New York highlights

A view down a city street, with some crosswalks at the intersection. There are some old brick buildings with multiple storeys, and some trees stripped of their leaves, indicating the time of year. It is sunny and the sky is bright blue but with lots of clouds
Little snap taken from The High Line

In March of this year I found myself in New York for the second time, having planned to meet up with my dear friend Pauline and spend time together, along with the huge potential for meeting up with other friends and enjoying the city less from the perspective of a tourist (which is what I’d done the first time I went there). Also near the top of my to-do list was going to a concert for one of my favourite emo rock bands, Armor For Sleep, who had embarked on a 20 year anniversary tour for their album What To Do When You Are Dead in the United States.

If you’re curious about my first time in New York many years ago—part one and part two. There are many more photos in those posts!

I flew from Phoenix to New York. There are still pieces of my travels in Phoenix to share, but I had more motivation to write about my time in New York first. Rain hit Phoenix on my morning of departure while I had unsettling feelings about life. I recalled the last time I left Phoenix, for Seattle, in 2024. I had things to look forward to, but a lot to think about as well. It felt weirdly similar. I took a Waymo to the airport. Laugh all you want, but the self-driving car option felt like exactly what I needed as I shed a few confused tears. I was grateful I didn’t have to worry about a taxi or Uber driver asking me what was wrong.

As I’m writing this, I am personally reflecting on what I was going through at the time, and still am going through. For personal reasons, I haven’t shared about it online. Hindsight tells me I was feeling moments of extreme loneliness even though I was surrounded by so many friends on this trip. That, in itself makes me tear up, because I realised just how many of my friends—old and new—showed up for me. ❤️‍🩹

An Asian woman with curly hair with her chin resting in her hands, and a Black man with long hair. Both are grinning. There are artworks on the wall behind them.
Wished TeJaun’s visit crossed over more with my time in New York 🥲

Armor For Sleep meant quite a lot to me growing up as a teen, their music supporting me through difficult times while I was at school—hard to believe 20 years has passed since. I discussed with Pauline about really, really wanting to see the band at one point on their tour, and the New York date and location worked out perfectly for a city we could also meet and spend time together in. 🤩 The VIP tickets were quite affordable given that Armor For Sleep isn’t a “stadium band”, so I dropped my cash and knew it’d be worth it. My friends, the poster I got as part of the VIP package travelled safely and uncreased, across countries and across the world, to be framed and put up in my home in Sydney, Australia!

I was riding some kind of nervous high when I arrived in New York on my own (Pauline would arrive a couple of days later). I’d landed in Newark airport and got a train to New York. Things felt weirdly intimidating.

A wall of small cards in colours sage green, brown, and white, with notes for people. The one in the middle reads, “Can’t wait to see you, PAULINE! Heart symbol, Georgie, 08 Mar 25”.
Note I wrote for Pauline at the hotel

The holiday had cost me a lot at this point because New York was expensive, so taking public transport instead of a taxi was a conscious choice. The previous time I’d visited New York, I lowkey kind of hated it, and this whole trip had a couple of second times and second chances. I will say that by the end of my holiday, New York did not disappoint. 😌

A view down a busy city street with high rise buildings and many bright digital billboards
Not always fun hanging around Times Square, but had to snap a picture because it’s iconic

I breathed in the cold New York air at a temperature I’d never quite experienced—some 0–2 ℃ (32–35.6 ºF)—and walked down the busy streets in my layered clothes, bright blue coat, and dark beanie. New York would bring my bruised soul fresh new adventures.

