Things to do in New York City! - An NYC Guide

So next month I'll be flying up to NYC to see my family but also, to do some fun things in the city. I absolutely LOVE New York City. All of the hustle and bustle just gives me this feeling of motivation and an energy that makes me feel like I can take on anything that comes my way. I've been traveling up the NYC almost once every year since my family live in Queens and Staten Island. Almost every time, my parents and I (or now just my mom and I) will stay in Manhattan because there's honestly no better feeling that walking out into your hotel into the heart of the city.
There is always something to do in NYC so I figured what better way to share with people than my own tips on what to do in the big apple!
Most importantly, I wanted to make this post because I feel like some of the things I love doing in NYC aren't as well known and I would love to share them with you! I was going to add in my list, cute cafes and delicious restaurants to eat at in NYC, but then I realized that would make this way too long so that'll most likely be my next post.
So without further a do, here ya go!

1. The Brooklyn Flea Market. One of my favs. This is open every Saturday and Sunday and it is the best flea market ever. Not only do they have cool antique/vintage things, but they also have interesting food stands.
Saturdays it's open in Willimsburg (11am-6pm) and Sunday it's open in DUMBO under the Manhattan bridge (10am-5pm).

Click here to go to their website.

This is a picture I took there in a cool vintage mirror. Say hello to my legs, I guess?

This was just taken outside of it in Brooklyn.

2. Ellis Island. Okay, this is something that I feel is SO underrated. If you're into spooky things, highly intuitive, and love history... check this out. If you aren't familiar, Ellis Island is where 12 million immigrants came through to America (prob your relatives) and were held here before actually setting foot on American soil. My grandpa came through here and immigrated as a boy and actually has his name on a huge plaque outside. It was an immigration inspection station that is now turned into a museum. (Parts of it burned in a fire, spooky, much?) There's kind of an eerie feeling about this place which makes me love it more. Some people, before making it through, died from sickness and.. this is going to sound crazy, but my dad swears on his mother's life that he saw a ghost here with us when I was a kid. I still remember the look on his face. No lie. Anyways, yeah. Check this out. While doing this you can also see the Statue of Liberty. You take a ferry to get to the islands and get combo tickets for both. I would buy tickets ahead of time because the lines can get long.

Also, if you want to REALLY get creepy, they have this special tour in Ellis island's abandoned hospital, called a "Hard Hat Tour". It's a 90 minute guided tour that takes you through the hospital side of Ellis Island that has not been restored (which you can't see otherwise and hence the hard hats, I guess in case some part of the building falls on you?) through the autopsy room, infectious and disease wards, the kitchen, and the mortuary. Can you say creepy?? I have never done this but this is something I've always wanted to do. I believe tickets are about $50, so it's a bit pricey. 

Side note: Apparently 3,500 people died on Ellis Island from sickness and disease, trying to make it through to America. If that's creepy enough for you, lol.

3. Washington Square Park/Greenwich Village. Described as a gathering spot for avant-garde artists. This is the place to be if you are a lover of the arts. If you've ever seen the Washington Arch next to a huge water fountain, this is where that is. It's located in Greenwich Village, also known as "The Village". Maybe bring a blanket and lay on the grass, like a lot of people do and even bring a sketchbook or novel. This is the most "artsy" side of NYC, so if you're artsy, you have to check it out. I used to love coming to The Village as a kid because it just gives off this feeling of creativity everywhere, which I've always loved. Most likely you'll see someone performing something. Honestly, it's a great spot to people watch, lol. Walk around The Village and you'll find music stores with vinyls, tattoo parlors, beautiful brownstones, jazz clubs, and off-broadway theaters. 

Stop by Cafe Wha to soak up the historic great happenings of past famous musicians. Great musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan have made their way here before and now it's for young, new artists. The Duplex is another great spot, it's an awesome piano bar. At Blecker Records Street, sort through your favorite records and check out the guest list on the wall of all the famous people who have been inside there before. Johnny Depp being one! I mean, what other city can you find things like this? 

There are also iconic spots in Greenwich Village like where they shot Friends (Bedford and Grove street) and Sex and the City (Carrie Bradshaw's apartment on Perry street). Obviously ya gotta take pictures.

