New York: the largest and safest feeling city I've ever been to

Having bossed the cheapest route from JFK into Manhattan, my mood was lifted even higher when I found that my accommodation which claimed it was a hotel was actually a hotel with a proper reception and people who knew what they were doing. I mean, we even had a cleaner who changed the towels each day and emptied the bin! My happiness escalated to one hundred when I also found out that the £190 that I thought I owed had already been paid - buzzing. 

All the excitement however, and the weird feeling that changing time zones gives you, hit me hard come 8pm. I'd been up since 3 am UK time and 8pm here would have been past midnight there so I figured sleep was needed so that I wouldn't be a total zombie for my first day exploring New York. Waking at 2 am which would be the usual time I got up back home, I forced myself to sleep more until a sociable hour to start my day.

I figured the only way to explore this city in the time I had was the trusty hop on hop off bus tour so I headed to Times Square to get my ticket and begin. I instantly fell in love with Times Square, lit up and bustling in all it's glory. The exact image of America that I had in my mind set out in the most gigantic grid. As I walked up to the ticket sellers I was approached by a happy lady asking if I wanted to be on TV (they were filming for 'Good Morning America' and I most certainly did not!)

Eventually, I found a salesman who got me a pass to last my trip and I knew this was going to be an experience if the Americans advertised the guides as 'extremely enthusiastic'. Each guide I had lived up to my expectations giving a show with pride and excitement about everything they spoke of and they did not stop singing. I've never heard anyone mention bacon with maple syrup so much in my life and have recently had a discussion with a friend about how odd a combination it is. "Just wait until you get to America", she said and how right she was. It still doesn't take my fancy though.

Everything was 'awesome' and so 'totally amazing' reeking positivity no matter how bland it was in reality and I weaved my way around manhattan exploring all routes on the bus. I went downtown, midtown and uptown and even got on the water for a Statue of Liberty cruise. Walking around, I felt tiny among the huge skyscrapers towering everywhere and crossing all zebra crossings I felt like Will Ferrell in Elf. The money confused me no end and I began to get angry with the fact that they have $1 notes because it was clogging up my tiny purse, but that has to be the only ounce of stress I had the entire time because I constantly felt so safe, chilled and happy. 

One attraction that stood out to me was definitely the 9/11 tribute museum and memorial. I think because I was so young when the event happened and have only learnt about it through my studies at university and the media, seeing such roar depictions of the event was strikingly sickening and sad. Witnessing the video footage of both towers being hit, then falling and hearing radio calls from distressed victims and service men and women made everything so real, despite obviously already thinking how awful an event it was. It was also interesting being in New York to experience this as many people at the museum were either first hand witnesses or knew someone there. Most definitely a must visit if you ever get the chance.

Another part of my time in New York that I've particularly enjoyed is getting totally lost in the maze that is Central Park. After having the closest Morgan Freeman look alike as a tour guide, I got off the uptown tour at Strawberry Fields, Central Park West. Well, his looks weren't so similar but his voice was uncanny and I could have listened to it for days. The atmosphere throughout Central Park was so chilled, everyone minding their own business whether they were out for a run, a walk, playing guitar or just sitting peacefully. The lakes were beautiful and all of the twists and turns of the paths were filled with pure happiness. I soaked it up while drifting off into my own world, not a care.

I'll end the post now because otherwise I'll go on forever writing about how great a city this is. I'm leaving New York for the weekend to see what Niagara Falls is all about, but I've already planned the slice of cheesecake I'm getting from Juniors on my final day here. I also now want to watch all films set here again and feel that connection because it really is, from my experience, one of the greatest cities going.

Things I've learnt in New York:

-American enthusiasm is real

-It's so safe

-When they say portions are big, they mean it

-I felt like a movie star the entire time

-The grid system is fool proof. I know this because I'm a fool and it's worked for me

-NYC traffic is something else