Day Eight: Philadelphia!

Day Eight began with a fond farewell to Ckeanna and New York.  I set off on the Long Island Rail towards Penn Station, grabbed myself an extra large coffee there, and found the Amtrak train that I needed.

My next host, Heather Slawek from Awakenings Pole Fitness, had recommended that I "train" it instead of flying.  She was right and I'm so glad she told me!  First of all because of the time spent just getting through airports... check in, security...sitting squished in an economy seat, breathing bad air... there were plenty of roomy seats available on the train, and traveling that way I saw my journey at ground level - leaving New York City (strange kind of sentimental sadness washed over me!)...

...through New Jersey...

and on to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

home to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Museum of Art (remember that scene in Rocky where he runs up the steps?!)...

...and SO MUCH HISTORY!!!  Heather and I found each other at the famous 30th Street Station (remember Witness with Harrison Ford?)...

 And on the way to the hotel, we drove through the greenest areas I've yet seen on my tour!  Plus so many really, really old homes, and other buildings obviously from much older periods (well, "much older" in US history terms!).  There's not only history here, but very well kept and maintained history.  A very pretty area!

Boathouse Row, famous home to Philadelphia's rowing community

Squirrel!

So - check in to my hotel, unpack only what I need for the next 24 hours, find the wifi, answer as many emails as I can... and out the door again to my first classes at Awakenings!

The view from my hotel room!

Awakenings is situated within the Fairmont Athletic Club in King of Prussia.  Heather has managed to weave pole (fitness) classes into what is really quite a conservative venue, an achievement not to be sniffed at!  Although of course I was a little worn from constant touring, by this day I was well into the swing of things.  There's something about girls walking in and class starting up where my focus switches on to high intensity no matter what.  I choose to be there for my students, and I just am.  I love it!  I guess it's a learned discipline, part of being an instructor dedicated to sharing the art.

Between classes some of us went for dinner together - one thing about US restaurants, as far as I've been to anyway; service is spot on and food is mostly excellent.  I've been enjoying the best ever salads and the ones I've had in Philly are definitely the best!

That night, after my final class, I came back to my hotel thinking that I would get an early night.  But between sorting out my latest photos and connecting with my businesses in Australia, it was actually not at all early when I finally got to sleep.  Not at all!