A view of a river with high rise buildings in the distance. In the foreground there is an industrial style bridge and a road going left to right, filled with vehicles in traffic.
Not quite the skyline, but an interesting photo nonetheless
A poke bowl consisting of raw salmon, tuna, and kingfish, kimchi, and other condiments on white rice
Home-cooked poke bowl thanks to my friend Tiny, who invited me over for dinner

🤘🏼 Armor For Sleep concert

I had never seen Armor For Sleep perform as a full band because they had never toured Australia. Frontman Ben Jorgensen had gone on a solo tour and I wrote a blog post about it way back in 2011. The band had actually disbanded in 2009 and I am pretty sure I had considered dropping all my money on flights to go to the U.S. for some farewell tour (details are hazy), thinking I’d never see them play live. They reunited in 2020 and have released two new albums since. As always, Ben Jorgensen is incredible at putting deep feelings about pain, relationships, mortality, unanswered questions, and interpretation of the meaning of life, into music, which comes alive in Armor For Sleep.

A close-up of a concert ticket and a VIP laminate on a lanyard.
Best believe I’m keeping these forever
A band performing on stage, seen from the crowd. There is a screen backdrop behind the band with an illustration and the text “Armor For Sleep”. Heads of other concert goers are visible in the foreground.
I didn’t have many great photos, but had to include one of the band.

So, dreams came true this year, as I got to meet Ben again, as well as drummer Nash, who is also part of the original lineup. 🖤 It had felt like such a long time since I’d seen this kind of music live, and I really needed it at this point of life I’m in and have been struggling with. I chatted with them both about how exciting it was to finally be able to see Armor For Sleep, and that I could really relate to the inspiration behind The Rain Museum album, and we joked about the lingo and 0.5× selfie style of the younger generation (and then proceeded to take one).

A selfie of me with Ben and Nash. We are all smiling and Ben and I are doing peace signs with our hands.
0.5 selfie with Ben and Nash from Armor For Sleep

The concert was at Warsaw, a bar in Brooklyn. I arrived early for the VIP meet and greet, and timed poorly so I didn’t have time to eat. Unfortunately the food option there was cash only… 🫠 So back at midnight or 1:00am or whatever, I ended up eating a doughnut back in my hotel room. I’d brought those doughnuts from Phoenix a couple days prior, LOL.

I didn’t get to see Brooklyn much the first time I had been to New York. I got to see a bit more of the neighbourhood this time, albeit on a different day to the concert.

Me, Georgie, wearing a blue coat, blue top, and floral print blue and white pants with brown leather crossbody bag, standing in front of a wall with graffiti in red and cyan colours.
A funky wall in Brooklyn

✨ (Spontaneously) Getting a new piercing with a new and perfect piece of jewellery

On the day I was due to meet Pauline at the airport, I stopped by Studio 28. I stopped at a couple of other piercing studios over the course of my trip, but Studio 28 had a bigger selection of jewellery, many of which I caught my eye. I had been messaging Pauline before she arrived to tell her that I was in a piercing studio, and might get pierced with some jewellery I saw that I liked. Obviously, she encouraged me. 😆

A close-up of the inside of a bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and capers
Gotta have a bagel in New York. Classic lox (smoked salmon and cream cheese) 🥯

I have learned that even though you might have goals or desires for what piercings to get and what kind of jewellery you want, your tastes and circumstances may change, and it’s good to be open to it! I originally wanted a less “blingy” tragus piercing, because the tragus piercing on my right ear has a huge kite-shaped piece of jewellery with gemstones, and I didn’t want them to “match”. However, I’ve found that many piercers believe in “more is more”, and the team at Studio 28 were no exception. So I got pierced with a gorgeous piece with diamonds and blue diamonds.

Although I hadn’t eaten breakfast (you should eat something prior to getting pierced!), I was prepared with a bagel in my bag, which the staff were happy for me to quickly scoff down before getting my piercing done. I’ve gotten better at this while travelling—normally I’m very shit at determining my hunger cues. 😅

The jewellery was a perfect fit. (Unfortunately I’ve since had to get it repaired because the pin broke off the top, which is why it wasn’t in the picture in my post about getting some new piercing jewellery in Adelaide.)

