Getting to New York.

Thursday, 17. July 2008

It's a gray July afternoon when my flight gets me to the JFK airport in New York. I pick up my backpack and head for the exit to find a bus into the city.

But why am I even in New York?

It all started a few months back, somewhere in my head.

Every day I was getting more and more into bicycling, ever since I came back from Berlin last May. It was pretty much taking over my mind at the expense of my other favorite things to do. I got so much into it that I thought a vacation on two wheels is the next thing to do.

But then again, every three years I travel to the United States. Now, what is THAT about? Every three years? Sounds weird, doesn't it.

Well, my first trip to the US was in 1996. 3 years later, my former band decided to tour the States, so the tour happened in 1999. I wasn't thinking much about it then, but when my 2 university colleagues asked me to go on a vacation to the States together in 2002, I definitely saw the pattern there. 1996, 1999, 2002,... So I just decided it's actually quite a cool idea to go to the States every 3 years, so after that 2002 trip, I went again with a friend in 2005 and, of course, it's 2008 now so - time for the USA!

So, how do I combine a biking vacation and a trip to the USA? Well, I thought what would be a good thing to do and the idea was born: I'm going to bicycle from Seattle to Los Angeles on a bicycle! 2000 kilometers on two wheels in about a month.

But first I gotta get to Seattle, no? Well, that's where we left off.

So, I catch the bus to downtown Manhattan and then a bus to my friend's Peter. Because there's another Peter in this story, I'll just call him Peter Ki.

Peter Ki had been teaching at Ambrit school in Rome for about 4 years and had just returned to New York. We used to hang out in Rome a lot, play tennis, go to parties, barbecues,... He's one of the people I'll miss in Rome.

So with Peter Ki I head to a dinner where actually 5 people who at one point or another lived in Rome will gather. 5 of us and Peter's friend from LA.

Karen is another great friend from the same group of friends that Peter Ki was part of. She's moving to Israel and is currently on vacation in the US. She came down to NYC from Rhode Island just to meet us.

Daniela is Italian (from Rome) and she's hosting Karen in NYC. I haven't met Daniela before, but she's a cool cat.

Campbell (I can never remember how to spell her name and I only remember now because she signed my lucky dollar bill at that dinner) used to teach at the same school in Rome as Peter Ki and Karen. In fact, that's how we met a few years ago.

So with Peter Ki, his friend Gerry and myself it makes for 6 of us.

We have a merry good time at a tiny restaurant with a garden (properly called "Tree") and then split for home shortly afterwards.

Campbell, Peter Ki, Gerry, Daniela, me, Karen @ Tree in Manhattan.