There were 4 of us, me, my wife, my sister-in-law, and my sister-in-law’s friend. Bonaroo 2021 held in Tennessee was on the fence about canceling the event, yet we took our chances and began our journey. We figured we could wing it as we went along. What started off as a road trip to a music festival, turned into a road trip to New York City fairly quickly.
The very loose plan was we’d spend a few nights in NYC, then make our way back home, camping out along the way. It’d be an unforgettable trip for sure.
We drove into the city, picked a decent hotel, and went out to explore. New York was as anyone would expect a busy big city to be. Street vendors, street art, crowds, traffic, hustle and bustle. Each of us picked out a thing we wanted out of our trip. Get a new tattoo, see the Empire State Building, visit the Twin Towers Memorial, go to a museum, check out the Van Gogh Experience art exhibit, and try some good ol’ fashion New York Pizza. We set our goals, and we knocked them out!
On top of it all, we even went to a couple gay bars and experienced the nightlife NYC had to offer. Mind you, this was early on in my sobriety, so I was trying to navigate through my anxiety without the aid (or hindrance) of alcohol. The Cubby Hole was one spot where we took an interest, and the other is where the hosts of the Podcast “Dyking Out,” Carolyn Bergier and Melody Kamali, held The L Word watch parties.
We each got a tattoo. I will not speak for everyone else’s experience, but mine is definitely one we look back on and laugh about. I wanted a daisy in a bubble, and what I got looks like an eyeball. The biggest laugh though, is that the tattoo artist actually nicked me on accident, giving me a permanent little scuff in addition to my “eyeball.” In the following picture, you can see my 2 for 1 special. My “flower-bubble-eyeball,” and then the bottom right of the photo you can see where the tattoo gun nicked me.
Good times, and lots of laughs. We ended our time in the city and camped out under the stars for a night. Then parted ways and made it safely home. Now every time I look at my tattoo(s) I remember the craziness we all went through and it makes me smile.
Hi Moments 