So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Night

That's it, done and dusted, dolly done-zo. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Right now it is almost impossible to reflect on the last 14 months because we're still in it up to our eyeballs. The apartment is empty and as clean as it can be, the suitcases are packed and the internet is almost severed (goodbye sweet unlimited downloads). I have the heartwrenching agony of doing things for the last time, a brutal kick in the nuts to any sentamentalist like me. I feel OK about leaving the city because I know I can always come back and it will be more of less the same (flying cars maybe?). The worst part is leaving this apartment - this tiny one-bedroom, hardwood space that was so hard to find. I try to think about the stroke-inducing climb up too many stairs or the tiny cockroach problem brought on by too many cats but none of those things can overshadow the amazing times spent within these four walls.

5J has seen its fair share of tears - tears of relief when we finally signed the lease, tears of despair when we couldn't find decent jobs, drunken tears of homesickness and heartbroken tears when we both lost members of our family. I'm sure there were some happy tears in there, I AM a big cryer.

We've had some awesome visitors to our tiny apartment - each one making the space more special. Thanks to Lucy and Lauren and Alice and Ian and Sophie and Emyo and Freyja and Simon and Andrew and Danielle and James and my parents for braving the stairs and the (at times) uncomfortable heat and bedding. I love you all for sharing New York with me and filling my house with memories. For those of you who didn't make it to 5J (Anne, Lyndal, Bradley) - it was still amazing to see you! Then there are the locals, our friends who didn't think that the Upper West Side was too far to go - Jason, Frans, Michelle, Scott, Sydney, Erica and Andy.

Hey Sophie - remember that one time we were stuck in the apartment for 3 days because of Hurricane Irene? Crazy.

So we handed in the keys and dragged our cases down the stairs for the final time. I sneakily wrote our names inside the closet, where no-one will paint over it. I gave 5J a couple more tears and closed the door on an unbelievable year of ups and downs and everything inbetween.