problem. i find it so irritating that there are people out there that are so incredibly self-centered but completely unaware and in denial that they are. things are never their fault. people around them are never good enough for them. they are always the victim in every damn situation. and on top of everything else they have to be in absolute control of everything going on. they can not just sit back and let things be - they have to be the leader. they have to be the person with the ideas. they have to be the one that everyone goes to. they are in the right. they ALWAYS have everything figured out - they know it all. they have learned all they have to and figure that its everyone else that has to catch up to them.
well let me tell you something. LIFE IS NOT LIKE THAT. life is a journey in which we are all constantly learning and making mistakes and changing and growing and moving forward. sometimes life is awesome and sometimes it completely sucks. but it is how we deal with life in order to keep on trucking that counts.
the worst part about people like you is that you THINK that you come from the perspective that i am writing about. you THINK that it is people other than you that i am talking about. let me be the one to tell you that it is YOU i am talking about. if you can't remember the last time you genuinely apologized for something you did in a relationship to hurt the other person - then it is you i am talking about. if you can't remember the last time you reached out to legitamately have someone help you with a problem - then it is YOU i am talking about. if you feel as though you have all the answers to life's greatest mysteries and everyone else is wrong - it is you. if you find it frustrating that no one can ever see things your way - then it is you. if you feel as though life keeps throwing shit your way and you can't just deal with it and move on - it is you. if people are disgusted with the way you treat them, yet you feel as though you are the victim and can't see it their way - i am talking about YOU.
even say this - i know that those of you i am talking about still won't get it. that's okay. all i can focus on is bettering myself and setting boundaries so that you don't become the disease that is eating me alive. i've been there and done that and i am tired of it. no more.
no more.
i am done and i am moving on.
Sitting at a Crossroads
i find it incredibly fascinating how life persists in being so ever-changing. there is never a moment in time in which i can truely say i know where my life is going as there is always something new to explore, learn and pursue around the next corner. i love it. for the most part.
up until the last week, i made the mistake of thinking i had things figured out. i have a stable job. i have awesome friends and family. i have the ability and opportunity to explore my hobby of art and i have been loving every minute of it. especially since i've been able to continue doing everything i want to, all the while saving for my ultimate goal of going travelling for a year - starting january 2010.
the thing is, everything virtually hit the fan this past week. okay - not EVERYTHING, but pretty much all that has been continuing to keep me sticking around and not leaving for my travel adventure's early. simply put - something happened at work (that of which i can not write about right at this point) that i completely do not agree with. it goes against everythin that i stand for and believe in when it comes to working in a healthy environment. as such, this particular event has led me to re-evaluate my position of working where i am. i am left with a rather difficult choice.
do i look for a different job that will allow me less stress, but continue to give me the ability to stay on track with my travel savings account? sounds reasonable. sounds logical. sounds easy enough. but then there's option number 2. i could use this as an opportunity to leave earlier. get a workin visa and hop on that jet plane to wherever my heart desires and see where life takes me from there. i mean, why not? it's easy enough to sublet an apartment, sell all that i don't need and get my butt to the airport. a working visa would allow me the ability to continue to save until i can break free and just go. or maybe i'll just go and see how long i can make my funds last.
now how can a person choose? the reliable, responsible side of me wants to choose option 1 as it makes the most logical sense. but then the adventureous side of me is screaming that it wants to GO. life doesnt wait around for people to be ready for opportunities - it simply presents them at the time you least expect it --- and those are the life-changing, forever altering opportunities that completely challenge you to become the person you've always wanted to be.
so i guess the questions here on in lies in who it is that i want to be. do i want to be the forever responsible person that is constantly doing the "right" thing and taking risks only when they make the most sense - or do i want to be the person that everyone always hopes that one day they can be. the person that goes on a life-altering adventure and comes out of it with a book deal that will inspire people as they read of my life in the comforts of their own home.
i could so very easily be either of those people at this point. the bottom line is - a choice has to be made. do i go left or right? do i stay or go? do i take a risk or stay where it is comfortable and uncomplicated?
..... soon i will know.
up until the last week, i made the mistake of thinking i had things figured out. i have a stable job. i have awesome friends and family. i have the ability and opportunity to explore my hobby of art and i have been loving every minute of it. especially since i've been able to continue doing everything i want to, all the while saving for my ultimate goal of going travelling for a year - starting january 2010.
the thing is, everything virtually hit the fan this past week. okay - not EVERYTHING, but pretty much all that has been continuing to keep me sticking around and not leaving for my travel adventure's early. simply put - something happened at work (that of which i can not write about right at this point) that i completely do not agree with. it goes against everythin that i stand for and believe in when it comes to working in a healthy environment. as such, this particular event has led me to re-evaluate my position of working where i am. i am left with a rather difficult choice.
do i look for a different job that will allow me less stress, but continue to give me the ability to stay on track with my travel savings account? sounds reasonable. sounds logical. sounds easy enough. but then there's option number 2. i could use this as an opportunity to leave earlier. get a workin visa and hop on that jet plane to wherever my heart desires and see where life takes me from there. i mean, why not? it's easy enough to sublet an apartment, sell all that i don't need and get my butt to the airport. a working visa would allow me the ability to continue to save until i can break free and just go. or maybe i'll just go and see how long i can make my funds last.
now how can a person choose? the reliable, responsible side of me wants to choose option 1 as it makes the most logical sense. but then the adventureous side of me is screaming that it wants to GO. life doesnt wait around for people to be ready for opportunities - it simply presents them at the time you least expect it --- and those are the life-changing, forever altering opportunities that completely challenge you to become the person you've always wanted to be.
so i guess the questions here on in lies in who it is that i want to be. do i want to be the forever responsible person that is constantly doing the "right" thing and taking risks only when they make the most sense - or do i want to be the person that everyone always hopes that one day they can be. the person that goes on a life-altering adventure and comes out of it with a book deal that will inspire people as they read of my life in the comforts of their own home.
i could so very easily be either of those people at this point. the bottom line is - a choice has to be made. do i go left or right? do i stay or go? do i take a risk or stay where it is comfortable and uncomplicated?
..... soon i will know.
Bed Bugs DO Bite
so the old little kiddie song IS true - sort of.
goodnite.
sleep tight.
don't let the bed bugs bite.
if they do, take a shoe.
and smack them till.
they're black and blue.
