I’ve been writing yearly articles on my New York anniversaries. I wrote an article before I moved, and one after year one and one after year two.
An excerpt from last year’s article to start off my ramblings:
“Having a neighborhood that feels like home has given me the time and freedom to get involved with different communities and meet even more people. I’ve gotten into more long term communities like volunteering at a high school, taking pottery classes and running a half marathon. These activities have enabled me to meet many cool people and have also helped me better understand myself.
New York has a way of helping you find yourself, no matter how old you are. I don’t think I’ve seen or felt any other city open up in such a welcoming way.” (April 2023)
I’m writing today’s article after a day of walking around and exploring parts of Brooklyn on a beautiful spring day. New York City continues to dazzle me, and this time of the year puts me in such a hopeful & romantic mood.
Last year, I wrote a lot about feeling more grounded because I felt like I had found a sense of community in lots of different parts of my life, whether it was in the fitness realm, pottery world, work, or friends ❤ This past year, I have solidified a lot of those relationships and continued building on them. I feel very rewarded from this feeling because for the first time since college, I feel like I know people. Last year, it was starting to feel like that, but this year, I really solidified that feeling.
I feel like I have been held by this city in so many different ways. It feels like a new-old friend who has helped me find my footing and my sense of self through lots of trial and error. I’ve realized that a big part of it is the tiny interactions I have with strangers and how they make me feel seen and reminded that we are all out here just trying to live our lives in this wacky world. The city has also blessed me with so many friends from different parts of my life. It’s so fun to be able to do things with people and share the common experience that is the chaos of New York City. These people also make me feel seen and remind me how important friendships are.
Although there are lots of people in this city, I love that New York encourages you to do things by yourself. I always see people hanging out by themselves, and it encourages me to spend time with just myself. I have gone on countless self-dates to museums, parks & gardens. This ability to spend time with myself has allowed me to listen to my thoughts in a place that is so loud and chaotic. I think this activity has truly set me free and let me find my voice.
The city is also always changing. Within the past 3 years, so many restaurants and shops have opened and closed within the East Village. It is very cool to see how the streets have evolved over the past few years. New York feels like it is back to its pre-covid glory and that makes me excited. I think I have maximized my East Village experience. I truly feel like I have utilized what living in downtown Manhattan had to offer. Sure, I didn’t go out a ton, but I did eat at so many restaurants, and go to so many museums and parks. Honestly, just being able to get outside on the weekends and people watch was enough for me.
With this said, I think I am ready to move somewhere a bit quieter in the city and start exploring a new part of New York. This year feels like it is the start of my proper “adulthood” whatever that means. I want to settle into a slightly slower pace of life and focus on what I want to do in the future. I’m excited to hopefully live alone (fingers crossed) in the next year. Here’s to more new beginnings, it seems like they never stop!
