Tickets please.

After only 4 hours sleep, there was a tap on the door, it was housekeeping. Half asleep I said "not yet thanks" and they went away. Looking at the clock, 9:30. I could get another hours sleep or so I thought. Until Sam pointed out that we need to be checked out by 11:30. Uh oh. Slightly hungover I managed to pack everything away and was ready to leave a clear half an hour before the time limit. However our train tickets were for the 2:30 train. 

It was muggy again and as much as I didn't t mind the heat too much, I didn't fancy lugging my suitcase around while feeling a bit hungover still. 

It was suggested we try to get our tickets changed for an earlier train and put our luggage in the lockers till we boarded the train. We arrived at Pen station about 10:40 and managed to chance our tickets for the 11:20 train. We didn't t have to wait around long before we boarded. That was a real stroke of luck. Had we wanted to leave on Friday, we'd of never got an earlier train. 

We sat in our seats and watched the train pull out of Pen station and leave manhattan. The train rides along the banks of the Hudson and I saw one of the many bridges we went under on our boat tour a few days before. 

By this time, it had started to cloud over New Jersey and just as we left the island, it started to rain. It had rained the day we got there but soon stopped and despite the weather forecast threatening to rain everyday we were there, it held off and we had great weather, if not a little muggy. 

I am going to miss New York. Despite the heat and the rush of people, it is a beautiful city with so much to do. I am so glad I was there for my birthday. 

We passed through the rain and exactly two and a half hours later, we arrived in Albany. It wasn't as hot nor as muggy. We pulled into a super market and done a little shopping, also grabbed a Chinese for dinner. 

We got home, unpacked the shopping and ate our food. I then decided I needed a nap. The four hours sleep I had the night before was catching up on me. I was woken up by a huge thunderstorm and heavy rain. 

I sat down stairs with Sam and we watched some film on television before we both breathed a heavy sigh and decided it was truly time for bed. 

I really did have such a wonderful time in the city and I would like to thank Sam for taking me there, even though it was clear, she isn't too fond of being right smack in the middle of all those buildings. I'd also like to thank Nina and Nadira for meeting me there and making this birthday an extra special one. 

I slept like a log that night.