A lot of people who associate John Green with YouTube assume that he was a YouTuber first and an author second. But it's actually the other way around. He had already published two novels before Vlogbrothers (or Brotherhood 2.0) began, and was working on the third when these videos started. One of the best things about rewatching old Vlogbrothers videos is seeing how John's experiences and interests gradually evolved into the stories that became his best-selling novels.
Welcome (or welcome back!) to Vlogbrothers Rewatch -- an ongoing series of articles in which I document my daily journey through every Vlogbrothers video on their YouTube channel. Using this playlist, starting from the very beginning, I'm watching all these videos in order until I eventually, hopefully, catch up to current uploads. That could take many, many days. And I'm okay with that.
We know that in these early videos John was working on the draft of the book that would eventually become Paper Towns. But if you didn't know that, today's video might clue you in. It features John accompanying a few friends on an "urban exploration" in Detroit, Michigan -- in other words, breaking into abandoned buildings to sneak around on a potentially dangerous yet clearly memorable adventure.
Whether you've read the book or watched the movie, you might recognize some of the seeds planted here. It really goes to show how deeply even the most seemingly small experiences can impact an author's thoughts and therefore the stories they craft.
Side note: Sneaking into abandoned buildings seems like something my friends would have tried to talk me into doing in high school, but I wouldn't have done it because I would have been too scared. Past me, you had no sense of adventure and missed out on way too much. Live a little.