Leveraging Lists For Better Travel Experiences

Next week I am checking two more things off my bucket list!

I love seeing TV and movie stars performing on stage, and I have always wanted to visit New York.

Earlier this year I googled to see who was on stage where and bought myself a ticket to watch John Malkovich in the Music Critic, a unique performance that combines classical music, theatre and comedy. I leveraged the expertise of my NYC realtor friend Lynne to help find me an Air BnB in Brooklyn, and booked my flights on points. Universe, as ever, was shining on me and I was successful in immediately getting an upgrade on my return flight. Fingers crossed I get upgraded on my way out too 🤞🏻.

Recently I started thinking about what I want to experience in New York. The list of must-see and do things in NYC is endless so I knew I needed to put some thought into what I want so that I can ensure my expectations are met. I made a list of the types of experiences that are important to me, which for this trip is bathing myself in food, culture and thrift shops!

It is no secret that I love lists and they are super helpful tools to make sure you get what you want – both in the grocery store and in life!

  • I have a food to-do list which includes things like red velvet cake, knish, bagels, pizza slice, dim sum, chicken & waffles, Dominic Ansel patisserie, and Italian on Arthur Ave.

  • My culture list includes giants like the Met and Guggenheim, as well as more obscure museums like the Museum at the Fashion Institute and the National Museum of the American Indian. Naturally, Central Park and Grand Central Station are on there, along with the bridges, the Roosevelt Tram, Staten Island Ferry, and the 9/11 memorial. Central Park is so huge that it has its own sub-list!

  • For thrift stores, I have been watching YouTube videos. There is a whole genre of thrift store shopping guides out there don’t you know! I also learned that for effective thrifting you should have a list. Mine is glasses, loafers, tops that will look good on TV, and stylish yet comfy pants.

Once I compiled my list of things I want to see and do, I used Google Maps to create a list where I saved each of the locations along with a little descriptor in the notes section. Things like my flights, the theatre, and a VIP day with my life coach have set times already so I put those in my planner. Next I used my NYC map to see which things are geographically proximate and chunked those into days, then I checked opening schedules to decide which day to do which thing. I learned this lesson the hard way last year when I walked across Toronto to see the Kent Monkman exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum, only to find it was closed that day of the week!

Needless to say, I have packed my best walking shoes and a backpack to carry my thrifting scores.

Watch this space to hear how my trip goes, my highlights and lessons learned along the way!

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