... the thing is - i can't quite figure out how the hell a person is supposed to find the little buggers in order to give them a good smacking. first of all most people generally only get bitten while on travelling - and since bite marks from these oh-so FABULOUS creatures can show up 5-9 days AFTER nawing into our flesh, it is rare that we are still laying our heads down to sleep on the same pillow.
so. as it stands. i have been bitten - i have been chosen as the bed bugs latest feast. it's great. nothing like being covered by red, itchy spots to make me scream with joy. or just scream. it's like having the chicken pox - only my body's bigger. and i have absolutely no self-control. i. need. to. scratch.
my next goal is to figure out if i brought them home with me from my many travels of last week. my doctor has instructed me to slightly bounce the mattress to see if any of the bed bug feces (yummy) are catapulted into the air. sounds sinple enough only when i came home tonight to do such a task - i realized something. there is no possible way to figure out if what is hanging out on my mattress sheets is actually bed bug feces or simply some pieces of dust and dirt that i've transferred on there from my day-to-day activities. joy.
so now what? all i have left to do is lather my itchy body in as much lotion as it can handle, spray with a top coat of bug spray and try to get comfortable for a long night of non-scratching behavior. it's also comforting to know that if i HAVE brought the bed bugs home that they could be lurkin in the corners, burying themselves in my wall or hanging out in my many articles of clothing -- just waiting for that opportune moment to bite again.
if only i had night vision goggles and the reflexes of a ninja. then we would see who was black and blue.................
goodnite.
sleep tight.
don't let the bed bugs bite.
if they do, take a shoe.
and smack them till.
they're black and blue.
... the thing is - i can't quite figure out how the hell a person is supposed to find the little buggers in order to give them a good smacking. first of all most people generally only get bitten while on travelling - and since bite marks from these oh-so FABULOUS creatures can show up 5-9 days AFTER nawing into our flesh, it is rare that we are still laying our heads down to sleep on the same pillow.
so. as it stands. i have been bitten - i have been chosen as the bed bugs latest feast. it's great. nothing like being covered by red, itchy spots to make me scream with joy. or just scream. it's like having the chicken pox - only my body's bigger. and i have absolutely no self-control. i. need. to. scratch.
my next goal is to figure out if i brought them home with me from my many travels of last week. my doctor has instructed me to slightly bounce the mattress to see if any of the bed bug feces (yummy) are catapulted into the air. sounds sinple enough only when i came home tonight to do such a task - i realized something. there is no possible way to figure out if what is hanging out on my mattress sheets is actually bed bug feces or simply some pieces of dust and dirt that i've transferred on there from my day-to-day activities. joy.
so now what? all i have left to do is lather my itchy body in as much lotion as it can handle, spray with a top coat of bug spray and try to get comfortable for a long night of non-scratching behavior. it's also comforting to know that if i HAVE brought the bed bugs home that they could be lurkin in the corners, burying themselves in my wall or hanging out in my many articles of clothing -- just waiting for that opportune moment to bite again.
if only i had night vision goggles and the reflexes of a ninja. then we would see who was black and blue.................
new york - day 4
MAY 3
i finally got to my "home" day and i was ready to actually go home. this is a very rare occurrance for me with my love of travelling. usually im contemplating how i would go about moving to the place i was visiting - but not this time. i was done. i dont know if that was because i was travelling alone or that im simply not the new yorker or internally, i AM a new yorker - but my potential new york bitchiness scared the heck out of me. either way - i was ready to fly home.
i had set my phones alarm the night before to go off at 4:45am in the morning as my plane left at 8:30am and i wanted plenty of time to get there. after all, i had to get dressed, check out, walk to the subway, take the subway to the train station, take the train to the air train, take the air train to my terminal, check in, go through security and then board the plane.
thing is. i woke up at 5:15am. turns out i had set my alarm for PM instead of AM. i was late. joy. i busted my butt to get dressed, throw everything in my bag and run down the 4 flights of stairs to check-out. after that then i ran (as fast as i could with a 2 tonne bag hanging from my shoulder) to the subway station. it was then that i remembered. i had forgotten that the station closest to my hostel was under construction. so i had to take the subway uptown one station, switch trains and then backtrack downtown. fantabulous.
so i went on the subway for uptown - i found a seat. happened to be right across from a bunch of really cute guys. they were all coming back from some night out on the town. we starting in on the small talk - sports we play and such, when they asked me what i was up to. i told them that i was on my way to go to the airport to go back to canada. then another guy sitting next to me mentioned that i was going the wrong direction if i was trying to get to penn station. oops. i had travelled an extra couple stops uptown further than what i was supposed to. crappy.
i got off at the next stop and switched to the other side of the tracks. i then waited for the next train. i waited. and waited. and waited some more. while i was waiting this sketchy looking homeless man with an eye patch (yes, an eye patch) stood nearbye staring me down with his one good eye and his hand down his pants. lovely. just lovely. there was no where else for me to go. i was trapped underground waiting for a train i HAD to get on with a perverted man keeping an eye on me. literally.
FINALLY the subway came and i made sure that i was on a separte train car than the perv. only i forgot one thing - in new york a person can switch train cars while the train is moving via the little door between the cars. well - not too long after we started going, mr. perv-man came along to sell his thoughts on how he wanted a cup of coffee for breakfast and hoped someone would fund his need. i averted my eyes from his one eye-patched face. eventually he moved on to the next train.
at last the train stopped at the penn station. i raced out and found the line-up to buy tickets. i stood ever so patiently in line until it was my turn. i went up to the window and requested a ticket to the newark airport. the lady politely informed me that i was in the wrong lineup and that i needed to go over to where the new jersey transit booths were. not the new york ones. *sigh*
i went over and got my train ticket. i then checked the train times. turns out i had missed the train by 2 minutes. 2 MINUTES. next train was scheduled for 7:07am. nearly an hour later. my plane was scheduled for 8:30am and i was still in new york. i wasn't even in new jersey yet. the anxiety set in. i couldn't breathe. i played it cool.
the train came on schedule. i hopped on it and crossed my fingers for a speedy trip. i got to the air train station and rode it to the terminal - the LAST stop (of course) on the track. i then ran to the airline counter to check in.
i got to the front and the lady promptly told me that i was late. apparantly the flight was scheduled to leave at 8:15 - NOT 8:30am like i had thought. it was currently 7:40am. i informed her that i REALIZED that i was cutting it close and hoped i could still get on the flight. she told me i couldn't and that the next flight wasn't until the following day. i asked her what my options were. she told me that i might be able to go through toronto. i asked her to check and silently prayed i wouldn't be stuck trying to find something to do at the airport for the rest of the day. all of a sudden she shoves a ticket in my hand and tells me to run to gate 11. i asked her about my bag. she told me that i had said i didn't have a bag. i told her she never asked. she was convinced she had asked. i didn't have time to argue with her. i simply asked if it was okay to use it as carry-on. she said yes.
off i ran. straight to security. i went through and then they pulled me aside to check through my bag. i had forgotten to pull out my shampoos and lotions and such. of course. they cleared me and i ran to my gate. the lady at the gate saw me approaching, glares at me and asks if i was "hopkins." i said yes, apologized and went on the plane to find my seat.
