Following my college graduation, I chose to have some adventures for a gap year before moving on with my life — and that year sure started off with a bang! And it was one I’ll never forget.

I was 21 and planned to visit parts of New England that were unfamiliar to me before heading off to Europe. My friend and college roommate, Curtis, was my partner in crime for the entire excursion.

Curtis and I first flew to Boston from Los Angeles and headed up to Maine and Vermont, then back down the East Coast to New York City. We had arrangements to fly from the Big Apple to London, then on to the continent. We would be out of America for about five months.

While in New York, we stayed at a hotel close by the home of my godmother, Maribel. She lived in a spacious apartment in Greenwich Village.... Read More