New York, tickling Vegas and heading home.

After quite an uncomfortable hungover flight to new York I arrived into Newark liberty international at 1pm local time! With about an hours sleep I crawled off the 8 hour flight to search for some sort of way to contact Amir! Spending $4 in a water to break my note, I received a wad of other notes only to ask for coins for the pay phone. Remembering only then that the number was on my Facebook and I couldn’t get wifi anywhere.  A little lost and confused I asked for the best way to get to down town Manhattan…following the address I had drunkenly scribbled on my hand 12 hours prior. I caught a sky train, then another train to get to a main station in New York called Penn station. The train ride was packed and i stood in the hall way with my rucksack and oversized suitcase. Arriving into Penn station I found wifi and messages Amir where I was and it was decided that I would stay put whilst he battled the crowds to find me. Before too long a familiar face crept by the corner of my eye and embraced me!!! It had been 2 years since I had seen Amir, as we were close friends when we both used to live in London! Amir has this incredible energy and enthusiasm about him, a very sincere, generous and beautiful man! He would be the perfect husband…if he wasn’t gay. The journey back to his was quick, just two stops on the sub way and a few blocks walk we finally arrived to his apartment where we climbed three floors to reach his. He shares the apartment with Lewis; an Aussie guy, Sam; an American girl, and Buddy; his temperamental, deceivingly cute but horrifically snappy chiwawa that he had rescued from a dog shelter.

Spending a few hours unwinding and showering, we then headed over a few blocks to visit his lovely friends for a birthday celebration. It seemed that everywhere in down down manhattan was just a few blocks away, as we strolled down the streets with with dinners and coffee shops New York felt inviting, charismatic and cheerfully on this late Saturday sunny afternoon. After a few birthdays beers/wine and too much chocolate Amir and I headed around another few corners and up the road to meet some other friends at a bar. Unfortunately on arrival everyone is Id checked and I had forgotten both my passport and and my drivers license. Amir went in to tell his friends that we were not able to get in so we were going to head home. Whilst he was inside I was just talking general chat about travels and what not to the security staff, and when Amir reappeared to collect me for home hey let us both in! Oh, the charm of a traveller…I will miss being foreign when I return home! A few beers later, the clock confronted me with 3am and I decided to head home solo. With brief instructions written again on my hand I climbed the back streets trawling through numbers… Until finally I came to somewhere I found familiar, unfortunately still s little confused in the early hours of the morning I asked a lady and she pointed me in the right direction. Creeping in, I was confronting by a biting chiwawa, to which Sam had to rescue from. 

Setting my alarm, it seemed I had barely hit the pillow before it went off at 8am. Dragging myself out from under the sheets I sat in the hall to pack a carry on bag to Vegas.  One pair of heels, three dresses, undies and a few odd bits later I zipped it up feeling quite impressed with how disciplined I had been. Amir walked me to the station and onto the train, when we reaTicklerlised we were heading in the wrong direction. Unfortunate by the time of change I worked out that I had left not enough time to get to the station on public transport so we back up onto the street to hale a cab. About 40 minutes later I arrived early…decently the preference of late. My flight was not direct, and went via charlotte. Taking up a good part of my day I arrived into Vegas in the afternoon. 