it was then i saw him. a young guy in his late 20s sitting there next to my empty window seat. i excused myself to get past him and sat down. i was thrilled to have someone to talk to for my flight - someone that was decent looking and within my age group. that NEVER happens to me. i asked him for the time and he told me it was 8:03am. sweetness. i was still all high on my adrenaline that i was stoked to have someone to share my story with. i started with my opening line and he promptlly grunted at me and then fell asleep.
he slept the entire flight.
when he FINALLY woke up (still not talking to me or even glancing my way) he filled out his canadian customs card.
i sneaked a peak.
his name was collin hughes. he was from fort mcmurray.
i know who he is. don't know what i would do with that information - but still. i was rather proud of my spy skills.
needless to say, i made it home without further incident.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
***
i finally got to my "home" day and i was ready to actually go home. this is a very rare occurrance for me with my love of travelling. usually im contemplating how i would go about moving to the place i was visiting - but not this time. i was done. i dont know if that was because i was travelling alone or that im simply not the new yorker or internally, i AM a new yorker - but my potential new york bitchiness scared the heck out of me. either way - i was ready to fly home.
i had set my phones alarm the night before to go off at 4:45am in the morning as my plane left at 8:30am and i wanted plenty of time to get there. after all, i had to get dressed, check out, walk to the subway, take the subway to the train station, take the train to the air train, take the air train to my terminal, check in, go through security and then board the plane.
thing is. i woke up at 5:15am. turns out i had set my alarm for PM instead of AM. i was late. joy. i busted my butt to get dressed, throw everything in my bag and run down the 4 flights of stairs to check-out. after that then i ran (as fast as i could with a 2 tonne bag hanging from my shoulder) to the subway station. it was then that i remembered. i had forgotten that the station closest to my hostel was under construction. so i had to take the subway uptown one station, switch trains and then backtrack downtown. fantabulous.
so i went on the subway for uptown - i found a seat. happened to be right across from a bunch of really cute guys. they were all coming back from some night out on the town. we starting in on the small talk - sports we play and such, when they asked me what i was up to. i told them that i was on my way to go to the airport to go back to canada. then another guy sitting next to me mentioned that i was going the wrong direction if i was trying to get to penn station. oops. i had travelled an extra couple stops uptown further than what i was supposed to. crappy.
i got off at the next stop and switched to the other side of the tracks. i then waited for the next train. i waited. and waited. and waited some more. while i was waiting this sketchy looking homeless man with an eye patch (yes, an eye patch) stood nearbye staring me down with his one good eye and his hand down his pants. lovely. just lovely. there was no where else for me to go. i was trapped underground waiting for a train i HAD to get on with a perverted man keeping an eye on me. literally.
FINALLY the subway came and i made sure that i was on a separte train car than the perv. only i forgot one thing - in new york a person can switch train cars while the train is moving via the little door between the cars. well - not too long after we started going, mr. perv-man came along to sell his thoughts on how he wanted a cup of coffee for breakfast and hoped someone would fund his need. i averted my eyes from his one eye-patched face. eventually he moved on to the next train.
at last the train stopped at the penn station. i raced out and found the line-up to buy tickets. i stood ever so patiently in line until it was my turn. i went up to the window and requested a ticket to the newark airport. the lady politely informed me that i was in the wrong lineup and that i needed to go over to where the new jersey transit booths were. not the new york ones. *sigh*
i went over and got my train ticket. i then checked the train times. turns out i had missed the train by 2 minutes. 2 MINUTES. next train was scheduled for 7:07am. nearly an hour later. my plane was scheduled for 8:30am and i was still in new york. i wasn't even in new jersey yet. the anxiety set in. i couldn't breathe. i played it cool.
the train came on schedule. i hopped on it and crossed my fingers for a speedy trip. i got to the air train station and rode it to the terminal - the LAST stop (of course) on the track. i then ran to the airline counter to check in.
i got to the front and the lady promptly told me that i was late. apparantly the flight was scheduled to leave at 8:15 - NOT 8:30am like i had thought. it was currently 7:40am. i informed her that i REALIZED that i was cutting it close and hoped i could still get on the flight. she told me i couldn't and that the next flight wasn't until the following day. i asked her what my options were. she told me that i might be able to go through toronto. i asked her to check and silently prayed i wouldn't be stuck trying to find something to do at the airport for the rest of the day. all of a sudden she shoves a ticket in my hand and tells me to run to gate 11. i asked her about my bag. she told me that i had said i didn't have a bag. i told her she never asked. she was convinced she had asked. i didn't have time to argue with her. i simply asked if it was okay to use it as carry-on. she said yes.
off i ran. straight to security. i went through and then they pulled me aside to check through my bag. i had forgotten to pull out my shampoos and lotions and such. of course. they cleared me and i ran to my gate. the lady at the gate saw me approaching, glares at me and asks if i was "hopkins." i said yes, apologized and went on the plane to find my seat.
it was then i saw him. a young guy in his late 20s sitting there next to my empty window seat. i excused myself to get past him and sat down. i was thrilled to have someone to talk to for my flight - someone that was decent looking and within my age group. that NEVER happens to me. i asked him for the time and he told me it was 8:03am. sweetness. i was still all high on my adrenaline that i was stoked to have someone to share my story with. i started with my opening line and he promptlly grunted at me and then fell asleep.
he slept the entire flight.
when he FINALLY woke up (still not talking to me or even glancing my way) he filled out his canadian customs card.
i sneaked a peak.
his name was collin hughes. he was from fort mcmurray.
i know who he is. don't know what i would do with that information - but still. i was rather proud of my spy skills.
needless to say, i made it home without further incident.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
***
new york - day 3
MAY 2
alrighty. so i started this day off with a bang by heading down to times square as soon as i was ready to go for my day. i got there and was completely in awe of everything there was to see. part of me had always suspected that when times square is shown in advertisments, movies or on tv that they exaggerate just how grand times square really is. but they dont. it really is just as flashy, bright, packed full of people as what theyve displayed to the world. i took a deep breath and jumped right in.
i walked around. and then i walked some more. i walked until my feet were tired and then i continued walking - all the way to the rockefeller centre - to which they wanted to charge me $20 to go to the observation deck up top. screw that - why would i pay that when its not even the empire state building and i had already seen the statue of liberty for so cheap ($12)? so i left there and stopped off for lunch before figuring i might as well go try to find where the brooklyn bridge was. so i walked some more.
and i walked.
and i walked.
finally, i found a port of which had some old school ships docked there. there was some shops and some booths around so i did some exploring. there wasnt very many people there so it was nice. and then i found a bench and took it all in. i hadnt quite made it to the brooklyn bridge - but it was right next to me, larger than life.
