Residents of New York City, I envy you.
I’m not going to drop the “Oh, you’re so lucky to live here!” line. I understand that for most of you, it’s not a matter of luck; it’s a matter of hustling and sacrifice and trade-offs.
In another life, New York City would be the place for me. One where a less risk-averse version of myself would make the leap, like one of my high school friends recently did (with success! Unfortunately we couldn’t meet up while we were in town). That might sound strange considering I made the choice to travel for six months, but moving abroad with no job prospects is a heck of a lot scarier in my book.
There are no words that adequately describe this city. I felt so overwhelmingly lucky to be there every minute, from deli-hopping in Brooklyn to sushi in the East Village, to strolling Astoria, Chinatown, and the mad buzz that is Times Square.
I will remember New York in snippets: BBQ. Shake Shack. Food carts. Dumpling festival. Karaoke. The Highline. Central Park, complete with strains of Kings of Leon (playing Global Citizen Festival) and a softball game that nearly devolved into a fight.