Day 61 - Day of departure

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And so there we have it. Today is the day I leave. I made a huge thank you to all the people I met on my trip. They made it much more enriching for me. The world worth experiencing is with the people you meet. In my case, some I already knew from the internet. But I can sure say it was a privilege to meet others as well.

I left my hostel at 11am after a shower. It took me quite some time to get to Newark airport, but that was fine; I allowed myself plenty of time. It’s better to arrive early and wait for ages, than to miss your flight.

I took advantage of my greyhound bus pass for the final time. I basically got a free transfer to Newark, a half-hour ride out of New York City, and I watched as the final views of the city went by. It was a beautiful, clear day, and Manhattan looked lovely. It would be my last look at the city, so I tried to appreciate it.

Now I was in New Jersey, and from the bus terminal, the airport was one train stop away. I got approached by at least four homeless men in just this station, and I was giving a few bucks to each of them. One after another. I made sure I would have enough for dinner tonight at the airport. Perhaps I’d spoil myself, as it’s the last of the American dollars I’d be using.

And I boarded my train to Newark Liberty International Airport, and said goodbye to the United States. Surely it won’t be the last time I come here, but it was slightly emotional. The country had definitely left a positive impression on me. This was a great trip. But all good things come to an end. If they didn’t, we would never appreciate them.

So I waited inside the terminal, trying to keep myself occupied for a few hours. Mostly I was pacing around. I checked in and proceeded past customs at around 6pm. My flight was to be delayed. Hopefully that doesn’t mean I’ll miss my transfer to England. I’m going with Iceland Express, and I’ll be laying over in Reykjavik for two hours. Probably half that now. And in the meantime, I had a chat with another passenger waiting to embark. We were both headed for London.

On board, there weren't actually that many people, and that meant I had a row of three seats to myself to sleep on.

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