Kids,in December 2016, I travelled alone to New York City and people,who should have known better,kept asking why?

Them : “Why would you do that? And alone too? That’s crazy!”

Me (thinking it internally but I should have said it out loud): “I’m f***ing off to the other side of the world because  I am sick to death of your narrow-mindedness;  your gossiping about my sexuality; your assumptions that I must hate men and children because I have neither when it couldn’t be further from the f***ing truth and you don’t know how hard I have to work to keep my desire for having a baby under control;  because you assholes talk about me maliciously on Facebook where the world AND I can see it and you don’t even think about my feelings,do you?!!”

Like I said, there were many reasons why I travelled solo to the Big Apple but ultimately only one really mattered …my happiness.

In the space of just one week, New York quickly made me feel at home by:

1) Making me feel like a local:

Sure,I got lost so many times but somehow I always ended up where I was intending on going later,like Central Park, so it worked out!

2) Inspiring me on the daily:

There were so many things to see and do in New York that inspiration  was seeping into my pores all of the time.I felt re-energised and motivated for the first time in a long time and I wanted to write again.Not just about one attraction  as I had been for the past two years but about a variety of topics!

Staring out at the city line from the Top of the Rock,  I knew it was time for a career change.

3) Putting me at ease about difficult choices I’d made previously:

When I left a side project as a theater reviewer in 2015 because my family needed me emotionally, physically and financially to help with my dying grandfather;  people didn’t understand and so many of them faded away from my life because I was no longer available to be frivolous and fun at a red carpet opening night three times a week.

It felt like a horrible thing at the time but I do not regret spending 2016 taking care of Pa ,our family or dedicating myself to my magic career that year either…both elements thrived because I was focused and I am eternally thankful for it.

As I took in a number of Broadway shows in December, I realised that things had come full circle and this,this opportunity right here,  to see award-winning international shows was meant to be all along.I have always been a theatre lover -I didn’t need to be “famous” to prove it.

4) Seeding a sense of wonder for myself :

Thanks to the mind and emotional f***ery of He Who Must Not Be Named; being dumped by my travel buddy; warring family wanting Pa’s estate and all of the malicious gossipers;  my sense of self-worth was f***ed royally.

Having my wits and determination to depend on to guide me and keep myself safe in the Big Apple rebirthed my self-belief.

I felt imbued with new-found confidence in the Wonder Woman I know I can be. I worked hard to get to New York again and I could do that and so much more if I just tried.

F*** the haters in my world, I am f***ing AWESOME!!

I loved New York,where I was free to be me SO much,  I didn’t want to go home …