A month has past. The vows have been spoken, the speeches have been spoken and the dance has been danced. The Wedding is over and the Marriage has just begun. Now I can say with absolute sincerity what a great night it was, how much fun I had and how delighted I am with my new wife.The wedding, to be honest, was a blur. A force ten gale of smiling faces, pictures and dancing. Nigel said (and I’m glad he did because I wouldn’t have) that you could truly feel love on that night and I could not agree more. But you were there. You know what that night was and I could never find the words to do it justice. The last thing I will say on the subject is that Michelle and I could not have asked for a better day or better friends to share it with.
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When we arrived in New York there was a torrential downpour thanks to the tail end of a hurricane which was blowing through. My niece and nephew, Anna and Jonathan, with the help of their parents had arranged for a town car to pick us up at JFK and Carlos, our driver, advised with a bright smile and raised eyebrows that maybe, due to the weather, we’d prefer to spend our honeymoon indoors anyway.
The streets were a river and the sky was cloud blanketing the infamous skyline. That was no deterrent however, as nice as the hotel room was, a room is a room, and I was in the greatest city on earth. We were soaked in a second but out for an hour walking the streets we all know; Along Madison Avenue, down to Fifth and back toward third and over to the Chrysler Building (which we had mistaken for The Empire State Building).
This is a city in which the fantastic is typical. The next morning no-one bats an eyelid at part of Broadway being cordoned off as that section of street is made to look ancient torn and broken as tanks sit on the road. A movie’s being filmed, possibly a Will Smith film by the name of ‘I Am Legend’ (I memorised a one of the names from a set of directors chairs we spotted and according to IMDB this is the only movie the guy is involved in which is filming). It’s more than big it’s grand and in the days thaty follow Michelle and I will travel across the city to its greatest landmarks, thankfully in the hot sun rather than the pouring rain.
The Empire State Building is five minutes walk from the hotel. Times Square is 10 minutes walk and the bus tour tickets we bought on the first day take us everywhere else. Day 2 we saw The Lion King on Broadway and visit the top of Empire State. Day Three we take a tour of NBC Studios and see were Saturday Night Live is filmed. We go across to Brooklyn on the Bridge by the same name and visit the site of the World Trade Centre. Next day we took a helicopter ride over The Statue of Liberty and carriage through Central Park (bike not horse) and on the last day we simply enjoyed the city.***
Hawaii did not start off so well. On the long flight over Michelle and I were feeling a little home sick and when we arrived our bags were not there to collect. The hotel was nice, the staff friendly and the room was large and comfortable. All and all though, I think we both were both regretting the second leg of our dream honeymoon. And then we saw the view.
Like a postcard in a photograph, like a dream in the eyes of the beholder. We walked on the beach that night in clothes we bought from the complex across from the hotel. The sand was coarse beneath our feet, the sea was strong and moon was large and full. Paradise.
We spent the next day on the beach and in the sea. I was burned quite badly on my legs and found it difficult (by which I mean extremely painful) to walk on that day so we didn’t get to enjoy some of the activities we planned on. Instead we enjoyed the rest of Hawaii by the pool and with many more walks on the beach. We relaxed in the sun and, after the busy streets of Manhattan, were glad for the opportunity.
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People think I’m crazy for saying this but I couldn’t be happier to be home. New York was breath taking, Hawaii a dream but this is where I belong. I miss things too much. I miss my house, my streets, my people, and really sadly I especially missed my cats.
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Marriage is a funny thing. Nothing has changed but everything is different. I’m on the same journey with a new path to follow. There seems to be more possibility and more certainty at the same time. I feel better, almost healthier in a way. Honestly I don’t know what I feel. But I know I’m happy and I know Michelle is too – and as long as I can keep us that way what more can anyone ask?