Today I left at 1pm after squeezing everything into my bag and the new suitcase I bought. Turns out it is pretty difficult to wheel two 20kg+ suitcases down hallways, down a lift and through two sets of doors before I could hail a cab. The drive took us through the Bronx and over a couple of bridges, to parts of the city I had only seen from a distance. My favourite part was East Harlem, where all the shop signs were in Spanish.
JFK is a massive airport with a complex system of roads and exits going to 8 different terminals, but everything went smoothly.I didn't realise that American Airlines had cut costs so much - on a 6 hour flight to LA there was no in-flight entertainment, you had to buy food if you wanted any and none of it was appealing or cheap, and they came by once to offer us juice or water. Longest flight ever.
As usual LAX was unhelpful, confusing and very drab and rundown. Ugh. Luckily I didn't have to change terminals, but I did have to sit in the gate lounge for 3 hours with no free wifi. I bought an American Cosmopolitan for entertainment value, and a Vanity Fair which was awesome. They cost less than $5 each.
Flying into Auckland over the Bay of Islands was stunning. So good to see those green hills and deep blue waters, and some Kiwi sunshine. The American guy next to me was slightly awestruck and said he "didn't realise it was so green or so pretty". I proudly pointed out the Sky Tower and the relatively tiny collection of buildings that is Auckland, and he chuckled when I told him it's our largest city. Rather different to flying in over the sprawling metropolis of LA. He was off on a backpacking trip to Christchurch, which was nice to hear.
Another thing I really appreciate now is our airports. Auckland Airport is so nice, modern, welcoming and light especially compared with LAX or JFK. There are helpful Air New Zealand staff everywhere, clear signage and artwork on the walls. I have to say that our national airline and our airports are far better than anything I saw in America. Not bad, New Zealand.
Arriving in New Plymouth was surreal, and I felt like there was a distinct lack of people, traffic or buildings. It all seemed so empty, green and spacious. It's good to be home.
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