So this is it, my first blog! i must say im a little nervous about the whole thing. that said, i'll give it a go and see what somes out...
Well what a week ive had.. Its been truely amazing. All i can say is that if given the choice i would definately do it alll again!
the week started off last sunday with a very tearful farewell at the airport. I think both me and mum used up a box of tissues each. My flight im gald to say was great and even bettert the guy i was sitting beside desided to move down to friend so i had the two seats all to myself! i was loving it! Loads of space to stretch out and sleep. Touching down in JFK, my first mission was to go buy my new Lumix DMC Tz5 camera which i have been ogling for an age now in ireland. So I thought i would be smart and head out to a mall near the airport as i had 8 hours to kill between flights... (the joy of cheep airlingus flights). So off i went to the taxi rank with my google directions and to my surprise the taxi man hadn't a clue where it was... not good... not good at all! However after what seemed like an eternity he and i came onto the same page and we set off to find this mall so i chould buy my camera... I now know that the word Mall is often used to describe a huge shopping area which is reminiscint of an industrial park at home. No dundrum shopping center for me to mosy around in for a few hours... No chance. So after getting increasingly worried about the thoughts of this taxi man dropping me off in the middle of this oversized carpark with warehouse- stores a block away form each other. I decided to ask him to stay and wait while i went inside to get the camera of mine. He was not pleased, yet my irish charm won him over, not to mention the hefty bill for my taxi ride.
So thankfully all worked out and i got my lovely new camera, which by the way i love, and yes was worth the panic i was feling in my taxi ride. The nicest thing though was the man who stamped my reciept when i was leaving circuit city. He said i made his day with my smile, and you know he meant it. Often in the past i have associated americans with the fake "have a nice day comment" yet here was this guy, x-cop, security gaurd in circuit city who was genuinely happy to see me smile. This for me really sets the tone of my travels. If you take the time to stop and chat if even just for the 5 mins i did in that store in the middle of nowhere land in New York, you'll find a connection which goes beneath the surface to a heart space where to human beings take the time to honour each other and to share a smile and a joke.
