Day 1

I'm sitting in the common room of my New York hostel, Broadway Hotel and Hostel, on my first real day of my year off. Around 35 hours ago I got on a plane and started the epic journey to NYC. I thought it would be better if I just didn't ask how long it would take and live in denial. I arrived in Sydney on 17/01/2012 at 6:30am and arrived in LA on 17/01/2012 at 6:30 am. Somehow I gained a day and I know about the time zones and everything but it still seems kind of magical.

My first experience in America was catching the shuttle to my hostel. In it were  two American characters that seemed to be out of a play. There was the woman in her early thirties trying to merge her company while balance her children and home life while buying a new house over the phone and an elderly gentleman returned to NYC to attend court over something unspecified who also hired young hip hop artists on the side for something equally unspecified and several other backpackers. All this information was gathered from the multiple loud phone calls these two made. The shuttle driver sped through traffic leaving a trail of angry horns and gave us a little tour of New York by night, beautiful.

After washing off the grime of the last day and a half I hit the streets rugged up in thermals and several jumpers. There are so many people all the time that I feel I can walk the streets alone anytime! The first stop was a store with a sale and cute clothes. Nothing purchased but when I checked the name it was Urban Outfitters, my all-time favourite internet shopping stop!! Cross that off my list of places to visit.

I stopped in a diner for a $4 USD sandwich(teriyaki chicken, rice, broccoli and kidney beans!) and picked up a $2USD punnet  of blueberries on the way back. I'm absolutely knackered but I have to say NY is completely awesome. It seems so alive, so cheap and there is so much choice!