gawd, that bench was nice. that was one thing that i found in new york - there is NO BENCHES anywhere -- no wonder everyone is so skinny and fit. people are FORCED to walk and keep moving because there is no where to sit and relax. they only have seats if you want to go get something to eat or go to a broadway. otherwise, a person is stuck on their own 2 feet. there was many time i was wishing i was old enough to have one of those walkers that has the seat built right into them as i feared that at some point my feet were just going to fall right off from pure exhaustion.
anyway, back to my bench on the shoreline. it was pure bliss. i took it all in and just relaxed. and breathed. and then contemplated why in hell there was no beaches anywhere in sight. new york is an ISLAND SURROUNDED BY WATER. and not once did i see a beach. maybe there is some, i dont know - but they sure werent advertised and even if they were i bet theres a million rules to abide by in order to "enjoy" such a thing as there was with central park.
as it were, i enjoyed my bench thouroughly then started walking again to get to the bridge. from my original viewing point, it looked as though it would be quite lovely to walk across it. well - when i rounded the corner to get on the path that stretched across the bridge, i came face-to-face with a sea of people. seems like every tourist in the world had the same idea. i dont know why i was so surprised at this... it IS a tourist destination. but still, i was a little shocked. it was just people. all crammed into the space for the sidewalk that reached the other side of the bridge. i took a deep breath and dove in. and i walked. all the way to the other side.
by the time i was done the bridge, i was done with people. i was done with walking. all i could think of was my quiet little hostel room across the city that i wanted to get too. so i took the subway back to the hostel, grabbed some fast food grub and went up to my room. i didnt leave until the next morning. i was beat.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
***
alrighty. so i started this day off with a bang by heading down to times square as soon as i was ready to go for my day. i got there and was completely in awe of everything there was to see. part of me had always suspected that when times square is shown in advertisments, movies or on tv that they exaggerate just how grand times square really is. but they dont. it really is just as flashy, bright, packed full of people as what theyve displayed to the world. i took a deep breath and jumped right in.
i walked around. and then i walked some more. i walked until my feet were tired and then i continued walking - all the way to the rockefeller centre - to which they wanted to charge me $20 to go to the observation deck up top. screw that - why would i pay that when its not even the empire state building and i had already seen the statue of liberty for so cheap ($12)? so i left there and stopped off for lunch before figuring i might as well go try to find where the brooklyn bridge was. so i walked some more.
and i walked.
and i walked.
finally, i found a port of which had some old school ships docked there. there was some shops and some booths around so i did some exploring. there wasnt very many people there so it was nice. and then i found a bench and took it all in. i hadnt quite made it to the brooklyn bridge - but it was right next to me, larger than life.
gawd, that bench was nice. that was one thing that i found in new york - there is NO BENCHES anywhere -- no wonder everyone is so skinny and fit. people are FORCED to walk and keep moving because there is no where to sit and relax. they only have seats if you want to go get something to eat or go to a broadway. otherwise, a person is stuck on their own 2 feet. there was many time i was wishing i was old enough to have one of those walkers that has the seat built right into them as i feared that at some point my feet were just going to fall right off from pure exhaustion.
anyway, back to my bench on the shoreline. it was pure bliss. i took it all in and just relaxed. and breathed. and then contemplated why in hell there was no beaches anywhere in sight. new york is an ISLAND SURROUNDED BY WATER. and not once did i see a beach. maybe there is some, i dont know - but they sure werent advertised and even if they were i bet theres a million rules to abide by in order to "enjoy" such a thing as there was with central park.
as it were, i enjoyed my bench thouroughly then started walking again to get to the bridge. from my original viewing point, it looked as though it would be quite lovely to walk across it. well - when i rounded the corner to get on the path that stretched across the bridge, i came face-to-face with a sea of people. seems like every tourist in the world had the same idea. i dont know why i was so surprised at this... it IS a tourist destination. but still, i was a little shocked. it was just people. all crammed into the space for the sidewalk that reached the other side of the bridge. i took a deep breath and dove in. and i walked. all the way to the other side.
by the time i was done the bridge, i was done with people. i was done with walking. all i could think of was my quiet little hostel room across the city that i wanted to get too. so i took the subway back to the hostel, grabbed some fast food grub and went up to my room. i didnt leave until the next morning. i was beat.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
***
new york - day 2
MAY 1
well i woke up bright and early - birds a chirping, cars a honking. it was swell. i hopped in the shower and then got ready for my day. i had big plans for central park and then to go to times square. before i headed out though, i bought an umbrella from the front desk of my hostel. figured id need it given the grey skies. later on i was glad i put in the $5 for a little bit of cover from the random showers.
i then made my way out down the beautifully crafted streets of residential manhatten. i couldnt get enough of the architecture of the buildings. they all seemed so surreal and left me in awe. about 4 blocks later i reached central park. it wasnt at all like i expected. i could probably best sum it up as the most organized and rigid park i have ever been to. first off, the park is completely surrounded by a wrought iron fence (save for a few designated entrances) thats emeshed with bushes and other plantlife to make it seem more "natural." at the entrances to the park there is a board that states all the rules that a park-goer must abide by. they include things such as:
• all dogs in city parks must be restrained by a leash no longer than six feet in length.
• unless otherwise prohibited, dogs may be unleashed within designated parks or portions of a park between the hours of 9 pm and 9 am.
• all dogs must wear a license tag and proof of vaccination against rabies.
• no dogs (leashed or unleashed) are permitted in any playground; zoo; swimming pool; fountain; ballfield; or basketball, handball, or tennis court.
• any event with more than twenty people requires a permit from parks.
• all persons must walk/run in a counterclockwise direction around the jackie onassis reservoir
• permits may be required for doing sporting activities within central park
• sporting activities can only be participated in the specified sporting areas
sheesh. i spose with 8 million people, one has to have some sort of order to how the park is maintained, but talk about making a walk in the park become as complicated as learning to drive. it definitly took the relaxation out of it for me. i beetled on through - especially after the incident in which i walked CLOCKWISE around the reservoir and got quite a few glares from those going the "right" way. it wasnt until i noticed a sign indiating the direction of travel did i understand why i was getting such dirty looks.
i figured i should move on. and i did. all the way to the MET (metropolitan museum of art). i knew that i had kept my old student card from mount royal around for a reason. i got in for the student rate. sweetness. i entered the building and stood in awe. i didnt even know where to begin. it was like a whole nother world of art. from every possible facet of the creative mind. there was statues and disware and jewellery and paintings and photography. you name it - it was there. i walked. i saw. i experienced. ive never seen so much art. i went until i could no longer feel my feet. and then i figured it was good enough time to go and grab a hot dog from one of the hot dog stands outside the met. it was a good enough time as any as when i exited the maze of creative thought there was hoards of people getting ready to come in.
i sat for a bit and enjoyed a hot dog before i found a starbucks, bought a drink and my very own copy of the new york times. had to do it. most boring paper in the world - but hey, i had to do it. from there i checked out my map and realized that it would be a good time to go check out ground zero instead of times square. so i went on the subway and made my way back downtown and then through the maze of skyscrapers to reach the site of which september 11 has become so famous for.
