A word from Auzin: Hello! I’m so excited to bring you today’s newsletter, which is a guest post from my good friend Allan. This post is over Substack’s word limit, so it might appear cut off in your inbox. Just click or tap "View entire message" and you’ll be able to read the whole thing. You won’t want to miss it, I promise. Allan is a musician and writer based in Los Angeles, and I know you’ll love his words and perspective as much as I do. Enjoy!
Recently, on a small weekend trip in Seattle, I was asked by my friend Auzin if I wanted to write for her travel Substack. I don’t write much these days and blogs are not really my forte. But as I was sitting at the bar, ordering a round of drinks for everyone, visiting a city with my beautiful boyfriend sitting next to me, I thought about this more and more.
My name is Allan. I’m the singer of a hardcore band called Grudgepacker. I grew up a first-generation Guatemalan in Los Angeles, to parents who lived in the same village for their entire life. As a kid, I remember spending my weekends indoors, forbidden by my helicopter immigrant parents from hanging out with anyone except my next-door neighbor. My dad was a working-class man, delivering pizzas during weeknights and weekends. Because he worked a lot, we weren’t able to go on many family trips. My mom didn’t know how to drive for the majority of my childhood, so we mostly stayed at home. Occasionally, however, we would ride the bus to downtown LA to shop at Santee Alley. We always made sure to be back before sundown, lest we get stuck in a DTLA that was dark and grim (DTLA gentrification happened much later). Despite growing up and living in Los Angeles, my world felt very small. As a kid, I always dreamed of escape.
It wasn’t until high school when, thanks to my monthly subsidized bus pass, I was able to actually explore Los Angeles. My best friend and I would go to Hollywood after school, purchasing obscure films and punk CDs from Amoeba. I was obsessed with England. It felt like such a faraway place, full of interesting culture, music, and people. It was the birthplace of punk. The people were white, of course. But they weren’t like the white people of America. They spoke in a funny accent. And they made music about class struggle and working dead-end jobs. I spent countless hours going through the punk section at Amoeba, trying to understand this strange land.
My 20s were filled with so many layered experiences. Now that I’m in my 30s, I like to consider it a hero’s journey of sorts. I was lost in a world that made me feel like I didn’t belong. I was too gay for the punks and too punk for the gays. Even in a metropolis like LA, finding queer community still felt impossible. My older queer friends always suggested I travel outside of the city. They spoke of queer punk communities that existed in places outside Los Angeles, full of cool punk boys that might want to kiss me, love me, and build community with me. It was in college that I started my journey of exploring the world. And, by extension, finding my place in it.
How to travel like a pop star
As previously mentioned, I’m the singer of a hardcore band. But before I’m a singer, I’m a writer. And before I’m a writer, I’m a pop star. To me, a pop star is a person who is the best version of themselves. They lead their lives with confidence and inspire others to do the same. You don’t have to be rich or famous to be a pop star. A pop star always works to expand their craft. A pop star logs in the days and nights. A pop star pushes themselves just a little more each time. It’s an endless job, but someone has to do it because the world needs more pop stars. As a gay man of color, I feel as if I have no choice but to endlessly chase that inner drive to be better and shine brighter, to become the sculptor and the sculpture. In a world as dark as ours, I want to be a beacon of hope for myself and others.
With more than a handful of trips under my belt, I’ve learned a thing or two on how to make the best of your vacation. The following are a few travel tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way. This is how to travel like a pop star!
Do your homework
One thing I learned in therapy is that you can’t control everything, but you can control some things and that’s good enough. The journey to any destination always starts with a plan. When I was younger, I would shove a few things in my bag and hope for the best, with no plan whatsoever. During one particular trip, I still hadn’t booked my hotel as I was boarding the plane. That was fucking stupid. I’m a little wiser these days.
After booking my flight and hotel, I like to research about the place I’m going to. Traveling to a new place can be a bit scary, but coming up with a solid plan helps alleviate some of the nerves. So, look up the weather, find some cute restaurants to eat at, pack with intention, make a checklist of things you absolutely need to bring, try to stay in a walkable part of town (if the budget allows). Unless getting lost in a new city is exciting for you, you should have a solid idea of what you’re getting yourself into. And then expect some things to still go wrong.
Count your dollars
I’m a social worker by trade, so I don’t make a considerable amount of money. Related to preparation, you should also look at your finances before planning a vacation. Growing up working-class, I’ve had to learn to make careful financial choices or else I’m shooting myself in the foot. Taking a vacation is a form of self-care for me, a way to step from the heavy shit I deal with on a weekly basis. Still, I make sure I’m somewhat financially stable before making the decision to travel somewhere.
