Heading home…

I’m going AWOL from the blog for a couple of weeks – because I’m in the midst of another move. After two years in Manhattan, I’m heading home to London.

I have mixed feelings about this – which is not altogether unexpected. I am looking forward to getting back to family and friends, to my lovely little house and to London – a city that I love. At the same time, I know I am going to miss New York and the things we have done here…

New York Harbour - my first tourist outing after we arrived.

So – before I logoff for the move – I thought it might be nice to remember a few of the highlights of the last two years.Our first weeks in the USA were marked by a storm that dumped 20 inches of snow on New York on Boxing Day 2010.

snowy city — Snow on one of the world's most famous avenues.

I come from Queensland, Australia. There was not a lot of snow in my childhood. And although London gets the occasional dusting, this was the first time I had to live for weeks with inches of snow. It was beautiful. It was cold and wet… and after a while it was ditty and mushy. But – in those first days of snowfall, NYC was as beautiful as it ever could be.

The USA is a huge place, and while it seems I have travelled a lot in the past couple of years, I have seen only a fraction of the country. But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed what I saw. The diversity of the country is quite amazing.

the south west — Some fabulous scenery in the South-West. We liked it so much we went back for a second holiday

I am really impressed by the number of Americans who travel through their county’s fabulous national parks – and the deep connection they have with these places. So many people came to talk to us and offer suggestions of places to go and things to see and do. Over and over again, I heard the pride in their voices.

: An air boat in the Florida Everglades. Like nothing I’ve seen anywhere else I’ve been.

I’ve been less impressed by US politics. As a former political reporter, seeing a US election up close was … enlightening. I like that so many people are involved in the process – that can only be a good thing. I didn’t like the process itself. I struggled to accept the enormous expenditure of money on campaigns when there are so many needy people, and schools and hospitals that are struggling. Some of the ideas expressed during the campaign offended me, others delighted me. As someone smarter than me once said – I disagree with what they are saying, but will defend to the death their right to say it.

architecture — NYC is amazing - from every angle.

New York City itself is a remarkable place. I found myself loving and hating it – occasionally both at the same time. Even after two years, the architecture still blows me away. A subtle change in light can throw a familiar street into a totally different perspective… and I see things I have walked past a dozen times without noticing.

OK – I love the shopping – the number of boxes and suitcases I am bringing back to the UK is testimony to that.

macy's — I was a frequent visitor to Macy's.

Webmaster John and I are both big music fans – and the live music we saw remains one of the highlights of the trip. There was Roger Waters doing The Wall at Madison Square Garden. And equally exciting was seeing the legendary Pete Seeger playing with a group of kids on the banks of the Hudson River. And it wasn’t just about the big names. We joined and became the sound desk operators for The Peoples’ Voice… a small folk music club that plays in a church basement in the shadow of the Empire State Building. Places like this are the beating heart of music – where people sing and play for the love of what they do.

seting up for a gig — Setting up for a gig at the Peoples' Voice Cafe

New York City has so much – but personally, I fell in love with upstate New York – from the fabulous Hudson River to Niagara Falls. We went to vineyards and fibre festivals. We went apple picking and leaf watching. Upstate New York was the place we went to slow down and little and breathe,

The leaves really are this colour upstate in the Fall

Our two years in the Big Apple (except nobody here calls it that) ended as it began. With a storm. Superstorm Sandy pounded New York and New Jersey a couple of weeks ago, causing shocking damage.

The lights went out in downtown Manhattan very early in the storm.

We were among the lucky ones and escaped unscathed. The days after the storm will remain one of my most enduring memories of the city. The resilience of the city and its people was beyond words. Despite the loss of power and gas and transport – people kept on with their lives. With the subways flooded, they queued for hours for buses. Restaurants opened their doors, even if they didn’t have much food to offer. Other places lit candles and provided warmth and makeshift entertainment for people without power in their homes. Supermarkets stayed open – even when there was very little left on the shelves. The flooded subways were pumped free of water – and some were running within a couple of days. Businesses reopened. The worst hit areas are still being cleaned up – but the taxis horns are loud outside my window, the construction crews are working and the sidewalks are full of people planning their holiday season.

It takes a lot to get this city down. As much as I am looking forward to going home, New York – I will miss you…