CAIT AROUND THE WORLD

Day One started bright and early at 7:00am (yes, that’s early for me) as we woke up, gathered a few last-minute items for packing, and headed to the airport.

My first time in an airport in two and a half years . . . I can’t tell you how much I missed it. The smell of freedom, wanderlust, the anticipation of adventure in the air. It just fills me with happiness being in an airport, even if I’m not going anywhere. Watching people come and go, everyone with a different story, is magical.

We went through security really quickly (and it was one of my best security experiences to date, too) and had a couple of hours to kill before boarding our first flight into Toronto. That first flight was only an hour long and I can’t believe how fast an hour flies by. I’m used to driving thirty minutes to get anywhere considering I’m from a pretty small town, so an hour really isn’t that long; but I’m also used to five-hour plane rides, not hour-long jaunts across the sky.

That is to say, time flew.

Our next flight was into New Jersey. No baggage claim thanks to carry-on-size backpacks! (Best thing ever, seriously. No dragging around a bag on wheels, no worrying about picking it up for stairs; just strap your bag on your back and you’re good to go!) We saw a bunch of other people doing the backpacking thing, too, which was so cool. It’s like being part of a little group of awesome travellers. Look at us, oh-so-savvy with our single pieces of luggage. We went through customs and emerged into the main airport with the goal of finding the AirTrain to get into the city.

Apparently, the AirTrain actually takes you to another platform, at which point you take the second AirTrain to the Amtrak station at the airport, where you can then get the train into New York. We met the nicest gentleman who worked as a ticket agent at the train station and he helped us get our ticket, then make our way through the two AirTrains, then pointed out our platform for our train to New York for us. He was just heading back to the station from the airport himself as he’d been on break.

The amount of people in the airport and just around was staggering already. After two and half years in a pandemic, it’s still surprising to be around so very many people at one time. Then we actually got to New York City.

People are everywhere. Remember what Ethan O’Fallon said?

There’s eight million stories in the Naked City, that’s what my father always says. I guess I like being one of those…stories.

Ethan Embry, All I Want for Christmas (1991)

The stories, the people that make up the city, the people that make up this world, are a huge reason why I love travelling. I love to observe and see people, whether they are travelling themselves, or are locals to the area. Hearing different accents and different languages all around the world is one of my favourite things, and New York does not disappoint. On our bus there was a group of people about my age that seemed to be from France, or somewhere in Europe. (I’m pretty sure it was French they were speaking.) All day I’ve heard different accents, different languages all around me. I can’t understand any of it, but I can listen. I can absorb. I can breathe in the life and the energy around me and know that there are bigger things out there, that this world is more than the sum of its parts.

After years spent dreaming about New York, I was hit with a nervousness that it wouldn’t live up the hype. That I had blown it up in my head to be more than it is.

That was not the case.

Walking out of Penn Station and into the thick of a New York afternoon with the sun beating down and skyscrapers standing like giants is something I’ll never forget. The sights, the sounds, even the smells. There was a hot dog stand right in front of us as we came up from underground, and a million voices, and horns honking and people clamouring. Hustle and bustle and mystery just waiting to be discovered.

We found our hostel, which is just perfect for a couple of travellers stopping in New York for a few days. Clean, free WiFi, towels and linens provided, and friendly service.

Having settled in a little, we decided to take a walk down to Times Square. (I simply couldn’t wait.) The billboards start soon after Penn Station, and that’s still not all. Emerging into the full neon is staggering. So much to absorb, so much to see, and all of it demanding your attention. We’re going to be seeing The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway in a few days, and there were billboards advertising it and other productions and they all look so darn good. Marketing at its finest.

Now, as much as I love people, I have to say that Times Square is quite the crush. That said, we visited on a Sunday night. It’ll be interesting to see how much that levels off through the week.

We walked down Broadway to see the outside of the Empire State Building (because, of course, I just couldn’t wait). It’s funny how quickly it comes upon you. It’s sandwiched between buildings and if you’re not looking up, it’s actually pretty easy to miss. New York offers no shortage of things to notice. Even the tallest building doesn’t stand out all that much. Knowing that we’re going to be heading up to the 102nd floor (or maybe higher? You know, if we happen to run into a couple demigods before tomorrow evening), we didn’t linger long. By that time, we were jonesing for some grub, and we’d noticed a Shake Shack on the way to the Empire State Building.

Having planned to get ice cream later in the night, we decided to fill that craving with some awesome homemade milkshakes – chocolate for me, with whipped cream, and man, was it delicious. As a main, I enjoyed the ShackBurger with lettuce and pickle (no tomatoes for me). Excellent burger, fantastic ShackSauce, and a really lovely way to round out the day. I’ve never fully appreciated air conditioning after a hot day until now. It was thirty degrees Celsius in New York and after a thirty-minute walk to Times Square, the cool caress of an air conditioned restaurant was certainly welcome. I’m certainly not one to complain about heat (and believe me, I’m not complaining) but am I ever happy to have somewhere I can step away from the crush and sound and hustle and bustle of so many bodies – and Mother Nature.

We’re finishing the day with some wind-down time, and as I write this I’m curled up on my little twin bed in our room, sipping water like I’ve been in the desert for the past three days, and about to fall asleep reading a good book.

So that’s all from New York for now. Tune in to my next post for more stories from NYC.

Check out the NYC Photo Gallery for more pics.