New York Nights

Last night, one of our clients took us out for dinner and VIP seats at Madison Square Garden, to watch the New York Rangers hammer it out on the ice against the Atlanta Thrashers.

It was great fun.

Having a fairly modest income and some big responsibilities on the horizon, Tina and I have pretty much remained housebound since we moved to America. We've been really lucky that Tina's brother and sister live so close and invite us to their exciting events, because otherwise, we'd probably have no social life at all!

But actually heading out into the bright lights of the big city reminds me just what an amazing place New York is and how amazing it is to actually live here.

When you're out in the Big Apple, you can't help but feel alive.

I can't claim to be much of an ice-hockey fan (I call it 'ice-hockey' rather than just 'hockey' because I want to differentiate between burly Caucasians slamming into each other at 90mph on the ice and British schoolgirls playing on grass with knee-high socks on.)

That being said, the game was great fun. There's an enormous amount of showmanship and watching the Rangers play in the heart of their home city warmed the cockles (even as the rest of you shivered.)

Ice Hockey is a fast and brutal game. Players whizz by at 40mph, perfectly balancing delicate ice-skating skills with raw power and strength. The game is violent, aggressive and unpredictable. The Rangers scored four goals against the Thrashers (which is four more goals than any recent game of British Premiership Football.)

I felt enormously energised by just being there - and it reminded me of everything I've got to be grateful for. A great life in a great city and a world of opportunities waiting for me to grab them.

It also filled me with excitement for our next journey to the city. Tina's sister and our brother-in-law bought us Broadway tickets and dinner at a restaurant, so on Friday we're coming into the Big Apple to take another big, juicy chomp.

I ♥ New York.