Also, if you're really into that type of environment, look into events that they have in the park! Looking into it now, they have yoga and tai chi!
Bring your own mat, but their yoga is FREE and starts from 6/6/19 to 9/19/19 every Wednesday and Thursday at 8:30am-9:30am. 

(Not my own picture, but just so you know what it is)

4. The Jimmy Fallon Show. Okay, so I have literally never thought about doing this until this year, but this would be so fun! Unfortunately, the week I'll be in NYC is the same week he takes his annual hiatus. 
The tickets for his show are free but you need to make sure you reserve tickets as soon as they go up. They only go up a month at a time. Check his twitter account starting the first day of the month before you are trying to go. For example; if you're going in August, check his twitter July 1st, and he'll write an update for what time/date it'll be up for August starting that first week of July some time. Just turn on your announcements for his twitter that first week of July. You have to make an account on his website too. But even then, apparently tickets aren't guaranteed and you won't know that you have seats until maybe a week or so before?
You can always wait in line early in the morning between 6am-9am for tickets on the same day and you should get them (according to research).

5. See beautiful, picture worthy architecture and landmarks.

                        - St Patrick's Cathedral - just plain beautiful. Light a candle for a loved one.

                        - Washington Square Arch - located in Greenwich Village

                        - Walk the Brooklyn Bridge - one of the most popular places for Instagram pics

                        - New York Public Library - the ceiling in this place... just, wow

Here's a picture. So beautiful.

                        - Grand Central Terminal - the ceiling inside is also amazing. there's a secret place in here at an intersection of four walk ways, where you can hear someone through the wall, if you're on the opposite end. It's such a cool thing to do. Here's a link to what I mean.

                        - The Vessel - just opening this past March 2019, it's a new favorite place for Instagram shots. There isn't much to see to me, rather than a cool building. But you can reserve free tickets two weeks before going and walk up it. It's built very differently... so you literally go up and down stairs. But don't worry, there's an elevator to the top as well.

Here's a picture of the Vessel. Kinda crazy looking.

6. See a Broadway play. This isn't something that I've done every time, but if you usually don't go to New York, this should definitely be at the top of your list. Some plays are definitely more expensive than others. This time, my mom and I are actually going to see The Phantom of the Opera (for the first time!) and we got pretty good seats at a decent price. I recently saw Anastasia and Dear Evan Hansen (which got amazing reviews) is currently the top must-see show. If you're going to NYC during Christmas, you HAVE to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Make sure you get tickets from a legit site! We used Telecharge.com.

Click here to get to the website we used for tickets.

This is Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes perform!

7. Tenement Museum. This is not something most know about, but it is so interesting and full of history. Another immigrant museum, take tours of restored tenement apartments and see how immigrants actually lived when first entering America. Some of it is quite shocking, a family of five may be living in one single room while there's another family living in the room next to them. As you walk inside these apartments, your tour guide will tell you specific stories of real families during this time that lived here and you're even able to see some items the families may have used along with furniture dated back then. A historian who worked on the renovation said that "you can feel the lives of the thousands of people who lived here" and it's so true. So moving.

8. Museums, museums, museums! Okay, more museums. I wanted to leave the Tenement Museum out because, I don't know, I just thought it should be separate. I absolutely love museums. These are my favorites:

                                 - The Museum of Natural History - if you love dinosaurs, space, animals, and literally anything else, this is your museum. You can get lost in here. They also have flexible pricing, which means you choose what amount you want to pay. So if you just wanna give them a dollar, that's totally okay.

                                 - The MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art) - The MET steps are also known as the most iconic place for Gossip Girl fans. You obviously have to take a picture of the steps if you come here. But besides that, this museum is amazing. From ancient Egyptian artifacts and temples to 18th Century resembled rooms to paintings... this has it all. You can't see everything in one day. And this also has flexible pricing, so you can pay whatever amount you're able to.

                                 - MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) - Modern and Contemporary art. Nuff said. This is also free on Fridays.

                                 - The Guggenheim Museum - my least favorite out of the whole list and no where near as big as the others, but it's still cool if you have already seen the others. You view the art as you walk up the museum in a spiral fashion, so that's pretty different.

                                - The New York Transit Museum - it's $10 to get in. I haven't been, but the only reason I wanted to add this is because, if you want a cool subway picture hack, this is the place to do it. There are a bunch of empty cars (that show what they used to look like through the years) and there aren't many people here so it's easy to get an empty car and take a "cool subway picture". If you ever wondered how people took cool subway pictures in seemingly empty cars, this is how.

