But on Monday (8 November), when I boarded British Airways’ first UK flight to the US after international borders reopened, I was able to do just that.

Flight BA001, so named in tribute to the pioneering spirit of Concorde, departed Heathrow Terminal 5 for New York-JFK packed full with a mixture of journalists, holidaymakers and emotional customers, eager to be reunited with family and friends after more than 19 months apart.

From the moment I check in via British Airways First Wing, the atmosphere is one of immense joy and excitement. British Airways staff hand out American flags, and on the Concorde Terrace, media are treated to champagne, Manhattan cocktails and an array of US-themed snacks.

Inside the First Class cabin, in which I am lucky enough to be flying, the interior is decorated with US flags and the cabin crew are at their most peppy and friendly. I am as delighted to see them as they are to see me.

The synchronised take-off with Virgin Atlantic, a world first, is wonderful to witness, and although I’m sat on the wrong side of the aircraft, I manage to catch several glimpses of the Virgin aircraft once we are airborne as it soars alongside us. It’s impossible not to erupt into applause and cheers as we celebrate this truly historic moment for travel.

British Airways chair and chief executive Sean Doyle joins us onboard to stress just how important the reopening of US transatlantic routes are to the airline. He also reveals the A350-1000 operating the route is powered by a 35% blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which BA claims is the highest proportion ever used on a commercial flight

The goal for the airline is to be a net-zero carbon business by 2050, with the reopening of the transatlantic air corridor coming at a critical juncture in travel’s sustainability journey against a backdrop of the talks at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow. You feel this really does, now, matter.

The atmosphere onboard is buzzy as everyone settles back into their seats and chats with the cabin crew, while Doyle walks through the aircraft greeting the public.

Seven hours later, as we touch down in New York feeling only ever-so-slightly frazzled and jet-lagged, I do feel a touch apprehensive about getting through US border security; not famed as the most friendly or flexible regime, I’ve found it strict and interrogatory enough in the past, let alone when you have heaps more documents to show due to the pandemic.

This time, though, I fly through after being greeted with a polite smile at border control, subjected to minimal questioning, and find myself reunited with my luggage in minutes.

As we walk through the sliding doors into the arrivals hall at JFK, we are met by airport staff who whoop, wave US flags and jokingly ask us, “what took you so long?” while we are papped by the local media. It’s good to be back.

We are staying at the Conrad New York Midtown, formerly The London NYC, which was renovated and rebranded just before the pandemic hit. The vibe is luxurious and arty, and the views from my window of Central Park and the many high rises that jut up towards the sun-filled autumn sky are fantastic.

That evening, we are whisked over to the Empire State Building for a special event attended by New York and British Airways representatives, as well as British Consul-General for New York, Emma Wade-Smith, who speaks eloquently about the special relationship between the US and the UK, which can now be reignited.

The event is given extra razzle-dazzle by the attendance of actress Blake Lively, who tells us energetically how quiet and eerie the city she now calls home felt during lockdown, and how delighted she is to have us Brits back.

Lively, Wade-Smith, Doyle and Fred Dixon of NYC and Company then turn on the lights of the Empire State, which shine out in red, white and blue across the city to mark travel’s momentous restart in the US. Up on the top floor, we clink our glasses and gaze out at the sprawling bright lights of New York before us, a symbol of the endless possibilities this city, which never seems to sleep, embodies.

I spend the next morning wandering down Fifth Avenue with its grand buildings, beeping yellow taxis and pavements that billow with smoke, feeling intoxicated by the energy of the city.

I head to the Museum of Modern Art to see several new exhibitions, including one by renowned American sculptor Alexander Calder, and another dedicated to the country’s fascination with automobiles.

As I queue up to enter the museum, a stoic guard checks my vaccine passport and I hold my breath, waiting to be told off for something or other. But his stern face breaks into a smile when he hears my accent and cries out in his fantastic New York drawl: “Come with me ma’am, I’ll open a special entrance for you, you’re the Queen.”

In a city that feels like a movie set, I’ve never felt more like a movie star in my life. It’s that somewhat blunt, tough-on-the-exterior but soft-in-the-middle personality of New York that sucks you in and charms your socks off.

Always evolving, but at the same time familiar to us Brits, it’s a magnetic city we’ve never been able to keep away from. And now, after almost two years, we no longer have to.