i was moved beyond words.
there is something about standing there that really is just so awe-inspiring. to be there, where it all happened and know that almost 8 years ago someone else was probably standing where i was, only when they looked up, they didnt see a big gapping hole in the middle of the skyscrapers. instead they saw two planes fly right into the world trade centre. you can sense the fear. the terror. envision the sight. the smells. the dust. the sound of screaming people and screeching metal on metal. i imagined what it must have been like to be running for my life from the buildings that would moments later come crashing down. sends shivers up my spine to think about it.
i couldnt get enough of it. so i decided to check out the memorial too. turns out they charge $5 to get in. that was just the student rate. i was infuriated that people have decided to try and turn a profit over such a tragic event. it should be remembered. not commercialized. that was when i backed out and around the corner - i saw it. a public memorial to which the firehall had designed a wall mural to go up and people had been able to put up pictures and flowers of things in memory of the world trade centre. THAT was what i would call a memorial.
after i had paid my dues, i made my way south to figure out where the port was to take a ferry to libery island, where the statue of liberty stands. i didnt exactly feel like taking the ferry as that would be a deliberate action according to the "i am a tourist" roll. i didnt want to play that roll. but - once i got there and weaved my way through all the tourist booths and the tourists themselves who were all geared up in their "i heart ny" t-shirts and statue of liberty foam hats i realized that i couldnt get a decent picture of the statue from the shore line. sucky. so i checked the prices of the ferry and found out that it was a measily $12 for the ferry ride that takes people out to liberty island, drops everyone off, then when ur ready to go, the ferry comes and takes everyone to ellis island (another island with a national monument on it) and then will take the people back to the mainland. i figured it was worth it. and it was. it was pretty cool to get to be that close to the statue of liberty - so long as i ignored the swarm of tourists around me that each thought THEY had the most brilliant idea in picture taking - each of them would pose with the statue of liberty in the background and then raise up THEIR right arm as if they were holding a massive flaming torch.
how original.
eventually i made it back to the mainland and figured it would be time enough to start making my way into queens, where the apw art gallery was located. well that just turned out to be one big adventure and a half.
i started taking the subway and then realized that all the maps (both the one i had and all the ones posted up in the subway stations) cut off their viewing space once the subway lines crossed over to queens. fabulous. so i was just blindly going into queens without a clue on which stop to get off at. i asked the guy sitting next to me to help me out and he tried, but didnt quite know what to say. useless.
he then stated that i must not be from around there. i agreed and told him i was from canada. he then said, "well dont you have subways where youre from?" i told him that we do, but that theres just pretty much ONE that goes straight across the city. above ground, no less. not 200 million subway option s all built on different levels underground... okay. maybe it wasnt THAT much, but in looking at my transit map again - i counted a total of 26 options. 26!! thats crazy!!
i finally just got off one one particular stop as i could only go off of my vague sense of the map i had looked at weeks ago on my home computer of how to get to apw gallery. once i reached the ground again, it was pouring rain. i opened up my umbrella and walked to the first person i saw. i asked for directions to van dam street and she stated that i just had to go up a block, across the road bridge and i would see it by a hotel. i thanked her and off i went.
well - about 4 blocks later, im seeing no signs of anything related to what she said, so i asked another guy at a gas station. he said i just had to go up one more block, turn left, and id be on van dam street. i did what he said, turned left and all i saw was thompson street. i turned left and asked the next guy. he stated that i just had to cross the bridge in front of me and then it would be there. i crossed the bridge. still no damn van dam street. *sigh*
finally, i asked my final victim for directions. he said, not to worry - i was ON van dam street. i informed him that all i saw was signs for thompson street. he was like, yeah - this IS thompson street. i asked for clarification, as i was completely confused. if the street i was on was van dam street - one should advertise it as such. a street can not simply have 2 names. he finally got what i meant and informed me that i had to walk another 2 blocks and turn right (AWAY from thompson street) and i would be on van dam street. geez. apparantly new yorkers need directions on how to give directions --- i had just walked in one big square for about 15 blocks.
eventually i made it to the apw gallery, soaked pretty much head to toe as it had been raining a better part of my trying to find the gallery and, well, umbrellas only cover so much when traffic would drive through puddles and send a wave of water horizontal in my direction with no escape in sight.
the exhibition was pretty cool - lots of interesting art. the biggest thing i learned was that i completely underpriced my art. i had mine posted at a max of $50 usd and the average person there would price between $200-300 dollars. there was some as high as $1000 there. for a record! it was crazy.... but hey - that was the whole point of me going in the first place - as a learning experience.
i didnt stay long, as through all the walking i had done that day, i was exhausted. i made my way back to the subway (only 2 blocks away from the gallery) and went directly back to my hostel. i promptly fell asleep.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
***
well i woke up bright and early - birds a chirping, cars a honking. it was swell. i hopped in the shower and then got ready for my day. i had big plans for central park and then to go to times square. before i headed out though, i bought an umbrella from the front desk of my hostel. figured id need it given the grey skies. later on i was glad i put in the $5 for a little bit of cover from the random showers.
i then made my way out down the beautifully crafted streets of residential manhatten. i couldnt get enough of the architecture of the buildings. they all seemed so surreal and left me in awe. about 4 blocks later i reached central park. it wasnt at all like i expected. i could probably best sum it up as the most organized and rigid park i have ever been to. first off, the park is completely surrounded by a wrought iron fence (save for a few designated entrances) thats emeshed with bushes and other plantlife to make it seem more "natural." at the entrances to the park there is a board that states all the rules that a park-goer must abide by. they include things such as:
• all dogs in city parks must be restrained by a leash no longer than six feet in length.
• unless otherwise prohibited, dogs may be unleashed within designated parks or portions of a park between the hours of 9 pm and 9 am.
• all dogs must wear a license tag and proof of vaccination against rabies.
• no dogs (leashed or unleashed) are permitted in any playground; zoo; swimming pool; fountain; ballfield; or basketball, handball, or tennis court.
• any event with more than twenty people requires a permit from parks.
