I'm back baby!

Back in New York. Seems surreal after two weeks of floating around looking at icebergs and the occasional seal. Loved the trip - although the average age on board was about 65, that just served to make me feel like a teenager again. As with every long trip there were ups and downs, but mostly all ups. Don't think I will do another cruise for many years though, even though this trip could not really be described as a cruise - an expedition perhaps... I had also forgotten what cold was (funny since I normally live in London). With one pair thermal liner socks, one pair thick thermal socks, one pair long silver infused super heavy weight socks worn all at once, under neoprene lined rubber boots - my feet were STILL cold sitting on a zodiac. Amazing really. I also discovered one important fact about myself - I don't get seasick. Of course every time is different, but when most of the ship were lying retching in their beds crossing the Denmark Strait, I was tumbling along the corridors, or trying to shower whilst clinging to a wall as anything on the floor of the bathroom sloshed frantically from side to side whacking me on the ankles as the ship pitched in huge seas and a force 10 gale. Try shampooing whilst blind drunk, as someone hits your legs with hard objects and you will get the idea...
Nice to be back here in a lot of ways - I felt like I was home walking into the apartment - freshly cleaned and empty fridge. That is me! So went to Wholefoods last night (still the same), and staggered back under my usual heavy bags - damn my predeliction for freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice I say!
On the upside, I returned to a lovely invitation to join my office's table at the Australian American Association's annual black tie dinner at Cipriani. Well, if I must ... So it was off to Saks today at lunch with Gayle to see what I could find to wear. Found a lovely Kay Unger cocktail dress which will do the job. Still need some shoes though... Unfortunately in my last trip back to the UK I took a lot of my formal clothes and also the summer stuff with me to forestall the inevitable problems when I move back. I seem to have accumulated a LOT of stuff here. How did I fit in 3 suitcases on the way over?? I see problems ahead. Best not to think about it yet.
It is a long weekend this weekend - Columbus Day of all things. I have no plans yet, but that is never a problem. I am weighing up whether to head out of town on a little train trip, or whether to stay in town, see some jazz, do some sightseeing and some sports activity in Central Park. So many options. Sleeping in also seems nice. After a week of staying up to 3am on the boat drinking with the only other people under 40, then up at 7:30am for breakfast and another day of hiking, iceberging etc, I am overdue some sleep. Plus reading the papers - I really missed the news on the ship. With no mobile coverage, and no TV etc, the world could have gone to war for all I knew. There is something both relaxing and frustrating about that.
And by news, I don't just mean missing the last couple of episodes of Project Runway. To be honest I did not give a thought to the final designers and what was happening. I was more concerned about the Middle East and what was happening with Tony Blair. Guess that means that I am either more grown-up than I thought, or just more boring!