Tragically unhip?

I plan on taking a trip to New York later on this year for a variety of reasons.
1) the last time I was there I was diagnosed with bronchitis (and refused to admit it),
2) I stayed at quite possibly the worst hotel in the Upper West Side, and
3) I was the only person on the trip that was legal in the States (I turned 21 while there).

This time around, I plan on making this trip either a road trip or a plane trip with various people, not just one or two. And I refuse to take the bus. I couldn't even handle the two hour bus ride from Ottawa to Montreal, you think I can handle over nine hours?

There are a few things I want to do before heading there, such as emailing Gen D. Markle from The Tragically Unhip and ask her to have coffee with me because I am sure she would be the best person to have coffee with. Gen, if you are reading this, I hope you answer my email and say yes. I love your posts, they make me laugh more than any other blog I read (sorry for all the people who I've said that too but truth is, my blog reading heart belongs to Gen's posts).

I also plan on exploring the areas that were going to be the subjects for my abandoned masters thesis (that's right, every gentrified area in NYC). I will also make sure to ask the subway station attendant for directions and getting this answer: "You gonna go up the stairs, cross the street and you gonna go down three blocks. Everywhere in New York is three blocks." It'll be just like it was two years ago, except this time, I won't get lost because I'm no longer "direction challenged" (you ever lived in Ottawa? The city makes no sense, how is one supposed to develop a sense of direction?).

If anyone is interested in joining me on this awfully big adventure, you must be okay with doing the things I mentioned above, okay?