Reading, UK

Well, I made it home safely, and even caught the flight I'd booked - which was a happy outcome after the rigamarole of insisting to use my so-called "unlimited use" MetroCard (which runs out tomorrow) to get to the airport, a trek lasting over 2 and a half hours.

After picking up a few souvenirs and writing my previous entry in a shop on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, I boarded a subway train bound for Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. It seems that this copycat version fulfilled a similar role to the original Brighton, in that it used (along with its neighbour Coney Island) to be a popular holiday (sorry, vacation) destination. These days, it's not as busy, but it was very nice to go to a beach, and very strange to know that it's still part of New York City (an amalgamation of 1898 included Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx in the city). I would have liked to stay there all afternoon, but I had nowhere to leave my stuff, and besides, the sea was really cold! I left there at about 3pm, thinking that would get me to the airport a long time before the 5.30pm check-in deadline, but I first managed to comprehensively miss the subway station at Coney Island and therefore waste nearly half an hour walking back to it, and then I had to take 2 subway trains, both of which took a lot longer than I had thought, given the distances on the subway map! I amused myself by playing "spot the white person" and was unsuccessful for the majority of my trip. I suspect that there are a lot of residents of the "outer boroughs" of NYC who have never been to Manhattan, let alone the Empire State Building, the "icon" of their city which can't be seen from most of it.

So I got to the airport in time (just), checked in and managed not to have to check any baggage due to putting on large quantities of clothing and concealing a good number of items in my jacket pockets. Passing through the many security checkpoints, I narrowly avoided mentioning that if they'd had decent security in the first place, none of this knee-jerk stuff would be necessary. A lot of people were taking off their shoes, but as there wasn't a sign saying you needed to I braved the glares of security officers and breezed past.

A fairly uneventful flight brought me to Heathrow at 6.45am on Saturday morning: they really do time these things well, dont' they? Having to queue to have my passport machine-read was unexpected, but the most bizarre feeling was as I walked through the green channel towards the exit thinking "I don't want to stop!" Nevertheless, I did, and greeted my parents.

So, a few thanks to give out. Firstly, to my parents for not freaking out when I left for 4 months (especial kudos to my mum for spending nearly an hour finding out the combination to my padlock!). Thanks to all the people who've put me up (or is that put up with me?): Tony and Shelly, Andy and Christine, Mike and Joy, Richard and Julie, John, Chuck and Sandi and Andy and Ella! So long, and thanks for the cheese...

Thanks also to all of you who read and commented (favourably!). There wouldn't have been much point in me writing this if it was just getting lost in the ether, so I hope you've enjoyed reading as much - or perhaps a little more - than I've enjoyed writing!

So, is this The End? Well, it is for now. Somehow I don't think I'll be staying within the green and pleasant land of England for too long, and when I do leave you'll know all about it! Ta ra.