• all persons must walk/run in a counterclockwise direction around the jackie onassis reservoir
• permits may be required for doing sporting activities within central park
• sporting activities can only be participated in the specified sporting areas
sheesh. i spose with 8 million people, one has to have some sort of order to how the park is maintained, but talk about making a walk in the park become as complicated as learning to drive. it definitly took the relaxation out of it for me. i beetled on through - especially after the incident in which i walked CLOCKWISE around the reservoir and got quite a few glares from those going the "right" way. it wasnt until i noticed a sign indiating the direction of travel did i understand why i was getting such dirty looks.
i figured i should move on. and i did. all the way to the MET (metropolitan museum of art). i knew that i had kept my old student card from mount royal around for a reason. i got in for the student rate. sweetness. i entered the building and stood in awe. i didnt even know where to begin. it was like a whole nother world of art. from every possible facet of the creative mind. there was statues and disware and jewellery and paintings and photography. you name it - it was there. i walked. i saw. i experienced. ive never seen so much art. i went until i could no longer feel my feet. and then i figured it was good enough time to go and grab a hot dog from one of the hot dog stands outside the met. it was a good enough time as any as when i exited the maze of creative thought there was hoards of people getting ready to come in.
i sat for a bit and enjoyed a hot dog before i found a starbucks, bought a drink and my very own copy of the new york times. had to do it. most boring paper in the world - but hey, i had to do it. from there i checked out my map and realized that it would be a good time to go check out ground zero instead of times square. so i went on the subway and made my way back downtown and then through the maze of skyscrapers to reach the site of which september 11 has become so famous for.
i was moved beyond words.
there is something about standing there that really is just so awe-inspiring. to be there, where it all happened and know that almost 8 years ago someone else was probably standing where i was, only when they looked up, they didnt see a big gapping hole in the middle of the skyscrapers. instead they saw two planes fly right into the world trade centre. you can sense the fear. the terror. envision the sight. the smells. the dust. the sound of screaming people and screeching metal on metal. i imagined what it must have been like to be running for my life from the buildings that would moments later come crashing down. sends shivers up my spine to think about it.
i couldnt get enough of it. so i decided to check out the memorial too. turns out they charge $5 to get in. that was just the student rate. i was infuriated that people have decided to try and turn a profit over such a tragic event. it should be remembered. not commercialized. that was when i backed out and around the corner - i saw it. a public memorial to which the firehall had designed a wall mural to go up and people had been able to put up pictures and flowers of things in memory of the world trade centre. THAT was what i would call a memorial.
after i had paid my dues, i made my way south to figure out where the port was to take a ferry to libery island, where the statue of liberty stands. i didnt exactly feel like taking the ferry as that would be a deliberate action according to the "i am a tourist" roll. i didnt want to play that roll. but - once i got there and weaved my way through all the tourist booths and the tourists themselves who were all geared up in their "i heart ny" t-shirts and statue of liberty foam hats i realized that i couldnt get a decent picture of the statue from the shore line. sucky. so i checked the prices of the ferry and found out that it was a measily $12 for the ferry ride that takes people out to liberty island, drops everyone off, then when ur ready to go, the ferry comes and takes everyone to ellis island (another island with a national monument on it) and then will take the people back to the mainland. i figured it was worth it. and it was. it was pretty cool to get to be that close to the statue of liberty - so long as i ignored the swarm of tourists around me that each thought THEY had the most brilliant idea in picture taking - each of them would pose with the statue of liberty in the background and then raise up THEIR right arm as if they were holding a massive flaming torch.
how original.
eventually i made it back to the mainland and figured it would be time enough to start making my way into queens, where the apw art gallery was located. well that just turned out to be one big adventure and a half.
i started taking the subway and then realized that all the maps (both the one i had and all the ones posted up in the subway stations) cut off their viewing space once the subway lines crossed over to queens. fabulous. so i was just blindly going into queens without a clue on which stop to get off at. i asked the guy sitting next to me to help me out and he tried, but didnt quite know what to say. useless.
he then stated that i must not be from around there. i agreed and told him i was from canada. he then said, "well dont you have subways where youre from?" i told him that we do, but that theres just pretty much ONE that goes straight across the city. above ground, no less. not 200 million subway option s all built on different levels underground... okay. maybe it wasnt THAT much, but in looking at my transit map again - i counted a total of 26 options. 26!! thats crazy!!
i finally just got off one one particular stop as i could only go off of my vague sense of the map i had looked at weeks ago on my home computer of how to get to apw gallery. once i reached the ground again, it was pouring rain. i opened up my umbrella and walked to the first person i saw. i asked for directions to van dam street and she stated that i just had to go up a block, across the road bridge and i would see it by a hotel. i thanked her and off i went.
well - about 4 blocks later, im seeing no signs of anything related to what she said, so i asked another guy at a gas station. he said i just had to go up one more block, turn left, and id be on van dam street. i did what he said, turned left and all i saw was thompson street. i turned left and asked the next guy. he stated that i just had to cross the bridge in front of me and then it would be there. i crossed the bridge. still no damn van dam street. *sigh*
finally, i asked my final victim for directions. he said, not to worry - i was ON van dam street. i informed him that all i saw was signs for thompson street. he was like, yeah - this IS thompson street. i asked for clarification, as i was completely confused. if the street i was on was van dam street - one should advertise it as such. a street can not simply have 2 names. he finally got what i meant and informed me that i had to walk another 2 blocks and turn right (AWAY from thompson street) and i would be on van dam street. geez. apparantly new yorkers need directions on how to give directions --- i had just walked in one big square for about 15 blocks.
eventually i made it to the apw gallery, soaked pretty much head to toe as it had been raining a better part of my trying to find the gallery and, well, umbrellas only cover so much when traffic would drive through puddles and send a wave of water horizontal in my direction with no escape in sight.
the exhibition was pretty cool - lots of interesting art. the biggest thing i learned was that i completely underpriced my art. i had mine posted at a max of $50 usd and the average person there would price between $200-300 dollars. there was some as high as $1000 there. for a record! it was crazy.... but hey - that was the whole point of me going in the first place - as a learning experience.
i didnt stay long, as through all the walking i had done that day, i was exhausted. i made my way back to the subway (only 2 blocks away from the gallery) and went directly back to my hostel. i promptly fell asleep.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
***
new york - day 1
APRIL 30
i made it to my gate at the airport with PLENTY of time (1.5hrs) to spare. i never quite understood why "they" highly recommend a person to be hours early for their flight as every time i have ever flown (with the exception to coming home from this trip as you will later read) i have always been bored twiddling my thumbs (believe me, this is what i do) in the waiting area at my gate. this time i made it thru security and customs within 30 minutes. i'm a prostar. joy.
thing is, this trip almost didn't even happen at all. i had made the executive decision to do a last-minute booking on my flight for this trip. as i am saving to go travelling for a longer extension of time in the near future, i figured it would be good practice to see what all this "last-minute" fuss is all about. plus, if i could save a couple extra bucks, i wouldn't complain.
april 28 was to be my date to book the flight to leave on april 30. i figure 2 days was a good choice of time before leaving in order to book the flight. i was going to do it online. bing-bang-boom. done. one SMALL problem - my roomie and i decided to do a sponanteous road trip into none other than the small rural towns of northern alberta (we would have gone south, but a snowstorm blocked our path). i figured i would find somewhere with internet no problem. apparantly i was wrong. there aren't many places with internet when the town has enough trouble trying to get subway to park its butt there.
