NYC Q&A

Aloha Sprinklerinos,

Since I am loving telling you so much about my little New York adventure last week I thought it might be fun to ask what it is you actually want to know and then just directly answer. I put it to twitter, with #LouInNYC and you asked so here are my answers!

(One of my little iPhone snaps from the high line. Have I mentioned that much? Haha)

What was one of the funniest moments to happen in New York?

This is easy. I was standing at Google during a break from the speeches we were listening to, talking to Dan, Phil and John Green. We were talking about a particular element of David Blaine's talk and I don't know what came over me but all of a sudden I did the most inappropriate hand gesture. As soon as I did it, I caught Dan's eye and knew it was all over. I apologised profusely through tears and laughter to John and Phil but it was too late, the giggles had set in and I was a mess!

What things should you pack to take on a long plane journey?

Every time I go on a plane I take pretty much the same things- passport, money, phone (loaded with good music to keep me happy), headphones, essential makeup & skincare and snacks. Snacks are important! This time though I also took my (for grown ups!) colouring/doodle book and pens. It was very soothing to just doodle about in it whilst I chatted to everyone. 

Weirdest thing a fan or friend gave to you for your birthday?

I wasn't really given a lot of gifts because the most important thing to me was time spent and experiences so my friends very kindly took me out for dinner and such but one gift that was really unusual was a song. 

Favourite food you ate in NYC?

Chinese noodles at Tao. OMG I need more. Now. 

If you could have taken one element of NYC home with you then what would it be?

The jetlag! I realise this sounds nuts but because my timings were all off, it was so so easy to wake up in the mornings and get going with the day! I wish it could be like that here!

What was having your birthday in NYC like?

Magical. 

How did you survive the busy city when you don't like change?

The first few hours were really overwhelming and I felt so out of my comfort zone. Then, after a while I got used to it and Maddie pointed out that you can't get lost because the streets are all in a grid system so that made me feel a lot more secure. 

What actually happened with the fans? I heard many things.

I've heard lots of things too so I'm happy to set the record straight. Nothing happened. I've seen a lot of rumours about me being mobbed or having a panic attack but that just didn't happen. In fact, I found the viewers I met in New York to be super chill, really gentle, none of them screamed or shouted at me and when one or two did, they quickly stopped and just smiled/waved. I stood and chatted easily and comfortably to them and really enjoyed our interactions. As far as I'm concerned, all positive experiences. 

Did you see any celebrities whilst you were there?

Mmmhmmmm. I met David Blaine, watched Snoop Dog talk and then DJ at a party, listened to talks from Wes Anderson and Mark Ronson and also saw Mark and Bruno Mars perform at Brandcast. Amazing! (Also yanno, I was sat in a room with the likes of John Green, Troye Sivan, Grace Helbig etc). 

Will you be doing a video on what you bought?

Sadly not because I did zero shopping. Cray cray!

Will you be going back this summer?

I'm definitely going back to the states this summer but I'm not sure yet if that includes New York. I'm going to Seattle next week to see Marie and then VidCon in California in July. 

What was the biggest cultural difference you noticed in NY compared to the UK?

I felt like people working in the service industry were a lot more friendly. I liked it. 

Was there a particular reason you found the intensity easier to deal with this time?

I think because I had Maddie my Manager there. Last time I had to be on control of everything myself and manage my own schedule and get myself to where I needed to be, but with Maddie there, things were a lot lot lot easier. I love that woman!

How did you find the helicopter flight and what was the favourite thing you did?

It was incredible. I love looking at things from up high and I also love roller coasters and thrill rides so this was right up my street. The city looked so shiny and beautiful. I actually cried for almost the entire trip because I loved it so very, very much. 

What one American shop would you bring to England?

Sephora. Please UK get a Sephora!

Was your hotel room nice?

So nice. We stayed at Dream Downtown. At first I was really freaked out by the weird mix of new and old (I vlogged about this), but eventually I acclimatised and loved it so much. The lobby in particular was gorgeous. I would have liked to have spent more time there I think. Snazzy hotel lobbies are my fave. I'm such a hotel addict. 

Thoughts on John Green's speech?

Wonderful. John Green is such an inspiration to me. I love how business minded he is, how smart he is and how whenever we see each other, we exchange tres funny stories about our kids, we have proper saddo parent moments and I love it. 

His speech made me think about a lot of things and feel really impressed by how much he's achieved. 

Did you get home sickness?

Yes. As soon as we left the airport and got on the little bus to go to the hotel I started to feel really upset and far from home. It helped a lot that my friends were there. I ended up just putting my headphones on and zoning out a bit to calm down. 

In my hotel room I let it take over a bit and got totally worked up, over messaged my friend about the decor and headed to Maddie's room for laptop time. 

Four hours later I was totally settled and happy as a clam. Usually it takes longer than that so a success I think. 

What did you think of the Google tablet?

I thought it was incredibly generous of them to give us one! I haven't had a proper play with it yet. Since I already have a tablet I'm thinking about giving it to a friend who doesn't have one. 

What was it like doing magic with David Blaine?

Basically amazing. I was so freaking excited when I realised he was in the room so to go up on stage with him was a bit mind blowing. I was not cool. I was a giddy mess. I loved it. 

What were some sights or experiences you weren't able to vlog?

Haha, there were a few sweet moments during the week that are just recorded in my memory. One thing I wished I'd filmed more of was the view from the Empire State Building but you know how it is, sometimes you just live the moment. 

What was your favourite outfit that you wore in NYC?

Without a shadow of a doubt the sequined holographic dress I wore on my birthday night. I felt like a futuristic princess! I looked on ASOS to actually buy another one to have as backup (yeah, that's how much I loved it), but it's sold out. Wahhh. 

Would you like to take Darcy there?

I think when she's a lot bigger I would but right now I'm just about managing to survive it myself!

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Thank you for all of your questions, I love answering the things you wanna know about. Next week I'm taking Darcy to see Marie in Seattle so maybe we could do this for that as well?

Toodlepip!

xx