I had a really fun (but exhausting) last full week at work as I tried to see everyone/do everything before it was time to leave. I didn’t manage to take many photos but I did two restaurant week dinners – one with Cynthia, Alex and Amy (4 girls out to dinner so we pretended we were in Sex and the City) at Lavo which is an amazing Italian restaurant and one with Dara at the 21 Club which we loved for it’s old New York style and amazing food! The most surprising was the frozen yoghurt sundae for dessert with champagne jelly – a grown up jelly and ice cream!

Work also organised a leaving meal for me out in White Plains which was such a nice send off – everyone made an effort to come along and we were able to sit out on the water for hours sipping margaritas and eating tacos. It was great to see everyone out together having a good time. I feel so lucky to have worked with such great people this year and I’m sure I will stay in touch with them all.

We’ve had some amazing weather in New York but sometimes the city itself can get pretty unbearable in the heat so when that happens, you head to the beach. Cynthia and I took the train out to Long Island on Saturday for one last dose of sunshine and had a great time swimming, sunbathing and eating under perfect blue skies and water!

Beach babes

Keen to show my patriotism to America, this may have happened just before we left …. definitely attracted a few curious looks but I wear my (adopted) flag with pride.

And we rounded off the day with Ralph’s famous Italian Ices – a delicious cross between sorbet and a slushie! What a way to spend the weekend!

It was soon time to say goodbye to all my friends and it’s definitely feeling real that I am moving back now. I gathered my nearest and dearest to head the one and only Lobster boat – it only seemed fitting to go to a place that has given me so much happiness over the last couple of months. It was the perfect evening for it – a little too hot on land but beautiful on the water.

These guys managed to coordinate perfectly in pastels and happened to stand all in a row!

The sun slipped below the horizon and the city lit up in all its glory. How am I ever going to leave this behind? It was a perfect send off and I’m telling myself it’s not goodbye, just “Until next time”.

Cynthia couldn’t make it to my drinks (the die-hard Mets fan that she is, she had bought tickets to the game months ago) so we had our own goodbye yesterday at her favourite restaurant, La Lanterna di Vittorio, in the West Village. We met up in Washington Square Park – another iconic New York spot – and had a photo by the arch while groups of NYU students lounged on the grass, a juggling class took place and 3 little bands all played at once – truly full of New York character!

Before heading into the cutest restaurant with a glass roof and the most amazing pizza and real Italian cheesecake (nothing like the cheesecake we normally eat but oh so delicious):

We also had a go at customising our own popsicles in a shop around the corner for a second dessert – see Cynthia’s more restrained coconut in dark chocolate and my mint with dark chocolate and candy corn (deliciously minty/salty/sweet). Cynthia has been a great friend while I’m here so we’re just waiting to see if her dad will donate his air miles so she can come and see me in London!

And now the day is finally here – my last day in New York – 11 great months in this place has been more amazing than I ever dreamed it would be. As they say, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. New York, I made it, but now it’s time for me to go home. I have loved living here, getting to know the city as a local rather than a visitor, in all weathers! People have been so welcoming and the friends I have made have added so much to the experience I have had. I’ve also loved having my various visitors and showing them around the city I love. Hopefully when I go back, I will see London through new eyes and take the same approach to life there as I have had here. There will be one more post of my favourite places and discoveries so watch this space and be sure to reference it if you ever head here for a holiday yourself! New York, you’ve been amazing. I’ll be back soon xx