Home Again

Leaving New Orleans I spent 26 hours or so on the Greyhound heading up North to Washington DC, my original starting point, to see Mark again for a BBQ (see the last post). Him and his wife, the lovely Lauren, were the first familiar faces I'd seen since I'd left DC over 4 months previously and so somehow fitting that it should be those two I'd see again at the end of my trip. Diving into DC, it's an amazing feeling to recognise some of the landmarks and know that you've been there before, that you've gone pretty much all the way around the States in an epic 10 000 mile journey.

Greyhound Route

Again, getting into New York City, when I came round the corner to see the familiar skyline I knew that it was my last stop. My last 20 minutes on a Greyhound coach and my last few days before making it home. Just before that though I was reminded of the tactical brilliance of getting the train into NYC the previous time I was there as NJ (or that bit of it at least) is just horrible. Met up with an old colleague for some Venezuelan, and then had a couple of days with an old Uni friend (the incredible Chelsey, who I didn't see last time as she'd broken her collar bone). Somehow did essentially nothing in NYC until my final night when I met up with a couple of girls I'd met in DC to go to an off-Broadway (very far off) show in some small basement in the East Village.

Brooklyn Bridge & NYC Skyline

Plane left Newark on time, and entered a queue of 20 planes for take-off. Over an hour later, we were back in the gate refueling. So what went from being half an hour ahead of schedule was now an hour and half behind schedule. Arrived in Brussels to be told that I'd missed me connection and so I'd have to go pick up my bag and head up to the ticketing desk to get a new flight. My bag wasn't where I'd been told it was. Talked to the baggage services desk, and had to go to the other baggage services desk then wait for them to send it up to where it should have been originally. Finally made my way up to the ticketing desk, which was closed for lunch. I could just sense all these flights to Manchester leaving as I was forced to sit by the desk waiting for someone to sort me out a flight home and let me use their phone. Turns out I didn't have to get my bag after all for whatever reason so I could have come straight up to ticketing for the new flight, but eventually I had my new flight details. Manchester, via Edinburgh. Flying into Edinburgh gives an amazing view of the city and up the Firth of Forth. In Edinburgh I found out that I had access to the business lounge and made full use of it for all of 7 minutes before boarding. Time left NYC - 13:30 (EST). Original landing time in Manchester - 10:10. Actual landing time in Manchester - 17:45. Body-clock time on landing in Manchester - who knows.

Gave my phone to my Mum when I left to put somewhere safe. It's still somewhere very safe, but we are looking for it.