Tasha Dhanraj looks to broaden her horizons

Jetlag, my old friend. My physical reminder that only yesterday I was in another city, on another continent, somewhere else in this wonderful world. Yep, just 24 hours ago I was walking along New York’s Highline Park and today I’m snuggled up in bed watching some programme where Kiefer Sutherland desperately tries to pretend that he can play someone other than Jack Bauer.

“There’s just something about the city that fills me with excitement”

It was the fourth time I’ve been to New York and it was the third time I’d been in the last year alone. I sometimes think of Manhattan as my spiritual home, or at least I would if I believed in spirits. In reality, there’s just something about the city that fills me with excitement and contentedness at the same time. If it weren’t for all the guns and dodgy right wing politics, I would move there in an instant.

Having said that, I have been there an awful lot. When I’m there, if I feel like having some pizza then I know the best place. If I want some ice cream, I know the best place to get ice cream. If I want some time to myself, then I know exactly where to go. New York is starting to become like an old pair of shoes. They’re comfy and so you can walk in them forever if you wanted to, but sometimes you wonder if maybe you should try something else.

I’ve done all the touristy things now and I’ve overcome all the great challenges, like using the subway and being able to ask for a “bottle of water” without being met with complete bafflement by the person serving me. One of the joys of going on holiday is the challenge of working things out and discovering your new surroundings.
I missed that aspect of the Big Apple this time.

I’ve been talking about going to Berlin for over a year now, but each time I’m about to book it, I don’t because I want to have enough money for my next trip to New York. Perhaps, it’s time to say TTFN to NYC and ‘guten tag’ to Germany. It’s not about saying I’d never go back, but maybe I should leave it for a while so that I forget some of the things I think I know and can return with a totally fresh perspective. I should try somewhere new. After all, this time next year I will be a student and then I’ll not even have enough money to go anywhere.