If you can save money, try to set aside some cash each pay period leading up to your vacation. I usually try to start saving a month or two in advance. Growing up, my mom had this saying in Spanish that roughly translates to “the moment you leave your house, you get charged for everything.” Prepare for everything to cost money. My travel budget includes airfare and lodging, but also food, rideshare money, coffee, alcohol, and “play money” for shows or frivolous shit like souvenirs and band shirts. Budgeting helps ease some of the financial worries that come with spending money on a vacation. As a pop star, I like to feel like a king whenever I travel.
Check out the local scene
Whether you’re into food, music, or art, a new city will always have a local scene related to your interests. One of my favorite things to do when I’m on vacation is checking out at least one or two local hardcore shows. As a budding music journalist, I’m always curious to see what each city’s scene has to offer. The sounds, the fashion, the moshing style, and the crowds are always different everywhere I go. It’s interesting to see how scenes are affected by geography, politics, and local history. No scenes are ever truly alike. If you hang out with locals, you’ll also get a more authentic sense of the city and its culture.
In recent years, I’ve also made it a tradition to purchase a record or two from a local record shop in every new city I visit. It’s a fun way to remember my vacation in the future. And since I have vacation money saved up, it’s a good excuse to buy a record that I’ve been wanting but couldn’t afford at home. So, walk into that record store and look the clerk in the eye while you buy $100 worth of records. It’s a power move. And pop stars should feel powerful.
Dress to impress
As a pop star, the moment I leave my house, I try to look my best. Even the grocery store deserves an outfit. You never know when the paps will be around the corner, looking to snap an unsettling photo of you. This is especially true when you’re traveling. If you’re only bringing a carry-on, carefully plan your outfits to be both practical and stylish. This can be a little difficult sometimes, especially in a destination that’s cold and rainy (like Seattle). A few days before my trip, I like to dedicate an hour or two to picking out outfits. It’s my dress rehearsal and I want to make sure I’m looking and feeling my best when I’m out on a new town.
The best part of traveling somewhere new is that you get to pretend to be someone else. So experiment with new looks, or wear your favorite pieces if you’re not afraid of losing them (this is a possibility). If you can, go shopping a week or two before. Buy something cute so that you can be fresh on vacation. Don’t forget to plan your airport outfit too! People pay attention. Or at least, I do.
Be a fucking tortoise
Unless you plan to spend most of your money on rideshares or taxis, you’ll probably end doing a whole lot of walking. This will take a toll on the body, even if you’re used to walking around in your city. Whenever I travel, I usually walk two or three times as much as I normally do when I’m at home. By the end of the day, my feet are in terrible pain, begging to slip into something comfortable. So, don’t go hard on the first day.
Schedule your activities so you can take them at your own pace, without exhausting your body. It’s your vacation after all, and you get to decide the pacing of it. This especially rings true if you’re a big partier. Whenever we travel somewhere new, the dopamine rush makes everything feel novel and exciting. We’re flooded with a sense of euphoria, and coupled with a few drinks, we tend to feel invincible and impervious to the headaches, nausea, and fatigue that hangovers bring. Pace yourself if you can, or the rest of the trip will be one long hangover. You didn’t spend all this time planning and saving money just to feel like shit.
Don’t forget to check-in
If you’re traveling with a friend or a partner, or even if you’re traveling by yourself, always make sure to check-in. How are they feeling? How are you feeling? We all process experiences differently, and while new experiences can be fun, they can also be stressful. So check-in with yourself and others.
If you’re traveling with an introvert, especially a shy one who tends to go with the flow, always make sure to ask if they’d like some alone time. If you find yourself needing some space, don’t be afraid to ask for that as well. Taking a nice warm bath or going on a 20-minute walk are perfect activities to do alone and give each other some space. You’ll return with a new burst of energy and continue enjoying the trip together.
Live it up
Whenever I’m performing, there’s always a moment of clarity I get when I first jump on stage and look out at the crowd. I tell myself, “this is what you’ve been looking forward to and it’ll all be over soon, so enjoy it.” The same goes for traveling. On my last trip, on the ride to the airport, I remember thinking, “I like this part of the trip. The beginning. It’ll be over in a few days so remember to experience it.”
I enjoy every part of traveling. The overpriced coffee at the airport. The half-awake greetings to the flight attendants. The car ride to the hotel. The first night’s dinner. The third tequila shot (oops). The sounds of the city. The locals. Traveling is an experience that always makes me feel grateful for everything in my life. It reminds me that all the hard work paid off. All my dreams are coming true. And that’s what traveling should be. Experience it, be present, savor every second of it. Because that’s what pop stars do.
Gay Grunge Pop Star schools married white opera-loving gray-haired woman. Love it! (and thanks)