And that's why you don't make plans...

So this morning I woke up in New Jersey. Don't worry it wasn't at a bus station/park bench/ jail cell. Just the result of a very random Friday night.

Last night I decided to go out on the town. It had been two whole weeks since my last G+T, something had to be done. Luckily, NYC makes a strong G&T. 

Now going out on my own is not something I'm accustomed to or even that comfortable with but when in Rome; or rather when in a-whole-other-country-with-no-friends-or-pseudo-dates. Regardless, after a drink or two I was plenty happy dancing to the beat of my own (actually the DJ's own) drum. Low and behold that's when I made myself a couple of friends.

So I meet these girls from New Jersey. For those of you without your maps handy, New Jersey is across river from Manhattan. It is home to Kevin Smith, all his films and possibly Billy Joel. Also these girls:

Luckily, the girls I met were nothing like the Hot Mess illustrated here.  They were lovely and having a wonderful night all of their own making. So upon blowing their minds by telling them of my awesome directionlessness and no planage they were like "Come to Jersey! we'll show you the beach". What reason do I have to say no?  Really? It's not like I have to be anywhere. Ever.

So someone's Dad came to pick us up at 2:30 in the morning (what a champ. I think he even offered to cook for us when we got back to Jersey) at which point I had to pretend I was an exchange student at Bloomsbury Collage. It's in Pennsylvania. I'm Studying Special Education there. Then it was bye bye NYC, hello right-wing suburbia!

I woke this morning after the bestest, comfiest sleep I've had since leaving Oz. So much so I was surprised when I opened my eyes and found myself in a large family home surrounded by Easter decorations. They sure are hospitable in Jersey.

The plan then was to wrap me in a Bloomsburg hoodie, pick up Katie's (hospitable Jersey girl and fellow Bloomsburg Alum.) car, parked at Mr Champion Dad's house, and head out to the beach. In order for that plan to be successful, I had to...... drive.   

Sorry Mum. Won't do it again. Probably. 

That crazy kid. Good thing her parents were out of town as she would have had a time explaining a) why she invited a strange foreign girl to stay over and b) why on earth she made a strange foreign girl with an appalling driving record and from a country that drives on the opposite side of the road, drive her brother's car. I hope you're all very proud of me though. I pulled it off without a hitch. The drive was only about [the longest] five minutes [of my life].

So off to the beach we went. I didn't have to/wasn't allowed to drive to the beach. Katie handled that fine on her own. We went to a place called Asbury Park. It was lovely. Cold, rainy, windy, deserted but definitely lovely. I think I'd like to revisit  in the summer.

Having seen all the sights of New Jersey, it was time to bundle me on a bus headed back to the city. But, not before I got a present and just days after I realised I would probably need another jumper. 

Katie insisted that I keep it and show it the country. So hospitable, those Jersey girls.