fortunately, we found internet at an information site for slave lake. i was already to book my flight, credit card in hand, but the site kept bumping me out of the bookin page. i finally just took down flight centre's phone number and decided to call later. well, later turned out to be TOO late as they were closed. so then i figured that i would simply just stop in at the airport on our way back into calgary on april 29 to buy a ticket. no big deal. problem solved.
we finished our road trip and zipped our way straight on over to the calgary airport. i waltzed in there and went up to the ticketing booth of an airline and told them id like to book a ticket to new york. for tomorrow (april 30). the lady typed in the information and told me that would be approximately $3000. i practically yelled at her in my shock at how ridiculous that was for me to pay $3000 for a 3-day trip to new york. hell, i could pay half that and do a round trip to australia. course - it would take me a day and a half to get there and the same to get back, but still.... the ticketing agent told me that this ridiculous price was because the flight was last minute and all their planes were booked up. so REALLY - what she was saying was that i could pay $3000 to MAYBE get a seat on the plane for the next day. she apparantly caught onto my discontent and told me to go check with another airline. i stated that this would be a good idea.
so i skipped over a few booths and talked to the next airline agent. gave her the same story and she typed in my information. SHE could get me on the flight for the oh-so-fabulous price of $1400. OMG. who the hell would pay THAT for new york?? everything online isn't asking for more than $500. i told her that there was no way in the world that i could afford that. she said she understood and recommended to check online one last time. so that's what i did.
me and my roomie continued back to our apartment and i immediately pulled up flight centre, typed in the info and got a DIRECT FLIGHT for $500. freaking sweet.
***
all my roadtrip pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
***
sooooooooo.... back to the airport - i made it. no issues. well - except for the fact that they confiscated my body butter from my purse. i don't have a clue what they expect that people will do with body butter. i mean, really - i got a pen in my purse. i got keys. even bobby pins are goin to do WAY more damage than body butter. but hey - i aint the professional here.
i even was the first one at my gate so i got to sit in one of those awesome black leather chairs that are always hanging out by the windows. i swear, one of these days i am just goin to go to the airport to see if i can figure out a way to jack one of the chairs without them knowing. they are pretty much heaven.
moving on - i took the flight and arrived in NEWARK international airport (new jersey). that's right people. some genious out there decided that it would be ideal to put an airport on the border of new york and call it newark airport. try to distinguish those 2 when you talk and see if you get as confused as i did. either way - i made it.
next mission was to exchange my money. between having the mini roadtrip right before my journey to new york and my own personal belief that travelling does not have to be all pre-arranged.... i had not done this. as such, i did not have any money to travel anywhere outside of that international airport. i made a beeline to the first currency exchange booth. she was closed. she directed me to another terminal via the "air train" (a mini train that allows people to travel quickly between terminals and parking lots). i hopped on and went zipping along the tracks to terminal "b." i felt like i had just jumped into the cartoon of the jetsons and was on some space mobile thing. oh - what a sheltered life i lead in the "small" city of calgary. haha.
i entered terminal b and asked for directions. i raced through the terminal to make it there as quick as possible as who knows when this currency booth would close. should it close, id be stuck at the airport until morning. well - maybe it wouldnt have been THAT severe as i did have my trusty visa tucked away in my bag too. not that it mattered - i made it to the currency booth and got some good ol' (and completely uncolouful) usa moolah. as newark airport is in new jersey, i asked what the best route was to get to new york. the guy directed me to take the air train to the train station and then from there take the subway to my hostel.
i don't think i've ever been on so many train rails in my life. i hoped on the air train to the train station. check. i bought my train ticket to new york. $15. check. i then scanned my ticket and waited (patiently, i might add) for the entrance doors to open. they didn't. i scanned my ticket again. they still didn't open. as i'm sitting there with my furrowed brow tryin to figure this thing out, i notice the guard at the gate is trying to tell me something. yeah, that's right - he's telling me to go to the LEFT of the scanner rather than the RIGHT. geez. they should have signs or something. the left side of my scanner hung wide open, waiting for me to race through like a horse at the track races. i did just that.
i then got on the train. my ticket was checked by one of the train workers. i gazed out the window. it was then i noticed the time of day was getting later. so late - in fact - that there wasn't much light left at all. one would assume that it would be common sense to ensure that the signs indicating which stop a person is at would be illuminated in the blackness. or - at the very least - the conductor could announce which stop is next. neither happened. it wasn't until everyone on the train got off that i figured i should probably get off too and see which stop i was at. fortunately it was the right one and i continued on.
when i got off the plateform, i came face-to-face with a swarm of people at the train station. it was like the calgary stampede, only without the country music and smell of manure. i stood there stunned as the world appeared to spin around me. surreal.
once i found my focus again, i went to the information booth and asked how i would go about getting to my hostel. he told me to jump on subway 1. right. sounds easy enough. that was until i turned around to meet the maze of an underground mini-city that appeared to be an endless array of tunnels, all leading to some mysterious place sounding of screeching metal as the trains came to a halt at each stop. at least i found the #1 easy enough. i hopped on. all i had to do is wait for the stop on 96 st.
34 st.
28 st.
23 st.
18 st.
14 st.
it was about at this point that i noticed the numbers were goin down rather than up. as i did not have a map at this point, i hoped that new york was built like calgary where once the numbers got to downtown, they went the other way. this was not entirely the case.
christopher st.
houston st.
canal st.
franklin st.
chambers st.
at this point i got off. i found a map and looked at it. sure enough - i was going the wrong direction. i worked myself through the maze of subway tunnels and found a #1 going the other way. i got on. 17 stops later and one conversation where i asked for directions (again) - i made it to my hostel. completely exhausted.
i paid my fee and was so thrilled at the prospect that i could finally put my bag down and get a good night sleep. it was then that the guy at the counter stated that they were all out of the 6-bed dorm room that i had signed up for. he stated he would "have" to put me in a single room. i didn't complain. it was like a sweet gift from heaven to be able to have my own room for peace and quiet. i happily skipped (mentally, my legs were tired) up those 4 flights of stairs to my tiny room. i promptly lay down and fell asleep.
made it to new york.
check.
sleep.
check.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
***
i made it to my gate at the airport with PLENTY of time (1.5hrs) to spare. i never quite understood why "they" highly recommend a person to be hours early for their flight as every time i have ever flown (with the exception to coming home from this trip as you will later read) i have always been bored twiddling my thumbs (believe me, this is what i do) in the waiting area at my gate. this time i made it thru security and customs within 30 minutes. i'm a prostar. joy.
thing is, this trip almost didn't even happen at all. i had made the executive decision to do a last-minute booking on my flight for this trip. as i am saving to go travelling for a longer extension of time in the near future, i figured it would be good practice to see what all this "last-minute" fuss is all about. plus, if i could save a couple extra bucks, i wouldn't complain.
