✈️ Plot Twist: I’m Going to New York!

Well, Mother Nature apparently reads my blog.

A few days ago, I was questioning whether I was going to make my trip to New York at all. The forecast went from a 55% chance of rain to 77% with thunderstorms, and I wasn't particularly interested in flying to Queens just to sit in a hotel room and watch it rain.

Fast-forward to Saturday morning.

70 degrees. Fair. A 2% chance of rain this morning.

Okay, New York. You win. I’m coming. 😂

My flight is scheduled to get into LaGuardia around 9:00 AM, and from there I'll head to the hotel and hopefully be able to check in early. At the very least, I'm hoping they'll take my bags because I've got places to go and people to see.

The yearly gathering in Astoria, Queens starts at 1:00 PM, so I've got a few hours between landing and the party.

And because apparently I don't believe in relaxing on vacation, I've already started thinking about what I'm doing afterward.

👻 Paranormal Activity on Broadway?

I'd really like to see Paranormal Activity on Broadway.

There's just one tiny problem.

I'm not paying $200 for a ticket.

I enjoy Broadway.

I enjoy paranormal stuff.

I enjoy sitting in a dark theater wondering what's about to jump out at me.

But for $200, the ghost better leave the theater with me, carry my luggage back to Queens and tuck me into bed.

Fortunately, there's another possibility.

There are some same-day tickets scheduled to be released at 9:00 AM, and I'm hoping I can grab one for the 8:00 PM performance.

So somewhere around the time my plane is landing at LGA, I'll also be trying to score a reasonably priced Broadway ticket.

Because apparently landing an airplane isn't enough excitement for 9:00 in the morning.

If it works out, my Saturday could look something like this:

✈️ 9:00 AM: Arrive at LaGuardia
🏨 Morning: Head to the hotel and hopefully check in
🎉 1:00 PM: Party in Astoria
👻 8:00 PM:Paranormal Activity on Broadway — IF I can get the same-day ticket

And somewhere in between all of that, there had better be a New York bagel and some pizza.

Those aren't optional.

After several days of watching weather percentages climb and wondering whether this trip was going to happen at all, it's funny that I'm now looking at a forecast with almost no chance of rain this morning.

So...

New York City, here I come.

Now I just need the flight to cooperate, the hotel to let me check in early, and the Broadway ticket gods to smile upon me at 9:00 AM.

That's not asking too much, right?

Stay tuned.

✈️ New York Trip Update: Mother Nature Is Making Her Case

A couple of days ago, I wrote that I’m supposed to fly to New York this Saturday, landing at LaGuardia (LGA) and heading to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.

At the time, the forecast called for about a 55% chance of rain.

I wasn't thrilled, but 55% still leaves room for negotiation.

Well...

Mother Nature has apparently retained counsel.

I checked the forecast again today.

🌧️ Saturday: 77% chance of rain.
⛈️ And now there are thunderstorms involved.

This negotiation is moving in the wrong direction.

Normally, I'd be excited about this trip. It's a nonstop flight. I get to see people I haven't seen in a while. And most importantly, I'd be returning to Queens—the magical land of real bagels, real pizza, and enough incredible food to destroy any reasonable eating plan within approximately four hours of landing.

But here's my problem:

I'm not flying to New York just so I can sit in a hotel room and say:

"Yep. That's definitely rain."

I can watch rain from home.

For free.

And I don't have to deal with airports, flight delays, Uber surge pricing, wet sidewalks, or trying to maneuver around New York City while Mother Nature dumps buckets of water on everyone.

There's also the airport factor.

Rain and thunderstorms in the New York area don't exactly have a reputation for making air travel more efficient. Suddenly my beautiful nonstop flight could become an exciting afternoon of staring at an airport departure board while the word DELAYED slowly destroys my will to live.

The good news?

The forecast could still change.

The bad news?

It already changed—from 55% rain to 77%.

That's not the direction I was hoping for.

So, the great Will Niel Actually Go to New York? saga continues.

The flight is still scheduled.

Astoria is still waiting.

The bagels are presumably still delicious.

The pizza is calling my name.

But at 77% rain with thunderstorms, those bagels are going to have to make a very persuasive argument.

Stay tuned.

✈️ New York This Weekend… Maybe. Mother Nature Has Entered the Chat.

This Saturday, I’m supposed to be flying to New York—LaGuardia (LGA), specifically—then heading over to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.

Normally, I’d be excited.

It’s a nonstop flight, which already makes the trip significantly more appealing. No sprinting through Atlanta. No sitting in Charlotte wondering why my connecting flight has changed gates four times. Just get on the plane, land at LGA, and head into Queens.

And then there’s Queens itself.

The bagels. The pizza. The Greek food in Astoria. The seemingly endless supply of carbohydrates that somehow taste better once you cross into New York City.

I grew up in New York, so there’s also something familiar about going back. Even if the trip is short, there’s always a little nostalgia mixed in with the carbohydrates.

There is, however, one potential problem:

The weather.

Right now, Saturday is looking a little questionable, with about a 55% chance of rain throughout the day.

Now, I’m willing to travel for a good bagel.

I’m willing to travel for New York pizza.

I’m willing to tolerate LGA, traffic, questionable drivers, expensive everything, and the possibility that someone will honk at me for absolutely no reason.

What I’m not particularly interested in doing is flying all the way to Queens just to spend the day staring out of a hotel-room window watching rain fall.

I can sit inside and watch rain in South Carolina. It’s significantly cheaper.

Of course, weather forecasts several days out have approximately the same reliability as some dating profiles: interesting information, but I'm not making major life decisions based on them just yet.

So, for now, the trip is still on.

The suitcase isn't packed.

The bagel order hasn't been placed.

And I'm watching that forecast.

Will I be eating pizza in Astoria this weekend?

Or will I be sitting comfortably at home thinking about the money I saved by not flying to New York to watch it rain?

Stay tuned.