Extremely excited I bounded through the airport, which Indecently looked more like a casino itself with gaming machines lining the walls. Hailing a cab I made my way straight to the hotel; The Rio. Driving through the strip, it was exactly as I had pictured it, both sides lined with extravagant hotels exquisitely  lit up in all their glory. Very kitch, tacky but extremely inviting. Big lights, bright ideas and people flocking by the millions to try their lucky streak in the smoke. Pulling into the hotel, just off the main strip I walked inside the foyer to find a tiny burlesque singer performing a little number on a tiny stage, to her right there was a huge bar, and to her right their were hundreds of gaming tables with hopefuls spreading throughout. I walked over to reception and asked for the room of the friends I had flown to meet, but unfortunately I had  not taken down their last names. I then resorted to a pay phone and left a message. Next stop I thought I would head to the bar and at least get myself a beer whilst deciding how to contact them. Luckily, that’s where I had found them; Shaye, an American businessman who I had met through my old job, and Eric, Johan’s business partner from Sweden. I had been lucky enough to know these two and coincidence had it that I was in the country so they decided to pay for my flights and accommodation  for three nights so I could help them out with their product at a large distributer convention which was to be held at the Rio. Shaye then handed keys to my very own huge double room inclusive of white crisp linen, huge glass windows which wrapped one wall and immaculate white porcelain bathroom! Jumping straight in I quickly showered and met the men back down at the bar as we were to meet some clients for dinner. The three of us dived into a cab and met up with the clients at a great thai restaurant about 15 out of the hype of Vegas. There was a line to get into in as we weren’t the only ones that had heard of this ridiculously cheap, quality and well serviced place! Before too long we were seated and we ordered a smorgasbord of delicious plates, whist the men talked business i couldn’t stop eating and pinching myself…I was in Vegas baby!! One of the clients kindly chucked her credit card on the table and that was sorted…not only free flight and accommodation  but free dinners and drinks too!?! if you have been following my previous word vomit entries  then by now you must definitely agree with me and the reoccurring theme right? I am extremely LUCKY.

Heading back to the hotel late after a stuffing ourselves silly I dived straight into my crisp white linen and fell straight to sleep! Waking up to my dark room I rolled over and snoozed the alarm, slowly pulling myself out of my indulgently comfortable bed I slumbered over to the floor length windows…drawing the curtains in a dramatic “goodmorning Vegas” way a smile reached across my face as I quickly got ready for the trade show! It was 9-5, constant flow of buyers approaching distributers and ticking lists. I was there to represent one product, a damn fine one at that so the day was a breeze and I managed to make a few friends on my stand as well. I was expecting a vast spread of quirky and unusual characters at the Vegas trade show, however I was highly disappointed to see the crowds drawn in Australia seem to bring more colour to the pallet. That eve, again I headed out for dinner with Shane and Eric, as well as some more of their clients and colleagues. Later meeting up with an old friend who I had met in the industry who was a rep from Japan! Tsnecki and I spent the eve drinking far too much before slurring our words and calling it a night just after 4am. The next day was much the same routine for the trade show and it passed by very quickly! That eve, again; dinner then drinks on the roof top bar, meeting up with a lot of the people I had made friends wi over the few days! Dancing the night away until the area was closed off we were soon ushered downstairs to an open bar! Fed an abundance of drinks, and buzzing from the sleepless and exciting effect Vegas had on me, it wasn’t until I made it into bed I looked at the time; 7:40am. Due to an early flight out that morning I set my alarm; 8:10am…knowing it was a mere 30 minutes knap, at the time it seemed a fine idea…

Slowly peeling my eyes opened to an extremely loud banging at my door, I stumbled over to open it…Shane was shocked “tiff, what are you doing babe? Your flight is in less than an hour…????” Arrhh, shit…I had fallen into such a deep sleep I couldn’t even catch my thoughts…nor hold up my heavy head. Ferociously chucking all of the items I could see into my small carry one, I threw on a jacket, shuffled into my shoes, and screamed my goodbyes as I sprinted down the long corridor.  Shoving myself in the first available taxi as we drove off I turned to see the rio fade away into the distance. That’s when I realized I had not even left the hotel since my taxi there on the first day!! So consumed in the rio, the trades show and new and old friends it had simply preoccupied me the entire time! A whole world…inside a hotel! Upon reaching the airport I ran through several gates and was last to grab my seat on the American airlines flight. With in moments of strapping my seatbelt on the doors were cross checked, locked and we took flight. Wow. And that was Vegas baby. 
The flight had a transit in Charlotte and before I knew it I was landing back in new York. It was late so I taxied it back to amirs apartment in downtown manhattan. 

Unfortunately I have the left the rest too long to remember…very lazy but I guess so much to do in new York I didn’t get time to write, and with the hype of coming home…excuses excuses. I had the time of my life. Therefore back to reality, to work, save and do it all again.