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.

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all my new york pics can be viewed at:

album 1

album 2

album 3

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