Wow! It’s really been 4 whole years since I picked up my keys in SoHo and moved into my first apartment here. It sounds cliche, but somehow it doesn’t feel like everything that has happened since moving here is possible in such a short amount of time. It feels like just yesterday I was writing this post on hitting the 3 year mark!
If you knew me or have been reading since then – thank you for being there for me and with me on this journey.
Maybe it’s because we’re deep in the middle of wedding planning, or because I’ve been extra challenged in all aspects of life lately, but this 4 year mark feels significant. I’m sure there are some of you out there thinking “big deal… 4 years living somewhere isn’t that long, right?” Well, since graduating this actually marks the longest I’ve ever lived in one place and finally the longest I’ll have lived in any apartment! In addition, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my transition into adulthood is that it’s important to savor and reflect on special moments. Life flies back even quicker by the year, and for me stopping to appreciate and celebrate the little things along the way makes the whole ride more enjoyable.
Usually reflection brings back a lot of the tougher memories from when I first moved here – being sad that I was leaving Chicago, missing my friends so dearly, and how New York City can feel hectic, overwhelming, and cold to newcomers. But truth be told those days feel so distant to me and I’m grateful to have the here and now in the forefront of my mind.
This last year has been a reminder that it was all worth it. To think that in this time frame I found myself in 3 different jobs, 2 apartments, met the love of my life, got engaged and started planning our wedding feels like a story from someone else’s book, but then I realize it really is mine. I’ve learned to take things one day at a time, to savor the good days and drink an extra glass of wine on the bad.
Living here has brought me so much inspiration, understanding, and has made me a stronger and more well-rounded person. I’m met with uniqueness, diversity, and the unknown every single day. Yes, I do walk much faster than I did 4 years ago. Yes, I’ve lost some of my patience (especially when it comes to public transit and tourists). Yes, I swear more than ever. It just happens.
But it doesn’t feel quite as crazy anymore or quite as intense. Instead it feels like a place that I know, a place that I love and a place that continues to challenge me and make me grateful to call home.
