I've recently returned to Sydney after 6 weeks in my home country, the U.S. As I lived in New York City for many years, I visited a few times to see old, and amazing, friends. These are some of my reflections on NYC, the great city that never sleeps, but the same place that ran me ragged after 8 years of trying to keep up. It's a love / hate relationship.

New York, here I am, the first time back in 2 years. How are you these days? So much has changed in myself and in you.

I step out of the bus from Boston and put my bitch face on; walking into the subway, ready for whatever it is that will assault my senses and possibly my person. I shove people out of the way without a sorry and am shoved likewise. I live surrounded by a constant din of noise, activity, buzz, something alive, like the city itself has a pulse. The pulse beats deep within the streets and deep within my veins until the two become one, united in their timing. My pulse becomes rushing, hurrying to catch the quick, illusive and ever changing pulse of the city. Not for once can you imagine the city will slow down to meet you. You must constantly be on your game, ready and alert to meet the pace of the streets, of the subway - as fast below ground as above. Never even daring to pause for long enough to breath deep. Not that the grime and the rats below ground or the sky scrapers above blocking the sun and any decent view of the sky are conducive to slow ujjai breaths. It's more of a hold your breath city. A city that demands you bring your absolute best to everything you do, and even so, there will be someone better, smarter, thinner, wiser, richer than you. As they say, if you're 1 in a million, there are 9 of you in New York.