Spotted on the MET Steps. Because I just had to. xoxo.

9. Central Park. How can this not be on my list? Pretty sure it's the most famous park in the world. It's seriously freaking huge. Try to check out the Imagine memorial for John Lennon. It's always busy and I can almost guarantee someone will be next to it playing one of his songs. There's also the Balto statue (um, the sled dog who saved all those sick kids by bringing them vaccines in an snow storm in Alaska, duh - my favorite movie as a kid).

You can take a boat ride in Central Park as well, I'm gonna insert a picture that I took a few years ago of all the boats. I haven't actually done this but it would be a really relaxing idea. You don't really need a plan when going into Central Park because walking around is beautiful enough. Also, I'm pretty sure every rom com ever was shot there, walking down "the mall" (the long strip rows of benches where a lot of people get their picture drawn).

Try to stop by the Plaza hotel on 59th street! If you're on the South side that is. It's beautiful and also where Home Alone 2 was shot. You're allowed to roam around the lobby, everyone does.

*Side note: The Central Park Zoo is really not worth it. Just my opinion but I remember going there once as a kid and I think they have like seven animals in total. At least that's what it felt like, lol.

I took this a few years back. So serene. I need to take a boat ride one day.

10. Walk down 5th Avenue. This is the most popular place for luxury shopping. I usually never buy anything, with the exception of one time when I got a Michael Kors watch as a present to myself, but it's really fun to window shop and look inside at all the fancy things. Fifth Ave is really long, so I think most of the stores are more towards Central Park. My mom and I are planning on getting our hair done at the Dry Bar and then walking down 5th Ave to pretend we're fancy. Vibes af.

11. The 9/11 Museum and Memorial/One World Observatory. This is just so important to see while you're here. I'm the type of person that loves to feel things. Whether it's sad or happy. And this memorial... there are no words. It's just complete heartbreak when you enter. You can just feel the sadness engulf you. Which may not make you want to visit it, but it's a feeling that I don't mind. The people who lost their lives that day should always be remembered. I have never done the museum, which I'm doing this time when I go, as well as going up to the Freedom tower (the new World Trade Center), and I've only heard good things about the museum. A must-see. (btw, the memorial itself is free)

While seeing the museum, you might as well pay a bit extra and go up to the One World Observatory (the new World Trade Center building, also called the Freedom Tower). I'll be doing this for the first time as well. The elevator shoots you up to the top, 102 stories in 47 seconds, while showing you a digital NYC through the years starting at the very beginning when New York City was just being built, inside the elevator.

Right now, they're selling tickets for both for $46, which is definitely a deal, seeing how the 9/11 memorial museum alone is $26 and the observatory is $35.

Click here to get combo tickets for the 9/11 museum and one world observatory.

Side note: BUT, if you want, you can go to the 9/11 memorial museum on a Tuesday after 5pm, because then it's FREE admission. 

12. Rockefeller Center. I just love Rockefeller Center. This is where they have the ice skating rink open during Christmas season. If you're going to NYC during the holidays, you HAVE to, like seriously have to see Rockefeller Center. Because it is magical. There's a mall inside too with places to eat. 

(Also not my picture, but just so you know what it is)

13. The Highline. This is a public park built on top of a historic freight rail line, an empty railroad track that's been converted, and it's elevated above the city. There's a lot of cool public art and interesting food to get here. Not on my very top list of things to do, but still cool.

14. Times Square - Ehhhh, I think it's personally overrated, but I mean, if you've never been to NYC before, you have to check it out. I don't know if this is still a thing, but look out for the "naked cowboy". There's a lot to do in Times Square, I just think it's way too crowded. But, there's Ripley's Believe it or Not (which is always fun), Madame Tussands (Wax Muesuem), and tons of shopping, including like a five story Forever 21 (maybe more stories? I'm not sure). Just don't eat in Times Square. That is not real New York food, please. lol. 

15. Bryant Park Winter Village - This is the most wonderful place to go during the Christmas season! They set up a 17,00 square foot ice skating rink in the middle and have 170 pop up shops and food vendors around it. This is a must to do if you're in NYC during the holidays. Ultimate holiday vibes. Cozy up and grab some hot chocolate or roasted chestnuts and look at all the cute trinkets, handmade soaps, Christmas ornaments, and so much more. 

