New York was such a beautiful city and more than what I thought it would be. I can be a little little little dramatic but not joking when I say I left my heart in NYC! The pace, attitude, and atmosphere of the city matched my entire personality. People were always on the go and that’s exactly how I am, always moving, never still.
This was my first mini vacay out of Texas cities and I really enjoyed it. There were also some things I learned along the way for future trips and I figured I would share those with you.
1.Travel with the right people.
Traveling with the right people makes all the difference. You are naturally a little more stressed because you are in an unfamiliar city and have to find your way around. Going to NYC with Karen was great because she was very organized and careful, total opposite of me. We did disagree on a few things but overall, every day in New York was well planned. It is important to take into consideration the amount of time you are going to be on vacay with others and if you are really able to mesh well with whoever you are planning to take a trip with. This makes all the difference on whether you enjoy your trip and it’s better not to risk ending a friendship because of traveling stress!
2. PLAN AHEAD! I literally did not plan for NYC at all except financially LOL and because I didn’t plan, I took ended taking a few hits financially, like spending over $100 on transportation/uber when I should have asked a local for help or planned ahead!!! No matter where you go, plan plan plan plan. Figure out the most important things on your list and what you want to do and plan around that. This doesn’t mean you can’t break your schedule and just be adventurous, but it’s easier to have a guideline to follow.
3. Always be aware of your surroundings! Crazy story!! My friend noticed someone took a picture of me when I was bending down fixing my bag. I am very bold so I turned around and stared the guy down. He called someone on the phone and kept staring at us, following us. He left the area and came back a few times but since I kept my eyes directly on him, he finally gave up and walked away. Maybe he wasn’t trying to kidnap us but you never know! He could have followed us from 8th street all the way up to 42nd and we wouldn’t have noticed if we weren’t looking out.
4. Don’t tell everyone you are a visitor!
Analyze the situation and make your decision as best as you can. This was actually my friends idea because i kept telling everyone I was from Texas LOL (I’m so proud DUH) and you never know what people will do with that information. Someone could’ve robbed us or followed us home or given us inaccurate information. Be careful what information you share!!! We started telling people we were from Queens and just visiting the city LOL
5. Always have cash.
Ugh this was probably the most frustrating thing ever. I was hungry and all the little trucks only wanted cash. There are also little tables that set up and sell different things like sunglasses for cheap and they only take cash. Also, believe it or not, a lot of restaurants, like the bagel place, only accepted cash. There were ATM’s around but they charged twice for withdrawing cash.
6. Portable charger.
I actually lost this right before the trip but this would’ve helped us so much! After a full day out in the city, we would get on the train with only 10% battery left and still had to use our maps, uber apps, and cell phones to get home safely. Carrying this on every trip can save you a headache in case there is an emergency!
7. Don’t go to work the very next day.
If at all possible, do not schedule yourself to work a few hours/the day after you land. We got stuck at the airport for almost 2 hours because a plane engine caught on fire and the entire place was shut down. Instead of leaving at 9:55, we left at almost midnight. I landed in Houston at 3:00 AM and had to work at 9:30 AM!!!
8. Enjoy!!!
It’s stressful being in another city but it’s so much fun traveling and going on mini adventures. Life is too short to be upset about schedules, transportation, or tension that arises.
New York was a beautiful city. The food, people, streets, culture was amazing and not something that can be experienced everywhere. I highly recommend taking a trip to NY! Even if you are the shy, quiet, introvert type…. You will find something to enjoy.
Take me with you if you plan to visit!
XX,
Dancing in His love & Traveling,
Leslie Tatiana
By Leslie Salazar 