New York City Dreaming

Typical Washington Heights apartments

Some days, when I’m sitting here at home in my room surfing the Internet and researching and writing blog posts, it is hard to believe that I ever travelled at all, let along travelled for eight months last year and into the first two months of this one.

I am thinking about this now, as I reminisce about the beginning of last year’s travels.

It was exactly a year ago today, that I flew into New York City’s, JFK International Airport for the start of a two month apartment sitting gig that seemed like a gift from heaven. In fact it was a gift from friends of my sister and husband, whose Australian friends have been living and working in New York City for some years, now.

Chris works in the education sector. When New York’s schools shut down for the summer, Chris returns to Australia for two months. From time to time, friends and other family members are able to stay in his empty apartment for a week or two during their New York stay. Sometimes, nobody visits, and the apartment stays empty – apart from the family’s two cats. Obviously, the cats need to be cared for, and when the apartment is left empty, Chris is obliged to pay a pet sitter who visits the house morning and night to feed the cats and change their litter.

As you can imagine, the cost for this service adds up over two months, so when I offered to stay in the apartment last summer and keep an eye on the cats and the apartment, Chris and his wife were happy to accept my offer.

My niece, Scarlett is about to head to America for an extended vacation, and she has arranged to stay at the apartment in Washington Heights during the New York leg of her trip. Lucky girl! I would love to be there as well, but this year I’m staying home. Hopefully, the apartment will be available next year, and if it is, I hope to stay there again, enjoying another hot and humid New York summer.

I can hardly wait. Only twelve months to go!

I have of course, written extensively about my stay in New York on this blog. To read some of those posts use the Search box at the top left of the page and search for “New York City”.

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Friday Foto: Weightless in Space

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0.065 pounds? Ahh, if only! If only.

Yes, folks, this would have been my weight if I was dancing about on a giant red star somewhere out in the far flung galaxies. I guess I would have to add a few pounds for the space suit I would need to wear, but hey, I think I should be able to bear the load of a few extra pounds without too much trouble, don’t you think? Especially, given that my current earth weight is around 232 pounds.

“Where can I find this magical scale?” I hear you ask. The answer is in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To be more precise, you will find a range of similar scales fixed into the floor of the Cullman Hall of The Universe, in the Rose Center. Here’s what the website offers by way of an explanation:

Visitors can step on several digital scales located in different areas of the Hall of the Universe and discover their weight on Saturn, Jupiter, a neutron star, and the Sun, among other celestial bodies. Your lunar weight can be found on the first level beside a model of the Moon. [Source: AMNH website…]

Suggested General Admission
· Adults: $16
· Children (2-12): $9
· Seniors/Students with ID: $12
· Adult Members: Free
· Child Members: Free

Suggested General Admission, which supports the Museum's scientific and educational endeavors, includes admission to all 45 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Should you wish to pay less than the suggested admission, you may do so by purchasing tickets at any admissions desk at the Museum.

Oddly, purchasing tickets online incurs a service charge of $4 per ticket! You'd think it would be cheaper, but I assume the ticketing agency is adding their fees to the process. It hardly seems worth it. On the other hand, if ticket holders are able to avoid the queues, maybe paying an extra four bucks is good value.

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These Boots Were Made For Walking

Columbia Laman Peak OmniTech Hiking Boots

Today I took my new pair of boots (see image) for a walk. I think they enjoyed it. On the other hand, I arrived home tired and exhausted after my 12.6 kms walk.

The good news: I am more than happy with my new footwear. The bad news: I am overweight and unfit and need to engage in more exercise on a regular basis if I am to make the most of my future travels.

This is not the first time I have written about the issue of fitness and travel, and probably won’t be the last. I, like presumably every other traveller, want to get the most out of my travel experiences. To do this I need to reach and maintain a reasonable level of fitness. There is no joy to be had in huffing and puffing up and down monuments, through museum galleries, or down city streets bathed in sweat and pausing for extended rest stops every 30 minutes or so.

Google map of my 12.6 km walking route

The image on the right outlines today’s walking route – which according to Google maps is a total distance of 12.6 kms (7.8 miles). That’s the most I have walking in one day since my stay in New York City last summer.

My new Laman Peak boots are made by Columbia. I settled on these because they fit well, look and feel good, and if they are anywhere near as good as my previous Ocanto Peak boots, again made by Columbia, I will have no cause for complaint.

Unfortunately, when I went looking for another pair of Ocanto Peak’s to replace the pair I have worn almost everyday for the past 18 months, I was told by the salesperson that Columbia had discontinued their manufacture. After a long search over a period of several weeks, I settled on the Laman Peak’s and today took them for a work out. Like I said, the boots did well, but I struggled, not due to the boots, but due to several factors including weight, level of fitness, and my age.

Having good footwear is essential if I am going to get out and exercise more, and continue my ‘training for travel’ regime. There is a lot I want to see of the world yet, and like it or not, walking is probably the best way of working out that suits my current lifestyle.