Photo diary: Returning to New York City

After I came back from New York City in 2014, I always vowed to go back but never really thought it would happen. After all, the world is a big place and there's still so many places I want to tick off my list in the United States or even the world. But my mum starting floating around the idea and when I spotted bargain flights - I'm talking £323! - come up, I decided to do what all sensible people do when in the process of buying a house. I bought the flights.

My mum had never ventured over to America let alone to NYC so I was excited to show her all the places I loved eating, the sights that took my breath away and show her the places of my stories. A week flew by in a blink of an eye and even now it feels like a bit of a dream. It was so cool to see it through her new eyes and she took in all in.

After a long winded process through immigration, we hopped in a cab to our hotel just off Times Square and began to explore the city. It was every bit as grimy, loud, fabulous and intoxicating as I remembered. We laughed until we cried, ate until we fell sick, talked until our throats were sore and walked until we thought our feet were about to fall off. It was so great to experience it with my mum especially as I don't see her every day like I used too. Of course we bickered relentlessly, mostly over me working her to the bone and making her walk for miles. But she did encourage me to take a slower pace and I came back feeling a lot more relaxed than I expected too. Secretly I think I was pretty glad to be in bed by 7pm each night, watching Pretty Woman, eating strawberry M&Ms and drinking canned mango margaritas from the 7/11.

The Meatpacking district is still my favourite part of the city and I fell completely in love with parts of Brooklyn. I'm so happy I got to tick the Brooklyn Bridge off my list this time and seeing the Big Apple in the snow was so magical. Although I think I'm still warming up from the rickshaw ride around Central Park in six inches of snow... I'm hoping I won't leave it another four years until I'm back again.