A close-up of my left ear with many pieces of white gold jewellery in multiple piercings. Most of them have clear and blue stones.
Bling bling ✨
A ball sculpture in a park made of many pieces of reflective squares, like a disco ball. There are some people walking by the sculpture and others sitting on benches on the sides of the path.
Disco ball in Washington Square Park

👩🏻‍🦱 Spending time with Pauline

Pauline and I had last seen each other three years prior, in 2022. That trip itself was delayed as fuck, because of the pandemic. This time was particularly opportune because we could split accommodation costs and re-live New York together. Not that our previous experiences were totally shit, but we were eager to explore the city with fresh eyes.

Me and Pauline in front of an old library building. I am wearing my blue coat and winking. Pauline is wearing a black puffer jacket and has her sunglasses on her head.
One of many selfies with Pauline
The intersection of a street with the sign “East 9 Street” above it. The building on the corner is painted sky blue with clouds. The fire escapes on the balcony are external railings and ladders.
A blue building!

Although I only have video footage of me waiting at the airport for Pauline, I was screeching with excitement as we hugged. It was great to see her after such a long time. Our adventures in New York included meeting a couple of each others’ friends, shopping together, buying matching handbags and matching cardigans in different colours, and having a fucking lot of coffee and good food. Oh, and and take a million photos of, and with, each other. 🤣💕

Pauline and Georgie sitting on a bench in a cafe, holding white and dark green cups of coffee. They are grinning and laughing. Pauline is wearing a black outfit with a brown belt and Georgie is wearing a light blue top with black shorts. They have matching tan bags next to each other on the bench.
One of the baristas understood the assignnment 👌🏼📸
A selfie of Pauline and Georgie against a brown wooden panelled background. Pauline is wearing a brown coat and Georgie is wearing a blue coat and top. They are both laughing with their eyes squeezed shut.
A spontaneous elevator picture that had Pauline losing it 😂
A selfie of two Asian women in a clothing store. One is wearing a white top with a deep pink cardigan, and a blue cap, and the other wearing a deep pink top with a white cardigan. One of them is winking.
The Sézane cardigan we both got, except we swapped colours 🤣
Me, Georgie, sitting on the steps in front of a deep red coloured apartment door. I have my brown handbag next to me and my hand enar my chin and I am grinning.
Just one of many photos Pauline took of me

We had tried to grab tickets to a Lizzo concert that was announced just a week or so prior to the event, but having to sit on our computers and be in the online queue to purchase tickets was excruciating, and we missed out anyway. Gross. Don’t get me started on the exorbitant pricing of concert tickets. In place of that, we had a lovely girls dinner with my friend Tiny.

Tiny, Pauline, and me, sitting at a table in a restaurant covered with white tablecloth. We are all smiling. We’re wearing a lacy red top, light pink long sleeved off-the-shoulder top, and black sleeveless top, respectively.
Our dinner was at the lovely Gramercy Tavern

🫶🏻 Meeting friends

From meeting Avi for dinner and cookies, to catching up with April for lunch, to dinner and seeing a comedy show with Ethelia, to TeJaun arriving in New York the morning of the day I was leaving.

A selfie of me and Avi on the streets of New York.
Avi is entertaining to hang out with. We had a great conversation about synesthesia 💜
A selfie of April, me, and Pauline, standing on the footpath and smiling at the camera. April and Pauline are wearing caps and I am wearing sunglasses.
Good ol’ girly chat with April
A selfie of Pauline, Ethelia, and I. We are all smiling and are in a dimly lit setting
Last-minute photo with Ethelia (hence the poor lighting, lol)
A group of people wearing coats, standing close together on the footpath at nighttime. They are all posing for the photo.
Meeting some of Pauline’s friends
Two women in an embrace. One is wearing a blue coat and black pants and boots, and carrying a backpack and handbag. The other is wearing a striped shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers
Saying goodbye to Pauline before I left. 📸 Photo by TeJaun
Me, Georgie, standing in front of a low wall with barren trees in the background. I am wearing a light blue short-sleeved sweater with black shorts and boots, and a tan brown belt and crossbody bag. I have sunglasses on my head and am adjusting my hair and smiling.
Me near Central Park

New York, an absolute whirlwind, but left my heart a little more healed.