Text by Steele:

“In the weeks leading up to SXSW, I was very anxious about leaving New York. I have always struggled leaving the city for more than a few days and, in more recent years, at times even for a few hours (lol). It’s something that I have needed to work on, not only as a reliable adult, but also as a musician who aspires to tour frequently. Having an extreme attachment to a city doesn’t really correlate with the musician lifestyle.

Having lived my entire life in New York City, I’ve grown accustomed to all the lovely things it has to offer: a trip to the deli at any hour, any food you could ever want, whenever you want it, an activity to do at all times, my social life, my family, my dog, sports, home! The amount of pride, and identity I attribute to New York borders on nationalism (without all of the rampant xenophobia and ignorance of course) (arrogance in spades though).

To say I was concerned about SXSW would be an understatement.

However, after much anticipation and worry, the day had finally come. I’d be leaving my dog for the first time ever, and I’d be on a plane for the first time in nearly five years. I met up with Alexis, Mauricio, and Alden at JFK, where I was surprised by the efficiency of the self-service baggage drop and boarding pass kiosks. The boys stopped for a beer and burger pre-flight, and I walked up and down the terminal in search of something that fit within my self-imposed dietary restrictions. I saw signs for a place called ‘mezze cafe’, and got excited at the prospect of having some middle eastern food before my flight. I was disappointed to learn that mezze cafe was not the vegan-friendly oasis I had so deeply yearned for, but actually was just a deli counter serving some lonely premade paninis. I ordered a veggie burger, the only meatless item on the menu, and was reminded how silly it feels to choose to be vegan and travel. I paid for my artisanal delights and booked it back to my gate in time for boarding. As the line to preboard bottlenecked and congested, I demolished my artisan sandwich and made a beeline to Hudson News for a pack of gum and two bananas in preparation for the flight.

Yamaha Fazer 8 in Blue: £7,999

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