Side note: I hear they are opening the winter village before Halloween this year! It's never too early for some holiday spirit.

That's all I have for you guys on this post! Of course there is soo much more to do in New York City that I didn't mention, but these were some of my favorites, or just some cool things I thought needed to be mentioned.
Stay tuned for a blog post of all the cute cafes and delicious (or just plain cool) restaurants to eat at in New York City!

Lots of love,

Sammi

The pros and cons of taking a guided tour through Europe (11 days with Cosmos)

         Hey guys! I've been meaning to make a post recapping my tour through Europe. That should be my next post, but this post is going to mainly be about the pros and cons of taking a guided tour through Europe. If you've recently been dreaming of traveling to Europe, whether this is your first time or not, I really do suggest taking a guided tour! I think there are more pros than cons. There are different companies such as; Trafalgar, Globus, Cosmos, EF ultimate break, and so on. If you're in college, in the age group between 18-29 I highly suggest trying EF ultimate break, although I have not personally been on one of these, because I went with my mom and you have to be in that age group, it is perfect for college aged people and I've only heard good things. They even have a payment plan to make your trip more affordable.
I basically wanted to make this post to show people how going on a guided tour through Europe is a wonderful experience. If you have been dying to go to Europe or to another country, but you're a little intimidated and have been procrastinating because it's such a big trip... a guided tour may be perfect for you. In my own personal opinion, it is just so much more easier, no hassle in finding transportation, hotels, things to do... because almost everything is already planned! Although in certain instances, if you only want to visit one country or stay in one general area, you would probably be better off booking your own trip and planning your own stay.
I know some people do not like having a set schedule and want to do their own thing. But if you're someone who is scared of venturing out there because you never have before, or if you are just a planner (with me) and like knowing what you're doing and what to expect, this makes things SO much easier!

But before I get into breaking down what it's really like the take a guided tour, let's talk about prices. I'm sure this is something everyone is curious about.

Pricing:
So last year, I took a trip with Cosmos. It's owned by Globus tours,  but Cosmos is just the more "affordable" tours, and it was so perfect. The tour I went on went to France, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, and part of Italy. It cost around $1,800 for 11 nights, not including the flight, and yes, this was after taxes were added on. My mom and I both got insurance in case one of us got really sick and needed to be flown home, god forbid. So if you book your flight through the tour company, we actually found out it was cheaper. Only about $850 per person. Note that we went in June too, which is a pretty popular time of year to go because it's not cold and school is out. Having looked around a lot at different prices, this was an amazing deal. Also, to throw this in there, if you have never flown international, (we went on Delta), they serve you free alcoholic drinks and surprisingly REALLY good food. They basically feed your every three hours. At least that's what it felt like. They served us dinner, dessert, and breakfast and had snacks in between. As far as how many free alcoholic drinks you can get I'm not really sure if it's unlimited. I think it is? But not like you're about to get hammered on your plane... unless you do, then by all means order away! 
Also, depending on what guided tour you go on, they include a certain amount of dinners and breakfast is free every day.
With the tour and flight in mind... now you just have to think about how much you're going to spend once you're there. I personally took out.. I believe, $550? I used all of it and then used my card maybe only three times. So, in total, I spent about $3,300 for my whole trip in it's entirety. Also, it depends how big of a spender you are of course.

Here is a link to the Cosmos website for European tours. They also have other areas of the world, of course. Click here

With the money out of the way, let's get into it!

Pros of a guided tour:

1. All transportation and hotels are included. No need to worry how to get from one spot to the next. Like I said before, your tour bus/tour guide will drop you off at a certain location and let you venture out on your own. You may have the option of hanging out with your tour guide while she walks you through historic and monumental sites and explains them with great detail. Or sometimes she/he will tell you to scram and adventure on your own. If you want to stay out longer than the rest of your group, and you're staying at a hotel that night, you can just provide your own transporation back to your room at whatever time you desire. If not, your tour guide will tell you to meet back with her at, most likely the drop off location, so you can get a ride back to your hotel and prepare for your next exciting day!

