Manhattan.
We made it. Thanks to a tribunal payout, I treated The Teenager to five days in Manhattan, a city I used to love and live in.
He was overwhelmed. The view from our hotel room, the vast array of fast food outlets (natch), the endless shopping for t-shirts, the atmosphere. It was a film set come true.
We sailed around Manhattan, circumnavigated the Statue of Liberty, saw the whole city from the top of the Empire State building, wandered the streets, peered in windows. We chatted to NYPD cops. To Starbucks employees, bar staff, random Minions (see photo),
For me, New York reignited my love of life. Life and energy were  everywhere. I spoke to a mother and daughter from North Carolina, putting in place a bucket wish list. I spoke to Irish bar-tenders who had moved there and lost everything in the storm but were still trucking on, plus he makes the best martinis that side of the Atlantic (The Hyatt, off Times Square).
Anyway, yes, New York was a breath of fresh air. After over two years pretty much house bound through job loss and loneliness, I realised that life goes on. And on. It happens whether I like it or not. I have been a bit of a hermit. So here’s what I will take home with me:
- Life is waaaaaay bigger than my little world.
- I can wear what I like, when I like. Even if I am fat ( I know, I know).
- There is a whole world out there, ready to explore.
- MS may curtail stuff, but stuff it.
Fair play, MS reared its ugly head. And then some. I was in Macey’s and felt the earth move (really).
After panicking and looking around me I finally got the picture. It was me. I was on the top floor. But, hey, I had a brand new Ralph Lauren trench coat. MS be damned. I went back to the hotel and admired my beautiful coat before conking out for three hours…..