6 hours chatting, great view of Manhattan, sleep, wake up early well rested, jog round Central Park, walk the high line, nice lunch, snooze, awful night flight home, drive h9me, to back to sleep or a few hours and back in synch. Long haul has its good and bad points but you spend time (away from the family, true) being a tourist in some cool places. Even the rubbish layovers can be a really good time with the right mix. You can take your family away on a trip easily enough - I have done Christmas in New York and New Years in San Francisco.
It sure as hell beats triple Dublin on a windy day.