30 Hours in New York

My last trip was a flight to the Big Apple…there’s something magical about New York, no matter how many times you visit. I was especially looking forward to this flight as it was a 30 hour layover. Last time I was in New York was just a 24 hour layover, and those few extra hours really make all the difference.

After an early start from Dubai we were on our way. The flight was full, and since it was daytime everybody was awake, which certainly kept us on our feet! On long “ULR” (ultra long range) flights, we get a break in our bunk beds (CRC – Crew Rest Compartment), so while we take it in turns to rest we each have a lot more passengers to serve.

14 hours later we finally touched down in JFK, and after a long rush hour bus journey made it to our hotel.

IMG_1135

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may remember that I have some friends in New York, Stephen and Colin, who I met whilst interrailing around Europe before I joined Emirates. I’d messaged them before coming to see if they were free, and we arranged to meet for dinner.

Luckily they also got stuck in the terrible traffic, which gave me a bit of time to shower and  freshen up after the long flight.

They’d reserved a table in a restaurant called “The Smith”, which was located just a short drive from my hotel. We could have walked but we already running a little late for the reservation, so decided to hop in a taxi instead.

IMG_1136

The restaurant had huge French windows which were wide open as it was such a gorgeous balmy evening, and it was absolutely bustling, even for a Wednesday evening. I was glad we had a reservation as I heard the hostess say there would be a 45 minute wait to the couple behind us!

IMG_1145

The waitress brought over the menu and explained that the special of the day was fried chicken with waffles – could it get any more American?!

IMG_1138

The boys both decided to go all out and get the fried chicken, however I was in the mood for something a bit lighter and went for some delicious grilled fish with leeks and polenta. (Alongside a delicious cocktail of course!)

IMG_1141IMG_1143

After a very satisfying dinner we strolled outside and found a rooftop bar serving killer frozen margaritas. It had been around a year since we’d caught up so we all had plenty to chat about!

IMG_1148

After a couple of drinks and realising I’d been up for more than 24 hours (with a little break in the CRC, but that doesn’t really count) it was time for bed – I was absolutely exhausted. I sank straight into my pillow ….and woke up 3 hours later!

It’s so hard to sleep in the US – it’s just such a huge time difference from Dubai that I always end up sleeping really badly. I slept on and off, waking up every hour or so, until 8am, where I finally gave in.

It looked like another beautiful spring day, so I headed out to find some coffee.

IMG_1151

I found a cute little Australian style cafe serving up delicious flat whites, and would have stayed there for breakfast as well if it wasn’t so busy.

I’d brought my book with me and planned to sit and read for a while over breakfast, so found another little cafe and had a cup of tea and enjoyed my book. I’m currently reading “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr, and would highly recommend it.

After breakfast I strolled around the city for a while, stopping at a couple of shops for a browse and enjoying the beautiful weather.

IMG_1162IMG_1166

Before long it was time to make my way back to the hotel, so I could get a couple of hours sleep before the flight home. Thankfully the flight was not completely full, and since it was overnight most of our passengers slept the majority of the flight!

New York never fails to delight, and I enjoyed my trip this time just as much as the last.

P.s. Follow me on Instagram & Twitter for more day-to-day updates of where I am in the world! 🙂

8 Comments

  1. Lauren rose
    October 19, 2016 / 2:16 pm

    Loving your blog! I’m moving to Dubai on the 2nd of December to join Emirates cabin crew and reading your blog is giving me an insight of what to expect over the next 3 years.. so excited X

    • thedubaidiaries
      Author
      October 21, 2016 / 2:33 pm

      Thanks Lauren! Hopefully you’ll love it! Maybe see you in the skies soon, good luck with the training! xx

  2. Joana
    April 2, 2016 / 11:48 am

    Hi Rachel, I’m obsessed with your blog! I discovered it a couple of days ago and I haven’t stopped reading it since. I’m from Portugal and plan to apply to Emirates as soon as possible. I have a question for you: have you ever been to Portugal with Emirates and are flights to Lisbon frequent? Because I’m under the impression that they’re not… Thank you in advance!!

    • thedubaidiaries
      Author
      April 6, 2016 / 12:33 pm

      Hi Joana! Thanks so much, I’m really glad you’re enjoying reading my blog. Unfortunately I’ve never been to Lisbon, although I’m hoping to go there next month with my boyfriend if we get some days off! We do have 2 flights a day to Lisbon, although it’s a popular route which is why I’ve not been rostered it.

  3. chris2791
    April 1, 2016 / 4:16 pm

    I think that it would be a really good idea that when you upload your next roster you can upload the date too, so that while im at school I can think, Rachel is off to …. today and would allow my imagination to run freely while im in a boring math class!!

    • thedubaidiaries
      Author
      April 6, 2016 / 12:30 pm

      Hi Chris! Thanks for the idea…I will think about it, although sometimes I do swap my flights or they get changed so it may not always be accurate 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying reading my blog!

  4. Angelo
    March 29, 2016 / 9:07 am

    Thanks for sharing. I recently discovered your blog and am loving going back and reading your posts about all your trips. Keep them coming… 🙂

    • thedubaidiaries
      Author
      April 6, 2016 / 12:28 pm

      Thanks Angelo! Really glad you’re enjoying my blog.

Leave a Reply