The Road to Mah-Kee-Nac

D-day...chaos! Even before the first step of the journey! Skipping town for a while must have been so much easier in the dark ages of technology; no phone contracts, insurance commitments and other scamming bills to contemplate as it's quietly nibbling away at the little money a student can tuck away.
Still that was just the beginning of the start of the day!
I'm currently writing this on my iPod touch's note pad as I glide past a breath-taking view of New York and the Brooklyn Bridge at Sunset, on the train to my next crisis...sit tight and you'll read about it in a minute.
Back to the start of my day...
In classic 'Sebastian' fashion I arrive at Heathrow and check in with 5 minutes to go until boarding commences, so there I am, full scrambling quarterback mode engaged making a B-line for boarding gate 18...but I have to say JFK was where the "fun" really started! Border control had a field day! Now I know the comedians out there have jokes flying around there head already, but I was bricking it, just sitting around expecting at any moment to hear the snap of a latex glove on the wrist of a debauch looking customs officer. However it was only because I forgot a form that had nothing to do with them anyway!
I get off the Long Island Rail Road at Penn Station not knowing exactly where in the big apple I am, but I know I'm in Manhattan! Climbing a narrow set of stairs I start to get flash backs, vague memories of "I've been here before". I've only gone and emerged in to the sunlight from the underbelly of New York, New York through the gates of Madison Square Garden. Don't know about you but I think that's a pretty cool entrance to the land of the "free"!

So this next dilemma I'm cruising towards...I don't have a pick-up from my end station to the camp yet. I'm waiting on a call! It's already dark and I'm pretty sure the TV shows say there's bears in them woods! Ah well I'll just have to get my Rambo on!

Without intention I've already bumped into some of the country's most famous landmarks; the Empire State Building, The Guggenheim Museum, Grand Central Train Station, Madison Square Garden, Brooklyn Bridge, etc

It's a good start! Today's been little short of a roller coaster and I sense, knowing me, this is just the first of many...but who doesn't like a thrilling ride once in a blue moon...