Why yes, this piece of writing is kind of all about me, unfortunately I don’t get paid to document someone else’s experiences, YET. Until that day arrives, I’ll have to settle by writing about myself. So, let me start by saying that while I believe that you should not let others tell you what to do, nor should you let other’s experiences define what you ultimately want to do, there should be maybe one exception to that. You should travel. Travel wherever you want to travel, just don’t let people choose where you travel to. For this same reason, you should even try and travel by yourself. My destination of choice? New York City of course. I booked my trip 6 months in advance and booked my non-refundable (very important piece that made sure I didn’t back out) hotel room across the street from Madison Square Garden. Those 6 months were full of so much excitement, stress, and anxiety. Oh yeah, I was terrified of traveling by myself, but Lord forbid I let anyone know that.

Anyways, I learned a lot about myself during this trip, but I narrowed it down to the five most important things.

1. When I Want Something I Make It Happen

When I got out of high school I told myself I would go visit The Big Apple. Originally that plan was supposed to happen with friends, but talk is cheap and plans are free. I realized that if I wanted to do something I would have to take the initiative and if people wanted to join me well, so be it. Believe it or not, I told people about my future plans and many would say they’re down, yet when it came down to it they didn’t show up. I ultimately decided I wanted this for myself. I booked a hotel room for a good grip  on my own and used my miles to book my flight (shoutout Southwest!) I decided I would have to save a good amount to take in NYC the way I wanted to while I’d be down there and somehow, I did it. I was practically broke for a good amount of time, but I knew what I wanted.

2. Tourists Are The Worst

I know you must be thinking to yourself, ” wait Christian, weren’t you a tourist?” To you good reader I say, touché. While it’s very possible I had the characteristics of a tourist I minded my own business. Do you know how often I was asked to take pictures of people, or groups of people without being asked in return? Do you know how often I had to act like I knew my subway stops and give directions on my way to go see the Yanks? I have no good picture at Times Square because the people who took my pictures blurred it all out and I was too embarrassed to ask others. On that note… 

3. This Trip Didn’t Need Many Pictures To Capture the Memory

I didn’t get to take that cool picture by the T-Rex at the Natural History Museum and I probably missed out on plenty of pictures. I mean, sure I took a few selfies here and there, but selfies don’t necessarily get put on Christmas Cards. This trip wasn’t too much about getting pictures taken and I found that out the first day. If I would’ve been busy behind the lens I would’ve missed out on so many things. Pictures are great, I won’t lie, but there’s nothing like experiencing the moment. Be ready to just take it all in.

4. Alcohol Is Not Needed To Have A Good Time, But It Doesn’t Hurt

There is nothing wrong with drinking a few drinks. Normally you can loosen up a bit and have a good talk about whatever it is you want to talk about in whatever place you want to. The easiest way to have a simple conversation was for to ask what someone was drinking and offer to buy that next drink. Not to hit on girls or anything, but to literally just have a conversation. This is how I got hints on what to eat, what not to eat, what to avoid and what to do. Yeah, of course, alcohol is not the greatest thing to consume, but it helped me meet some really cool people in the city.

5. Being Alone and And Being Lonely Is Not The Same

When I booked this trip my biggest fear was being lonely and not having someone to talk to. It almost seems stupid to think that I’d be lonely in a city with millions and millions. Although this entire trip I did things by myself there is not a place I went to that I didn’t have an intellectual conversation with somebody. When I say an intellectual conversation, I meant conversation in which I didn’t just ask how their day was going and call it. I mean a conversation that went from where they’re coming from and why they do what they do. My goal was to take something from everyone I made contact with. Looking back, it’s funny to ever think of anything close to being lonely.

In Conclusion 

Ultimately, I learned a lot more than these five things, but I hope you get the point. Whatever your likes are, you should do something that you always thought would be too crazy to do. It’s my go-to story and I’ve done a few awesome things in my life. Everyone should have their own, “you’re crazy, why’d you do that” story. You deserve it.