I can't believe it's been seven years (plus a few months) since I moved to New York. My official anniversary was in July, but with everything going on in the world it didn't seem like the time to post about it. In a way, I'm kind of glad I waited. So much has changed since July and this post will take on different meaning because of it.
Seven Year Anniversary Living in New York City
Saying seven years out loud seems like such a long time, but I promise it felt like yesterday when I moved into a little studio in Chelsea. I told Andrew the other day that I'm pretty sure I will forever be 23 in my mind. Wasn't I just in college? How did we get here so quickly? I think about my decision to move to New York often and how it really was such a big diversion from the plans I had for my life. I was never one to dream about living here, but I got a job offer, took a chance, and never looked back.
So much has happened over the past seven years. There were a lot of lows but even more highs. I flourished in a city where it's sink or swim. I became a better person and I grew a tougher skin. Since the first day I stepped out of the Uhaul, it's been New York or nowhere. I'm able to fall asleep to The Empire State Building. New York or nowhere.
There will be times when the sun is setting over the city, I find myself just sitting on the window ledge and staring out at the bustle of cars below. Taking in the city that never stops, that never gives up, that never sleeps. 35 floors above it all is a marvelous place to be at all times of the year, but even more special when the lights are turning on as the sun starts to set. The city glows and illuminates in a way that intoxicates you.
And I'm really going to miss it.
I keep imagining my future self explaining my time here to my children. I assume I'll try to make them believe I was once "cool." I will tell them stories of our first home in the city, about what life was like, and how different things have become. I guess it'll be a way to relive the "good old days," but also a reminder to myself of how things once were. It was such a big turning point in my life moving here. I can't seem to fathom actually leaving. There was so much more to do, so much to remember, so much to love.
But this year has been tough. I think it's been tough on us all in our own ways, but New York got hit hard this year and it's not the same. It's not dead, but it's bruised. I'll remember March and April like a fever dream. It was such a scary and unsure time. New York was as it has never been before, and I can't assume will ever be again. The streets were empty; not a car in sight. There were curfews and shutdowns and a lot of uncertainty. I watched from my windows as the center of the world came to a halt.
And it was hard. It's not like we could have just stepped outside our doors and gotten some air. Our windows open maybe four inches wide and the only building exit is behind a thick, fireproof metal door. Beyond that, there is a hallway of 40 people, an elevator servicing thousands more, a foyer where people are coming and going, and then you can step outside. It was hard, it was scary, and it's something I hope to never go through again.
But we stayed.
We stayed because this was our home. And I was really proud of that. I watched as millions of people fled and I stayed strong. I did my part, in my city, for my home. I stayed as the deaths climbed, as the military boats came in, as the satellite hospitals were built. I stayed not for bragging rights or to prove a point, but because it was our home.
They say you're not officially a New Yorker until you've lived here for a minimum of ten years. And I've always believed that. Ten years was my goal. I wanted to prove that I could make it here. And I did. I may have technically been three years short of that goal, but I'll leave here knowing I'm a true New Yorker.
See, we're a bit of a different breed. We don't like many people, but we're always there for each other and this year showcased that. The true New Yorkers came together in a time of need and did what needed to be done. And it's a year I'll never forget.
So I'm sad, as you can imagine. I'm sad to be leaving. I'm sad that this year was the way it was. I'm sad to be one of the millions fleeing the city for greener pasture. And I know ... it's not like I'm going far, but it's going to be different. The city will no longer be just outside my window. The Empire State Building will keep shining its light on someone else, and I'll find myself 50 miles away wondering what color it is.
I am very much in love with this city, and leaving feels like a very slow breakup.
One that you'll mourn in different times, in different ways, but knowing that one day you'll look back on your time together and not be sad, but instead think of the happier times. All the laughs, the late nights, wonderful food, cab rides, the people, convenience, the skyline, the friends, long walks. I'll remember it all fondly.
To think back, the calendar year of my 6th anniversary included a wedding, a honeymoon, and a global pandemic. So I'd say about 50/50 for good versus bad lol. Different for sure. A weird year to go out on, but I am excited for what may lay ahead. The last time I had such a major life change and move was when I came to New York and wrote a letter to UK, thanking them for the past four years.
I guess this anniversary post is in a weird roundabout way, my love letter and thank you note to New York. It's been an amazing seven years and I wish it could have been more. It's not a goodbye, it's a see you soon.
I always take the latter half of the blog post to go over past goals and set some new ones for the future. Here are the past six years:
2015:
...take fewer cabs
...complete my New York checklist (a post for another day)
2016:
...dedicate more time to YouTube
2017:
...travel home more
...become tidier in the apartment
2018:
-take fewer cabs
-find a GP in the city
-shoot more New York City content
-travel to the Canadian Rockies
2019:
-settle into my new finances and hopefully get a raise (think my boss will allow it???) ...ummm yes but also no *she types as she just bought a house*
-say yes to more events .....
-explore + try new-to-me restaurants ....lol
With it being my last year in the city, the public goal list and this post will come to an end. Thank you all for your love and support throughout the years!
-----
