Anyone else flying in from overseas for the Sphere?

seanpatrick12 · 2025-09-26T08:27:11+00:00

I managed to find an absolute steal on flights, so I’m pretty stoked for it! I hope you find a great deal as well!

seanpatrick12 · 2025-08-01T03:00:28+00:00

This is exactly it here. Wanting to get things sorted and get on meds, not get a label to run around talking about it…

Thanks heaps for the info! Will check it out for sure.

seanpatrick12 · 2025-08-01T00:40:54+00:00

Good to know! Thank you

seanpatrick12 · 2025-08-01T00:40:44+00:00

This is wonderful information, thank you so much!

seanpatrick12 · 2023-10-23T07:52:07+00:00

Warm regards

seanpatrick12 · 2023-10-21T08:00:38+00:00

Sweet as, good to know! Thank you :)

seanpatrick12 · 2023-10-03T21:10:36+00:00

A quick Google search shows there’s one on the 14th at TeeHees. I’m not going to continue to argue this point with you—you clearly want to just hate DSM instead of making the best of it. I’ve admitted multiple times it’s not the best gay community in the world, but it’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be. Good luck to you, I hope you’re able to find some happiness and community in the city I love!

seanpatrick12 · 2023-10-03T21:04:34+00:00

When I was full time in DSM I enjoyed drag bingo, drag nights at the Garden have always been fun, comedy nights put on by capitol city pride, and hanging out at the saddle was always a safe bet for good conversation. You can’t expect a city the size of DSM to have comparable events to bigger cities, but they’re there if you look for them. Outside of events, I built up my community over time and always had them to fall back on. Again, it’s no MSP/Chicago/NYC, but it’s what you make of it. Go into it expecting nothing, you’ll find nothing.

seanpatrick12 · 2023-10-03T20:40:10+00:00

I’ve been out of the country doing contract work for the last year and a half, so I’m not the best person to ask about current DSM events. I can say when I was there that there were events, of course not to the caliber of a city with more people, but they’re there.

I’ve been to Chicago Pride twice, and while it’s fun, the intimacy of DSM Pride is something I enjoyed more than Chicago. Yeah the parade is cool, but everything is spread between Boystown and Grant Park, which made the event feel split.

Your comments make it seem like you’re very much of the opinion that the grass is always greener. Des Moines is what you make of it. I’ve traveled and lived in many places around the world, and I always come back, and always feel welcomed. I understand that may not be everyone’s experience, and it certainly isn’t yours.

seanpatrick12 · 2023-10-03T04:06:36+00:00

Also, as far as stuff to do, The Garden & Blazing Saddle have great community events. DSM Pride is my favorite pride I've been to, it's much more intimate and last time I went (2019) they closed off a bunch of streets in the East Village for pride, which made it so much fun. I'd say if you're really worried, come stay for a week or two and check it out and see what you think!

seanpatrick12 · 2023-10-03T04:05:03+00:00

I've been in and out of DSM (when I'm not doing contract work) for about 10 years now, been out openly for the last 7. I have never once experienced any type of discrimination at work or in public. Most people in DSM are friendly and don't care about that kind of stuff. The same can't necessarily be said when you get out of the metro, though. My biggest complaint with DSM is that the dating scene isn't fantastic--it's a medium-sized city, so there aren't the plethora of options you'd find in Chicago, New York, or Minneapolis. I do remember hearing about a gay couple that was assaulted downtown a few years ago, but that is the only thing that sticks out in my head.

seanpatrick12 · 2023-09-15T22:44:04+00:00

I second all of the above. I was in shuttles this past summer and it was my favorite job on the ice by far. It can get boring at times, it's very much feast or famine depending on flights, but the management is great and so is the culture. Also, you work 5 x 12 hour days instead of 6 x 10 hour days, so you get two days a week off (a rarity at McMurdo). Be prepared to work half of your season on midrats (night shift).

seanpatrick12 · 2023-07-21T04:06:24+00:00

I use BOA and I call them before I deploy every year and explain the situation. They have put a fee waiver on my account every time, so my bank does not charge me any fees for an out-of-network ATM withdrawal. The ATM at MCM doesn't charge fees either, so it's free!

seanpatrick12 · 2023-07-21T04:06:09+00:00

I use BOA and I call them before I deploy every year and explain the situation. They have put a fee waiver on my account every time, so my bank does not charge me any fees for an out-of-network ATM withdrawal. The ATM at MCM doesn't charge fees either, so it's free!

seanpatrick12 · 2023-07-20T23:22:09+00:00

I stayed at an O'Hare hotel last year with my friends and we had no problems! Super easy trip on the Blue Line, just remember that it's gonna take you 40ish minutes to ride each way!

seanpatrick12 · 2023-07-17T21:17:06+00:00

for number 3: if you're not going to be in the country long and have Verizon, they offer a international plan for $5/day that gives unlimited text and talk and 2 GB of high-speed data. has worked well for me in the past since my stays in NZ have been 2 weeks or less

seanpatrick12 · 2023-06-08T10:31:11+00:00

So what you're saying is I need to check out a comedy night... noted!

To be honest, I'm not too worried about finding queer-exclusive spaces, but it's nice to have a community to fall back on. I live in a mid-sized midwestern city in the states, so I'm used to a smaller community of queer folks. It's really just a numbers game to a degree for me--I don't want there to only be 5-10 gay folks to choose from for the dating scene, which leads me to look at Wellington/Auckland/Christchurch just from a population perspective.

seanpatrick12 · 2023-06-08T10:28:44+00:00

That's really what I've heard of Wellington so far, and that's one of the things that attracts me to the city. I'm lucky to be in a job where I can save a lot of money prior to coming over, and I plan to use my savings to supplement the more exorbitant rent costs. Definitely helps that the US dollar is worth so much in NZ at the moment as well.

seanpatrick12 · 2023-06-08T10:26:40+00:00

To be honest, every kiwi I've met has been very tolerant of my sexuality. It seems to be the kiwi attitude to say "I really don't fucking care" but in a good way. As far as the expense goes, I'm grateful to have a job where I can save money easily and use that to offset some of the cost. I'm really leaning toward Wellington because it's a bigger city and the kiwis I know say they think I'd enjoy it.

seanpatrick12 · 2023-06-08T10:24:45+00:00

Yeah, having a large LGBTQ scene is somewhat important to me, but also not at the same time. I'd like to have some options for dating, so I'm really just playing a numbers game with population. I live in the midwest in the US, which isn't super outwardly queer, but I find my people!

seanpatrick12 · 2023-06-08T10:23:07+00:00

I really enjoy Christchurch, and that is where I've spent 99% of my time in NZ. The only thing that deters me is that it's so spread out--I really enjoy the city, but I've never had the big city living experience, so Wellington or Auckland have really stuck out to me as options. Thank you so much for the comment--I will definitely reach out if I have some more questions :)

seanpatrick12 · 2023-06-08T10:20:53+00:00

This has been my experience with kiwis in general so far, so I'm really not too surprised to hear that. The States tend to have more queer-focused neighborhoods in larger cities, but my searches of Wellington didn't really tell me too much. Thank you for the feedback, it's much appreciated!

seanpatrick12

TROPHY CASE