In NY

I'm at Aunt Kristin's house in Wappingers Falls, New York, and it is sunny for the first time in three days or so. I landed at John F Kennedy airport on Thursday, 2nd April at around 5pm, having left Australia at 11:15am the same day. Its slightly cruel that although I'd been traveling for around 20 hours straight the clock told me it'd only been 6 or so, and I'd actually left Los Angeles airport at 9:30am 2nd April i.e. before I'd left Sydney.

Let me inform the few of you who have never been on an international flight about a few things. Those of you that have been on an international flight can understand and will be found by their less-widely-traveled partners/friends/colleagues nodding in empathy at this post and unconsciously massaging their knees and necks for no apparent reason.

The reason is this. Qantas (or whichever major airline you choose to fly with) spends a lot of money on these pesky planes and they have this annoying need for many many litres of fuel in order to go anywhere. Because of this, Qantas feels the need to cram more passengers than is humanly possible onto the plane. I had the misfortune of not requesting an aisle seat (which, after the age of four, is immensely more desirable than the window seat, which every duped five-year old knows is only a ploy by mummy or daddy to secure the most legroom) and so was stuck between, admittedly, a very nice Canadian grandmother and a sociable baby boomer couple.

However what I was so kindly given by Qantas amounted to about one cubic metre worth of space, and even that was severely impinged on by the guy in front of me who spent the whole flight with his seat pushed back and his back not touching the seat. Anyone who knows me knows I am about 5'10 or 176 cms and thus this wasn't a fun 13 hour flight. Therefore when lovely canadian grandma and baby boomer couple got off at Los Angeles I spread out on their seats and slept for the whole 6 hour flight.

Regardless, I arrived at JFK alive, and was greeted by a very welcoming entourage consisting of Grandma Helen, Grandpa Ethan, Aunt Kristin and my cousins Daniel and Susanna, who are now gangly teenagers. I visited Brad and Ruth Bean last night, and talked for hours and hours, and saw some photos of Mom and Kristin when they were little (Mom looked so much like me). Uncle John and Daniel and Susanna left this morning for Virginia beach to visit relatives and Kristin and I are at home, and about to go for a walk with the darling Lilo (who I have accidently threatened to kill twice so far,once by forcefeeding her chocolate and once by stepping on her - I swear I love her really).

Anyway, once I pull out my camera I will be posting photos soon - I'm slightly too lazy at the moment. If you live in Australia, I envy the warmth you are experiencing (it was raining when I left - still warmer than NY). Many many hugs for everyone, I miss Australia already!