Tags:

Life topics

Dr G is here to help

Life articles

My overseas trip - New York

Sarah Robertson went on a trip over Christmas and New Year 2005/2006 and lets us know about how to make the most of overseas holiday.

I was all of five minutes out of La Guardia airport when my driver turned and asked me what I preferred out of London or New York. Keep in mind my experience of New York at that point only consisted of a bad case of jet lag creeping up on me and lost luggage. And also consider all I had actually seen of the Big Apple was the inside of an airport, which as we all know, gives you very little insight into the city you happen to find yourself in. Well I had also seen the freeway and a long corrugated fence, behind which I believe was Queens. Still it took me less than a second to respond with an affirmative, enthusiastic "Yes." This is in no way meant to mean that London was less than spectacular. All it means was that my expectations, high as they were, had already been met. I was in New York! And it was everything I hoped it would be.

Empire State view

The skyline was impressive, towering well into the sky (I can only imagine how giant it would have appeared when the Twin Towers still proudly stood) but it was also incredibly familiar, having been exposed to so much of New York in countless TV shows and films. That was the sort of surreal thing about New York and also of the rest of saw of America. All those clichés were alive and well and clearly TV hadn't led me astray. There were the hot dog vendors on practically every corner (a must try although to be honest they really should be called luke warm dogs …), the diners packed with food and bored looking consumers staring blankly at Manga cartoon shows. Or the bright lights, the massive billboards, the fashionistas sharing the streets with homeless people scouring through rubbish near 7th ave and 34th street … New York truly was everything I imagined it would be.

Statue of LibertyBut what made it make so much more of an impact on me than London, which was such a vibrant place? A place I'm even now considering moving to? I think the thing with New York was it was my fantasy location, my dream place that to actually be there … to stand in the middle of Times Square … to walk down 5th Ave was to make my wildest dreams come true (Ok not my wildest dreams … that would involve Jake Gyllenhaal and a lot of whipped cream … focus Sarah, focus …). What I really felt was different about New York was that it did seem to live and breathe on its own right … it seemed to have a real pulse and just be alive with all these dreams, lives, lights and sidewalks.

Perhaps it really is a biased account … A love affair, if you will, that was finally consummated and that far from being less than what I had hoped for, was in fact so much more … I think what I learnt from going there was if you have a dream seeing a particular part of the world, the only thing that often holds us back is money … Even if you save it, you may think "Gee do I really want to spend $3K going to some place when I'm going to have nothing to show for it at the end?" (people say gee I'm sure). My response to that would be two-fold; One is it's only money and you can't take it with you (well yet anyway) but more importantly is Two; You may physically have nothing more to show than a stash of "I love New York" tees and a heap of lingerie from "Victoria's Secret" but it's the memories and the sensation of having made your dream a reality that is an experience I wouldn't give up for the world.

My Overseas Trip -- Paris -- New York

by Sarah Robertson March 2006