Nicola's Churchill Adventure

So my first weekend of this trip finds me arriving in New York at around 9pm. Nice chat with the Lyft driver – originally from India, spent 6 years in Melbourne. Did one year of his Accountancy degree then changed to hospitality. (Didn’t ask how that went down with the folks!). Now he’s been in NYC for 7 years.

Checkin to hotel. Checkout the rooftop bar. Cue exotic looking pictures of Empire State Building and fancy drinks.

Now you’re in New York…

Alicia Keys

Bar kick out time is 11pm. Not very city that never sleeps but all good. The staff are lovely and package up my fancy charcuterie plate so can enjoy it in my room. check it out!

Anyway- reality is. I have a nap preparing to wake at 3am NY time to WhatsApp video call to watch Oliver’s basketball grand final. Cam and Ava are there. They hold the phone so I can watch Oli and his team win. His first grand final win. Ever. We’d spoken so much about it in the lead up. He’s been in grand finals before. The teams he follows have been in grand finals before. No wins. This night they win. Go Rats!

I missed it. He was so happy. His gorgeous face beaming down the screen to me. I felt very far away. I felt proud and sad.

It makes me cry writing this. Which makes me look weird in an Irish type bar in Boston but hey. That’s me.

Opportunity of a lifetime I know. Indulge me.