Last December I visited New York with my family. Now I'm not going to talk about the sights or give you a guide to the city, I'm no travel writer. I want to tell you how it made me feel and the spell it put on me.

I remember walking down the street for the first time and just feeling so insignificant. Everything was huge, we were like ants and I felt quite closed in at first but I soon got used to it. I was filled with wonder at everything I saw, things that had only ever existed on tv. The yellow cabs, the bright lights and all of the famous street names suddenly became real.

I couldn't believe how comfortable and at home I felt in New York. Now I'm from a small town in the UK and I'm lucky if I get to a city twice a year so I should have been overwhelmed but I was surprisingly at peace. The hordes of people should have unnerved me but I was calm and happy to be jostled along in the crowd. I was cautious as any sensible person would be but never felt unsafe.

Now I can't write about my trip without mentioning how unbelievably festive it all was. Americans do Christmas so much better than us Brits, our hotel lobby alone looked like something out of a film. It was all so cheery and we couldn't stop smiling.

The city really got to me and I didn't want to leave. I don't know what it is about the place but I felt like I could be anyone and achieve anything. I didn't expect it to affect as much as it did but I can hear it calling me to return. Maybe next summer when I can relax in Central Park and let the city work it's magic once again.