2. Sometimes the views on the bus are much more spectacular than you expect. Oh my gosh. I realized this when we were driving through Switzerland. Germany, as well, the scenery was breath taking while we were driving through the Black Forest, but in Switzerland... just, wow. I will leave some pictures down below. NOTE: these pictures are ALL legit pictures I took FROM my window! No, I wasn't standing outside taking these. Also, to explain how amazing these views were, there is a train we took that is one part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, and I SWEAR, the bus ride was even better. The only part I loved about that train was when we stopped in front of a view with a lake and the mountains (I'll leave it below, the one with my mom and I), that view honestly made the train ride worth it. But other than that, the bus was even more incredible. Also, if you don't know what the UNESCO World Hertiage sites are, they're pretty much the most important cultural sites in the world, I think.

3. Free breakfast every morning. This saves a huge expense in my eyes. They serve you buffet styled breakfast, things like eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, cheese, yogurt etc. I can eat a big breakfast, and go without eating for a good rest of my day.

4. Included dinners. Depending on what tour you go on, you may have more included dinners. For example; the Trafalgar tour I went on as a kid, was more expensive and I believe there were five included dinners, that were really amazing, where as, on the Cosmos tour (this was honestly really my only personal con) we had three included dinners, two of them weren't very good but the last one we had was amazing. And it was a three course dinner.

5. You are STRESS-FREE from planning! Major pro. They send you a huge internary breaking your trip down for you so you know exactly what you'll be doing every day. With that being said, at the same time, you can still venture on your own without your group if you desire to.

6. You learn SO much. The two times I've been on guided tours both of my tour guides have been literally amazing and so knowledgeable. Our tour guide definitely spoke at least five different languages and knew so much about everything. This is something you won't get just traveling to Europe by yourself. And personally, I think it's really important to know the history and culture of the places you visit. And if you don't feel like listening to your tour guide, well you don't have to. And it's not an annoyingly amount of them talking by any means. They honestly provide so much random information about things, it's so fascinating. Like, did you know they still used the guillotine in France up until the 1977? It wasn't abolished until 1981. I had no idea..

*** The biggest misconception about guided tours: I think there's a big misconception when people think of a "guided tour" through Europe, they think you are on a strict schedule with no time to yourself and this is not true at all. Every day you are dropped off at a location, sometimes after following your tour guide and group for a bit, but not always, and you are free to venture out on your own for a certain amount of time or even for the whole day. Depending on how much of an importance this is to your trip, it can be anywhere from two hours to probably five. Or really, if you're staying at a certain hotel for more than one night, you can really just do your own thing if you don't want to hang out with your group. Catch a cab or train and adventure on. You basically just have to make sure you stick with your group when you depart from a hotel or else you're screwed, lol. But don't worry, they won't leave without you anyways. They always do head counts.

7. Being on a schedule, it motivates you to get up early and utilize your whole day. Because let's face it, most people like to sleep in. If you happen to be staying at the same hotel for a couple days and don't feel like getting up or participating with your group, you don't have to, but chances are you're going to want to. So the fact that you have to force yourself to wake up early (usually times we woke up ranged from 6:00am - 8:00am), this is a great motivator! Because trust me, you do NOT want to miss a thing while you're in Europe. You have to make the most out of everything!

8. There is usually always a surprise stop at a location, some may be breathtaking. While almost everything will be in your itinerary, there are some things you get to see that are surprises they don't put on there. I think it depends on how much time you end up having. For example; we had some extra time while driving to our hotel in Germany, so we got a surprise stop in the Black Forest at the world's largest cuckoo clock! AND, we got to have the famous "Black Forest cake" IN the Black Forest at a cute cafe next to the clock. It was delicious and um, how cool is that? Then when I was a kid, it wasn't on our itinerary at all, but we ended up going to Pompeii for a few hours and that was honestly one of my favorite moments. I love surprises.

9. Free Wi-Fi on the bus! Enough said. (Make sure you bring an extra battery for your phone since you'll be using it a lot)

10. Guaranteed access to sights. Certain places and certain times of year can be extremely crowded. Since you're on a tour, everything is set up for you early on, so access to things like; getting into the Sistine Chapel will be guaranteed, whereas if you had just shown up, you may not be able to get in during busy seasons. Of course, if you're going on your own, always purchase tickets ahead of time.

