KCONNY & Penn and Teller On Broadway: My Trip to NJ/NY

My trip to NJ started with KCONNY

This might be one of the most obvious questions I've ever asked, but have you ever relived or replayed certain moments in your life over and over again?  I suppose everyone does for the good and bad moments to feel/relive the positive moments, again.  And to of course, learn from the negative ones.  My summer had a mix of both, but one of the best moments I had this past summer was going to KCONNY in New Jersey and seeing Penn and Teller on Broadway the same exact weekend!  I couldn't believe my luck, 4 bucket list things crossed off in a single 3 day span.  I was excited for KCON because of my growing appreciation and love for KPop music, while I've always wanted to Penn and Teller for years, since I love their magic acts.  Once the plans were set, I was excited, and counting down the days until the show.

Waiting for me always sucks because like most people, I would rather experience the thing I'm waiting for right away, rather than waiting.  And you know what they say, often times the anticipation is better than the feeling of the actual thing you're waiting for itself.  But I can say with certainty that was not the case this time.  My initial thoughts on KCON have to do with where the event was held, which was at the Prudential Center in NJ.  I wouldn't have a problem with that normally, except they kept advertising it as NY, which I felt was very misleading; I know that NJ doesn't have the same ring as NY, but I know many who bought tickets, only to be disappointed that the event wasn't where they thought it would be.  And the area itself was so run down and shady.  It was so urban with many random strangers trying to come talk to me.  If it wasn't for the few big restaurants and my hotel, I don't know what I would have done.  Also, I've never been to big conventions, so I don't know if this is the norm, but only the concert was INSIDE!  The convention and everything before was outside, which I had a problem with because that wasn't what I was expecting, and it was so hot out.  At least 90 degrees both days I was in New Jersey, which caused me to sweat and tan quite a bit.  But on the plus side, it was great to interact with other KPop fans, since I rarely get a chance to do that.  I have a friend or two who likes it like I do, but barely anyone I know really likes it.  So having this rare opportunity to connect/talk was a joy, talking about biases, KPOP experiences, and their own experiences on the trip.  And of course, the concert itself was amazing!  Not much to say about it, the music was spectacular!  Seeing all the beautiful people was such a dream because I was finally able to see the artists/idols I love to listen to in person, and presentation wise, it was on point, as every group was introduced one by one.  I only wish the venue had sold out because I thought the audience could have been louder, but we had close to 17,000-19,000 there.  Not bad for the first KCON on the East Coast.  If possible, I'll certainly try to go back next year if I like the artists in the lineup.  But if not, I'll always have the memories, and of course, the KPop albums I bought there, which were my first KPop memorabilia.

On the last day of my trip, I spent it in the Big Apple, NY.  It was mainly to go see Penn and Teller on Broadway, since I had bought the tickets weeks in advance, but it was nice to do some sightseeing.  Because of time constraints, I couldn't go everywhere I wanted, but I checked out certain areas I wanted to, and tried a NY bagel, which I thought was delicious (albeit the long line).  Once that was out of the way, it was off to go see Penn and Teller, which was a disaster because of the Dominican parade closing down half of Times Square, which almost made me late to the theater.  And the fact that I couldn't find the theater, even with my phone.  While this was happening, I was so pissed off at the fact I could miss the opening act, being such a huge Penn and Teller fan that I was, and the fact I paid close to $300 to sit in the first row.  But I got to the theater with 2-3 minutes to spare.  I was happy to find the place I needed to be, but in no mood to talk.  As soon as the show started, all my negativity went away, and I was fixated on the show.  It was great seeing Penn and Teller, live, doing all the tricks I had become accustomed to seeing online.  They were a lot bigger than I thought they'd be, but that was sort of what I expected.  My only minor complaint was that I didn't see some of the tricks I wanted (like the Magic Bullet), but considering the small stage and the fact we only had 90+ minutes, I think I made out alright with what I saw.  And I had a chance to meet them, which I would have done, if not for the long line and the fact I had a time limit to get back.  Next time, though, hopefully.

So, all in all, that was my trip to NJ/NY.  It had its downs, but was mostly a wonderful experience for me.  It's ironic how initially, I didn't want to go on the trip because I didn't think I could get time off from work, and because of the cost of it.  But I'm glad I did, because I rarely get to do things like this.  And financially, besides things I need to use my money on, like student loans, my money is just going to waste, so why not use it on something to live out one of my dreams or things on my bucket list.  You only live once, and I'm not getting any younger.  Besides that, I got the rare chance to bond with my brother, which we haven't done much our whole lives.  So, if I can take away anything from this trip, it's the fact I was fulfilled in so many ways, much more than I was expecting. 

My trip ended in NY with Penn and Teller