Hi everyone! ヾ(＾-＾)ノ
Last week, I was in New York for the first time ever!! I cannot begin to describe how much I love the city. It was a bit frustrating to understand the world within NYC, but by the last day, I did not want to go back home. I have decided that the vibe of the city is totally my type. People are constantly hustling to get somewhere–whether it be work, school, or to meet up with a friend for brunch. It is definitely a city of endless wonders, and I cannot wait to go back.
[DAY 1 — July 10, 2018]
I arrived at LGA by 1pm but could not check into the airbnb, which was near downtown Brooklyn, until 7pm. However, the host was kind to allow me to leave my baggage until then. After dropping off my belongings, my planned itinerary for day 1 was to explore the lower Manhattan area. Mind you, this is my first time ever in NYC. I did not want to take a ride share service because I had already used Lyft to get to Brooklyn and wanted to stay within my transportation budget. I talked to the host and she advised it’d be best to take the metro to get to Manhattan. Of course, I didn’t think it would be too difficult to navigate around the subway. I mean you just find the correct train and get off at the correct station, right?
In reality, I spent over two hours on this first day attempting to get to Manhattan. It was such an overwhelming experience. I even had a panic attack and wanted to cry at one point. First, I didn’t understand how to transfer onto a different train. I stayed on one line thinking I would reach the destination easily, and I think that was where it all went downhill. Second, when I thought I had finally jumped on the correct train, I was so wrong. I was going the opposite direction of Manhattan, away from the city, and towards Queens! I did attempt to ask around, but for the most part, I did not understand their explanation. Lastly, even though the metro apparently has wi-fi, it did not work. Even worse, my phone did not have service underground and maps could not pinpoint my location. Alas, I literally have no idea how I managed to get back to the city. It was all such a blur. But this is an experience I will laugh at because by the fourth day, I felt used to the city and understood the subway a bit better than the first time. Honestly, as my airbnb host said, the metro is not that difficult to navigate.
After several hours of confusion, I stepped foot out of the metro closest to Chinatown around 4pm. As I stepped into the city, it was odd. I had always thought I would be fascinated as soon as I got a glimpse of Manhattan, but through the exterior, it was just like any other major American city. As I took a deep breath, I smelled the various greasy foods of Chinatown. Hunger immediately creeped upon me, and I searched Yelp for a decent place close to my location. I settled into a very cramped Cajun eatery, Cheeky Sandwiches, and munched happily on a shrimp poboy.
After satisfying my hunger, I strolled around Chinatown and Little Italy. I stumbled upon a raved about Japanese ice cream place around the area, Taiyaki and grabbed a Matcha & Black Sesame cone. I let myself wander aimlessly and at this point I was not sure where I was; when I opened Maps to look at my location, I happened to be in the Financial District, specifically Wall Street. Looking into the skyline, the World Trade Center stuck out from every corner prominently. I have never seen much of the world, and I was, of course, fascinated by everything in the busy city.
Later in the evening, I walked around Battery Park and used a disposable camera to capture some ~film vibes~ of the city before heading back to Brooklyn and retiring for the night.
[DAY 2 — July 11, 2018 — 19th birthday]
This day was the absolute highlight, the cherry on top of my trip. My initial reason for going to NYC was to see Got7’s concert. They actually had a stop in Houston, which is closer to where I live, but I thought, why not just see NYC this summer?! When the tour dates were announced back at the beginning of the year, I saw that the New York show would fall on my 19th birthday. I thought to myself, “Sun, this is your treat. You have the funds so just shut up and go.” And there I was, in the sizzling hot July, in the concrete jungle.
The first night there, I had such a difficult time sleeping. I had gotten probably 4 hours of sleep and woke up at 4am. Maybe it was the high of being in New York, the thought of seeing Got7, or the amount of caffeine I had the day before, but I could not go back to sleep. So I sat out in the balcony, watched the sunset, and scrolled through social media for a while before leaving to explore Brooklyn at 6am.
Later in the morning, I met up with a mutual I knew through social media under the iconic Manhattan Bridge photo location and we strolled around DUMBO, took too many tourist-y photos, and grabbed breakfast at Westville. We would meet again later at the concert so we said our goodbyes for now. Then, I headed towards Fulton Street and shopped for a bit before meeting with another group of girls I know through a group chat in the afternoon. We had all come from different cities and traveled to NYC just to attend Got7’s show. It was exciting to see everyone in real life after bonding through Got7 for several months!
Afterwards, I headed back to the airbnb to take a power nap and get ready for the hectic evening. Once again, I met up with the group at 5pm, and we continued chatting while waiting for the venue doors to open. The atmosphere was insane. I could not believe I would be seeing my favorite guys again after two years. In 2016, I saw them perform at a small-scale theater in Atlanta; but, this year, they were performing a sold out show at Barclays Center, which has 19k seats. Words cannot even describe how much I cherish and support these guys.
The reality truly slapped me when I began walking to my seat. My ticket was a section 9/row 5/seat 1 and I did not, absolutely did not expect to be SO close to the extended stage. My heart was jumping for a good ten minutes and I went berserk, tweeting in all caps and texting my group chats about how close I was. Seriously, I could not believe my eyes. I started to think this was the good karma I was receiving, and I thanked the universe for this lucky moment. (╥_╥)
I met even more fans among the row, and we cried, screamed, and cheered together throughout the concert. To this day, I am still in disbelief that I saw them perform so close. They radiate such an overwhelming energy. In addition, they sound too good live, essentially the exact same as their recorded songs. I am extremely content and blessed to have been a part of the crowd in New York’s show. I do not think I would have such a thrilling experience if I had gone to a different city for the show.
In all honesty, throughout this day, I did not even realize it was my birthday. Even when I woke up, I had forgotten the “special” day until I looked at my phone and saw birthday messages. It was really just another day. I did a lot of self-reflection the day before as I sat on the grass in Battery Park alone with my thoughts. I realized I was fine. I was fine with solo traveling. I was fine with celebrating another year alone in a different city, a thousand miles away from family and friends. I was in a state of solitude, and I did not feel loneliness. Technically, I was alone, but I did not feel that because I met up with such friendly people that I have known for a while over social media in the city. It was then that I embraced solitude and redefined myself in the process.
Thanks so much for reading and please look forward to the rest of my travel diary in NYC! ♡
With love, sun.
suncafes 