[HAWAII] Budget and Itinerary

WEDNESDAY: 29 October 2025

Alaska/Hawaiian (New York - San Francsico - Honolulu) - 273.78

Waikiki Beachside Hostel (4 Nights) - 92.89

W Line (Lelepaua Airport - Kuhio/Ohua) - 3.00

USD369.67

[NEW YORK] Budget and Itinerary (10)

TUESDAY: 21 October 2025

Philippine Airlines (BKK - MNL - JFK/HNL - MNL - HCM) - 650.00

Philippine Airlines (Neighbor Free x2) - 225.00

Airbnb (8 Nights/Union City) - 900.00

USD1,775.00

[MANHATTAN] Broadway Barrage Season 10

10 SEASONS. I just find it hard to believe. When I started this personal tradition back in 2016 I didn't really believe I would be able to commit to it and make it an annual thing. Sometimes you simply have to stop finding excuses and just do it. 10 years and counting! Here's to another 10!

[NEW YORK] Budget and Itinerary (9)

THURSDAY: 24 October 2024

Philippine Airlines (Bangkok - Manila - New York - Manila - Bangkok) - 580.00

Philippine Airlines (Neighbor Free x2) - 220.00

Airbnb (7 Nights/Union City) - 564.00

USD1,364.00

[MANHATTAN] Broadway Barrage Season 9

We’ve reached the 9th season of Broadway Barrage! Nine years! I still can’t believe that I’ve been able to maintain this personal tradition. This is also the first time that I am watching a total of 10 SHOWS. I usually settle for seven or eight. I guess this is because my visa is expiring and of course we do not know whether it’d be renewed. Maybe I am just making the most of it, just in case? Anyway, all of the ten shows delivered and I enjoyed them all so much. Strong lineup overall! Without further ado, here they are!

[NEW YORK] Budget and Itinerary (8)

MONDAY: 23 October 2023

Philippine Airlines (Bangkok - Manila - New York - Manila - Bangkok) - 765.00

Uber (JFK Terminal 1 - Queens) - 21.91

Airbnb (1 Night/Queens) - 70.00

USD856.91

[MANHATTAN] Broadway Barrage Season 8

Did we miss Broadway Barrage? Well, does the sun shine every morning? Of course we did, especially considering the fact that the gap has been a bit long this year. Season 7 was in March 2022. Season 8 is finally happening but late this time in the fall in October/November 2023. As always, we have an interesting line up, a full slate of eight shows this season! nine, if you consider the bonus Poor Yella Rednecks inclusion. Are we ready? Here are the eight shows we’ve seen this season!

[DELAWARE] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: 6 November 2023

Amtrak (Baltimore - Wilmington - Baltimore) - 20.00

Starbucks (Mocha Frappe) - 7.74

USD27.74

[WILMINGTON] Rodney Square and River Walk

I guess we’ll just have to admit that Delaware was one of those states that I decided to visit just for the sake of visiting it and crossing it off my map of ‘Murica. The Greyhound from Newark made a bathroom stop somewhere near Wilmington and that was my first impression of Delaware: a pit stop with food options ranging from Panda Express to Cinnabon. There was also a lottery machine there, which had me betting on a lottery I’ve never seen before called Lotto America.

[MARYLAND] Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: 2 November 2023

Greyhound (Newark - Baltimore) - 38.98

73 (Greyhound - State Center) - 2.00

Airbnb (5 Nights/Baltimore) - 304.61

St. Paul Mini Mart (Groceries) - 18.56

USD364.15

[VIRGINIA] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: 3 November 2023

Amtrak (Baltimore - DC - Baltimore) - 20.00

McDonalds (Hash Brown x2 + Hot Choco) - 8.66

DC Metro Card (Card + Credits) - 12.00

McDonalds (Chicken Nuggets Meal) - 7.36

USD48.02

[ARLINGTON] Arlington and Alexandria

I should have visited Virginia as a side trip when I went to Washington DC almost half a decade ago. After all, Arlington and Alexandria are both covered by DC’s metro system. It wasn’t that inaccessible from Baltimore either, though. I chanced upon a $20 roundtrip Amtrak ticket. The Baltimore to DC route lasts 45 minutes. Add another 20 minutes for the Red/Blue trip to Arlington cemetery. That’s two US states for you in less than half an hour! And so, we start with Arlington.

