The Ultimate Twist on Tourism: Part 1

*Before we dive in, just know that this post contains affiliate links that help me make an extra buck (or two 😎) to spontaneously travel and keep bringing you the content—at no cost to you.*

When I boarded the plane for New York, I knew there was going to be something different about this trip. From the time I was sitting on the plane until the moment I landed in NYC, everyone around me wanted to engage in conversation. Strangers weren’t really strangers. We were all just people feeling the energy of what is the magic of New York City. 

Strangers weren’t really strangers.

Two days were all I had before my friend met me in the city. I had no idea what I would do until he got there, all I knew is that I booked a room at the HI NYC Hostel. Another thing was certain: I was in a city with 8 million people and no shortage of interesting things to experience. In the words of one of my friends, “Let’s get this bread.” 

Before making it to the hostel, I noticed that Broadway was nearby. Shows like the Book of Mormon and Beetlejuice twinkled in all caps on the billboards. I finally checked into my room, wrecked from a six-hour flight from Seattle. As I explored the hallways, I got the sense that I was one of the only native-English speakers in the building.

I smirked at the thought of hanging out with people from the other side of the world, and in my own country at that. After a power nap, I sprung out of bed knowing exactly how I wanted to spend my first night discovering New York: at a Beetlejuice Broadway show. I was lucky enough to get one of the last tickets for the showing at 7 p.m.

Between the lights, the costumes, and the decor—the interior of the building felt like it was glowing in the dark. Right before getting settled into my seat, I bought one of those double glasses of wine they put into a giant Beetlejuice cup. Yep, I’m that person. As the show began, Beetlejuice did anything but hold back as he dropped one-liners about cocaine and women. 

As quickly as the show began, it ended—leaving me roaming the notorious Times Square. I was delirious and energized all at the same time. I could see advertisements and video clips for days. The square was packed with people, even at a late hour. I walked across the plaza with stars in my eyes. As I was making a video of the scene, two guys jumped in and posed for the frame in my video. 

I started laughing and walked up to them. It turns out that both of them were aspiring rappers from the Bronx. I did the brave thing and asked if one of them could take a photo of me. While posing and trying to get the right angles, another photographer walked up to us. He offered to take our photos and wasn’t taking no for an answer. 

That’s the story of this photo: 

And this one:

And these:

While normally tourists get overcharged for photos, this guy basically gave us all of them for free. Beginner’s luck maybe? After a few crazy hours hanging with the locals in Times Square, I knew it was time to get back and recharge for Day #2. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give a traveler is that traveling is a marathon, not a sprint. 

Traveling is a marathon, not a sprint.

—Out of Nowhere Travel

This ends the first part in a series of stories about NYC. Stay tuned for the rest 🗽


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2 Comments

  1. Very good post. Highly informative for travellers who want to visit these places in New York. Nicely written. Keep up the good work.

  2. Thanks , I have recently been searching for info about this topic for ages and yours is the best I’ve found out till now. But, what concerning the bottom line? Are you sure about the source?

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