april 28 was to be my date to book the flight to leave on april 30. i figure 2 days was a good choice of time before leaving in order to book the flight. i was going to do it online. bing-bang-boom. done. one SMALL problem - my roomie and i decided to do a sponanteous road trip into none other than the small rural towns of northern alberta (we would have gone south, but a snowstorm blocked our path). i figured i would find somewhere with internet no problem. apparantly i was wrong. there aren't many places with internet when the town has enough trouble trying to get subway to park its butt there.
fortunately, we found internet at an information site for slave lake. i was already to book my flight, credit card in hand, but the site kept bumping me out of the bookin page. i finally just took down flight centre's phone number and decided to call later. well, later turned out to be TOO late as they were closed. so then i figured that i would simply just stop in at the airport on our way back into calgary on april 29 to buy a ticket. no big deal. problem solved.
we finished our road trip and zipped our way straight on over to the calgary airport. i waltzed in there and went up to the ticketing booth of an airline and told them id like to book a ticket to new york. for tomorrow (april 30). the lady typed in the information and told me that would be approximately $3000. i practically yelled at her in my shock at how ridiculous that was for me to pay $3000 for a 3-day trip to new york. hell, i could pay half that and do a round trip to australia. course - it would take me a day and a half to get there and the same to get back, but still.... the ticketing agent told me that this ridiculous price was because the flight was last minute and all their planes were booked up. so REALLY - what she was saying was that i could pay $3000 to MAYBE get a seat on the plane for the next day. she apparantly caught onto my discontent and told me to go check with another airline. i stated that this would be a good idea.
so i skipped over a few booths and talked to the next airline agent. gave her the same story and she typed in my information. SHE could get me on the flight for the oh-so-fabulous price of $1400. OMG. who the hell would pay THAT for new york?? everything online isn't asking for more than $500. i told her that there was no way in the world that i could afford that. she said she understood and recommended to check online one last time. so that's what i did.
me and my roomie continued back to our apartment and i immediately pulled up flight centre, typed in the info and got a DIRECT FLIGHT for $500. freaking sweet.
***
all my roadtrip pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
***
sooooooooo.... back to the airport - i made it. no issues. well - except for the fact that they confiscated my body butter from my purse. i don't have a clue what they expect that people will do with body butter. i mean, really - i got a pen in my purse. i got keys. even bobby pins are goin to do WAY more damage than body butter. but hey - i aint the professional here.
i even was the first one at my gate so i got to sit in one of those awesome black leather chairs that are always hanging out by the windows. i swear, one of these days i am just goin to go to the airport to see if i can figure out a way to jack one of the chairs without them knowing. they are pretty much heaven.
moving on - i took the flight and arrived in NEWARK international airport (new jersey). that's right people. some genious out there decided that it would be ideal to put an airport on the border of new york and call it newark airport. try to distinguish those 2 when you talk and see if you get as confused as i did. either way - i made it.
next mission was to exchange my money. between having the mini roadtrip right before my journey to new york and my own personal belief that travelling does not have to be all pre-arranged.... i had not done this. as such, i did not have any money to travel anywhere outside of that international airport. i made a beeline to the first currency exchange booth. she was closed. she directed me to another terminal via the "air train" (a mini train that allows people to travel quickly between terminals and parking lots). i hopped on and went zipping along the tracks to terminal "b." i felt like i had just jumped into the cartoon of the jetsons and was on some space mobile thing. oh - what a sheltered life i lead in the "small" city of calgary. haha.
i entered terminal b and asked for directions. i raced through the terminal to make it there as quick as possible as who knows when this currency booth would close. should it close, id be stuck at the airport until morning. well - maybe it wouldnt have been THAT severe as i did have my trusty visa tucked away in my bag too. not that it mattered - i made it to the currency booth and got some good ol' (and completely uncolouful) usa moolah. as newark airport is in new jersey, i asked what the best route was to get to new york. the guy directed me to take the air train to the train station and then from there take the subway to my hostel.
i don't think i've ever been on so many train rails in my life. i hoped on the air train to the train station. check. i bought my train ticket to new york. $15. check. i then scanned my ticket and waited (patiently, i might add) for the entrance doors to open. they didn't. i scanned my ticket again. they still didn't open. as i'm sitting there with my furrowed brow tryin to figure this thing out, i notice the guard at the gate is trying to tell me something. yeah, that's right - he's telling me to go to the LEFT of the scanner rather than the RIGHT. geez. they should have signs or something. the left side of my scanner hung wide open, waiting for me to race through like a horse at the track races. i did just that.
i then got on the train. my ticket was checked by one of the train workers. i gazed out the window. it was then i noticed the time of day was getting later. so late - in fact - that there wasn't much light left at all. one would assume that it would be common sense to ensure that the signs indicating which stop a person is at would be illuminated in the blackness. or - at the very least - the conductor could announce which stop is next. neither happened. it wasn't until everyone on the train got off that i figured i should probably get off too and see which stop i was at. fortunately it was the right one and i continued on.
when i got off the plateform, i came face-to-face with a swarm of people at the train station. it was like the calgary stampede, only without the country music and smell of manure. i stood there stunned as the world appeared to spin around me. surreal.
once i found my focus again, i went to the information booth and asked how i would go about getting to my hostel. he told me to jump on subway 1. right. sounds easy enough. that was until i turned around to meet the maze of an underground mini-city that appeared to be an endless array of tunnels, all leading to some mysterious place sounding of screeching metal as the trains came to a halt at each stop. at least i found the #1 easy enough. i hopped on. all i had to do is wait for the stop on 96 st.
34 st.
28 st.
23 st.
18 st.
14 st.
it was about at this point that i noticed the numbers were goin down rather than up. as i did not have a map at this point, i hoped that new york was built like calgary where once the numbers got to downtown, they went the other way. this was not entirely the case.
christopher st.
houston st.
canal st.
franklin st.
chambers st.
at this point i got off. i found a map and looked at it. sure enough - i was going the wrong direction. i worked myself through the maze of subway tunnels and found a #1 going the other way. i got on. 17 stops later and one conversation where i asked for directions (again) - i made it to my hostel. completely exhausted.
i paid my fee and was so thrilled at the prospect that i could finally put my bag down and get a good night sleep. it was then that the guy at the counter stated that they were all out of the 6-bed dorm room that i had signed up for. he stated he would "have" to put me in a single room. i didn't complain. it was like a sweet gift from heaven to be able to have my own room for peace and quiet. i happily skipped (mentally, my legs were tired) up those 4 flights of stairs to my tiny room. i promptly lay down and fell asleep.
made it to new york.
check.
sleep.
check.
***
all my new york pics can be viewed at:
album 1
album 2
album 3
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