[NEW YORK] Budget and Itinerary (7)

MONDAY: 21 March 2022

United (Miami - New York) - 163.30

Airbnb (5 Nights/Hell's Kitchen) - 610.53

Airtrain/NJ Transit (Newark - NY Penn) - 15.50

Jollibee (1 pc Chicken w/ Rice & Coke + Spaghetti) - 13.26

Liberty Bagel (Groceries) - 21.58

Dunkin Donuts (Donuts x5) - 9.45

Plaza Suite (Broadway) - 111.50

USD945.12

[MANHATTAN] Broadway Barrage Season 7

Broadway Barrage came early this year, perhaps as a normal reaction for missing one whole season during pandemic year. After a back-to-back season just last fall, we come back to Broadway after less than half a year to continue the tradition. All of the six shows have been awesome, though, and I feel as though this season has been worth it overall. I believe this is one of the few seasons in which all of the shows got five clovers from me. And yet, I still felt like I wanted more!

[FLORIDA] Budget and Itinerary (4)

SUNDAY: 13 March 2022

Greyhound (Savannah - Jacksonville) - 35.99

Star Card (Card + 3 Day Pass) - 14.00

Starbucks (Croissant + Double Bacon Egg & Hot Choco) - 13.28

Airbnb (3 Nights/Jacksonville) - 188.51

McDonalds (10 pcs Chicken Nuggets Meal) - 10.94

Walgreens (Groceries) - 47.56

USD310.28

[ORLANDO] Theme Park or Evacuation Center?

To be totally blunt, I feel like all I ever accomplished at Universal Studios here in Orlando was to pay $150 to up my chances of getting COVID-19, which I managed to dodge for the entire six months that I have been flying around everywhere. Nobody is wearing a mask except for a few personnel. Social distancing is an alien concept. The crowds are of evacuation center proportions. The waiting time to get on a roller coaster is a minimum of 60 minutes in line unless you have a fast pass that costs upwards $150 on top of the park admission fee. After an hour, I decided, nah, I’m too old for this shit.

[JACKSONVILLE] The Biggest City in the Lower 48

I myself was surprised to find out that Jacksonville held such distinction. It was only lately that I even knew the city existed because, seriously, when you hear about Florida it’s always Miami or Orlando. After double checking the info, it appears that Jacksonville is indeed the largest city by land area in continental United States. If you include all states, the city falls to number five right below four cities all located in Alaska. Weird flex, but okay. For a city with such distinction, it’s surprising to see how quiet and sleepy everything seems to be.

[GEORGIA] Budget and Itinerary

SATURDAY: 5 March 2022

American Airlines (Miami - Atlanta) - 69.60

TGI Fridays (Whiskey Glazed Chicken & Strawberry Slushee) - 26.24

MARTA (Card + Reload) - 12.00

USD107.84

[SAVANNAH] A Georgia with Some History

Blame climate change, perhaps, but it is here in Savannah where the cold blast in March had its climax for me. Jesus Christ, 1 degree Celsius and windchill that penetrated the depths of my soul. What the hell, ‘MERICA? It’s freaking March! And so, that is perhaps one of the reasons why my trip outside has been abrupt. I just couldn’t handle the migraine. It didn’t help that it was drizzling for a while too. Wet and cold, bad combination. Anyway, Savannah! What is there to see? Well, welcome to historic Georgia, y’all.

[ATLANTA] So, Did I Like It?

Overall, I feel like I would thrive in Atlanta should I ever find myself relocating there. I believe I’ve already mentioned that it feels like Boston to me. It’s hard to explain. You know, big cities yet not as chaotic as some of their ‘Merican cousins. Not too crowded and has a reliable public transport system. Lots of green spaces where you can just chill. A downtown area that has its own distinct charm thanks to the public works of art. A skyline that is not jampacked but impressive, nonetheless. The list goes on.