11. Cool excursions you may not think about otherwise. Excursions are usually extra of course, but there are some pretty interesting ones they plan for you that you may not think of otherwise. We had a champagne testing in Reims, France (which was included) were we went underground into a champagne cellar, learned the history and process of champagne making, and then tested some out. We also did an extra excursion of taking a cable car up a mountain. Omg incredible. Although, almost every other excursion sounded a bit lame, tbh.

Some pics of the excursions we went on. The cable car ride and the champagne cellar with our group (I'll post more pictures in my next blog post)

*** Another misconception about guided tours: Most of your time isn't spent on the bus like some people may think. This was something my mom and I were concerned about taking a "more affordable" tour, but it wasn't a problem. Usually it's a couple hours of being on the bus. I think the longest time period we were on the bus for, which was going through the forests of Germany, was about six hours.

Cons of a guided tour:

1. Less time spent at specific places that may be of importance to you. Honestly, this wasn't a problem for us. We got to see what we wanted to see with plenty of time. Like I said, they drop you off at the location you already know you'll be going to, and give you a few hours to explore. After a while, you're ready to go back anyways.

2. Be VERY careful of wording and the bold/italic/underlined/capitalized locations when reading the itinerary of your guided tour. At least that's how it is with Cosmos. So because you are traveling via bus, there are some sites that you see, but don't necessarily get off the bus for. There aren't many that you miss to be honest. What it tells you that you see in your handbook is pretty much all correct. The only thing I wanted to see closer up was the Eiffel Tower. We knew we weren't going to get to go directly to it, because of the wording of our itinerary. (I forget what it said now, but probably something like "look up to see the Eiffel tower as you're making your way to the city". I don't think we were going to stop, but our tour guide figured we would want to, so she said we would make a quick picture stop for it. We weren't directly in front of it, but over the river you could see it in the background and we got a good photo op.

3. It's gonna suck if you get sick on the bus. Yep, I know this from personal experience. I got sick when I went last year and it was honestly horrible. Thank god, I was only sick for two days, and I managed to survive, but it sucked being on the bus during this time. Of course, I was sick on one of the days where we had to travel on the bus for 6 hours. Lol, just my luck. I had a stomach virus, threw up, and the first day literally used the bathroom seven times. There is a bathroom on board your bus, but surprisingly, I don't know how, I didn't need to use it because of the bathroom stops we made along the way. I did throw up on the bus, but luckily someone was able to give me a shopping bag. But yeah, being in a confined area like that was not fun when sick.

Here's a very sick picture of me in Germany when I had that stomach virus. I felt like complete poop, but I persevered! 

4. Things can be rushed. You're on a timeline when you're traveling on a group tour, so you may not get to see everything you want. For example; when we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral, we wanted to go inside but we didn't have time to because the line was insanely long to get in and we needed to get back on the bus. Although, in Milan, we could have went inside the Duomo, but the line was also so long we just said "screw it".

5. You may not like certain people in your group. Eh, not really a huge deal to be honest. The two tours I've been on, almost every single person was extremely nice. I remember the first tour we went on, when I was a kid, we got very close with our tour group. I think my mom kept in contact with a couple via email for a few years. But, there is always one person who no one likes.

6. You may get a crappy tour guide. My mom has been on five Europe tours all together, and she has loved all of her guides except one. I think the lady was just kind of annoying. The tour I just went on though, our tour guide was amazing. Such a warm-hearted person and so genuine. When I got sick for two days, we ended up being the only people with a suite the last day I was sick. We told some people we got friendly with, and they all thought our tour guide must have done it. We mentioned something to her like "Wow, we got lucky" and she just smiled and I could tell in her smile that she did it on purpose. 

7. You may not get to do things you want to do. If you have your heart set on doing a bunch of very specific things that aren't included in a tour that you can find, maybe it's just best for you to not take a guided tour.

Alright guys, I think that's it!

I hope you've enjoyed this blog. I hope that my personal opinions and experiences have helped some of you after reading this, to decide if you would like to take a guided tour through Europe (Especially those of you who have never visited before). The world is so big and it needs to be explored. Don't waste your time. Put some money to the side, even if it takes a few years. No matter your situation. Just do it and travel the world! It's something no one ever regrets.

- Lots of love,

        Sammi

Fyi, there are random carousels all over Paris. This was taken there. :)