The alarms went off at 8:30 for the final time on the trip. We all lazed around, people got showered, packed some final things. Then it was time to say goodbye to 2606 (and 2602), head down to the Lobby and check out.
We had to be back at the hotel for just before 3pm, to get the shuttle to JFK, but we had a good few hours left before then, so we went for one last meal together, then had a walk around Times Square, and that general area, before going to get a drink and sitting on the Library steps for a bit.
We got back to the hotel, got our bags (which they’d kept for us after we checked out), and the shuttle arrived to take us away.
The drive was a lot less exciting on the way back, more tunnels, less bridges.
We made it to JFK.
Stuart had planned on stopping in London, to go to a friend’s wedding. He was booked all the way through to Aberdeen, but when Paula checked everyone in the night before, she had purposely not checked him in on the Heathrow to Aberdeen flight.
At the Self Check-in, it automatically checked him in to all the flights. He attempted to get out of it, but failed. Meaning he had to travel back to Aberdeen with us all (once through security, he started looking into alternate options for flying BACK to London the following day).
The good news is that everyone got their luggage in under weight limit (not something that was guaranteed with Paula & Hannah) and then came the wait for the plane.
The entire journey home felt a LOT shorter than the journey there. Less hold-ups.
On the flight back, I watched a heap of shows, but slept for only an hour. We were late getting into Heathrow, and a bunch of passengers had been told that they wouldn’t be making their connections (but that they had been booked on later flights) – thankfully, we weren’t one of those groups, but our connection time was still tight and we had no idea how long we would be at the border.
I called my Mum to say we’d landed. She told me that the flight was delayed. Which made the whole thing a lot less rushed – and sure enough, bringing up the BA app, it told us the 8:55 flight had been delayed until 9:17.
We stopped by a WH Smith to get something to eat and then went and sat, waiting for the gate to be announced.
I hadn’t eaten anything on the flight over – I didn’t want either of the hot meal options, something the flight attendant couldn’t seem to understand.
“This is the ONLY hot meal on the flight!”
Aye, and it’s not good, so no thanks.
Our gate was eventually called and it wasn’t too far from where we were sitting, so we went over and took a seat there, then eventually, boarded.
The flight back to Aberdeen felt super short. Just as I was considering trying to get some more sleep, they announced the final approach.
Once in the airport, we made our way to baggage claim – thankfully, everyone’s bag made it. Mine was at the front of the queue, which was a nice surprise.
My mum came and took Paula and I home. Where I went almost straight to bed and slept for 12 hours.
–
New York isn’t somewhere I’ve always wanted to go. There’s stuff there that I’ve wanted to do, but the idea of travelling to the city to do them hasn’t really appealed. I’m not a city person. At least, not when it comes to cities like New York.
That said though, I did enjoy it and I wouldn’t be opposed to visiting again, but I doubt I’d make it the focus point of a holiday again.
There was a lot of talk of living in New York when we were there and I wouldn’t ever want to do that. Out of the two cities we visited (New York & Philadelphia) I probably enjoyed Philadelphia more. It just felt… nicer.
I wasn’t sure how I’d get along with everyone, spending all day, every day with them – we spend a lot of time together any way, but I can always not come out/go home when it becomes to much. That was less of an option here.
It ended up being a pretty positive experience though. No (huge) fall outs, no-one got on my nerves (too much).
Still, one of my favourite parts of the trip was when I went it alone.