I never thought the day would come that I would land at LAX with everything I owned packed into the same suitcases I left LA for NYC with 7 years ago. But 2 weeks ago that happened, and it was the hardest, most emotional thing I have ever had to do. I have the habit of leaving- I remember the pit in my stomach, the anxiety, the tears and everything else that came when I left London, then Boston, then LA, then Florence and now NYC. Yet, no move has compared to this one. My last days in NYC were so surreal, it almost didn't feel real....it still doesn't. Honestly, it feels like I am on a leave of absence from NYC, on a long vacation, or just taking a break. It is not goodbye, just see you later.
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| My last shot of the Manhattan skyline. |
The hardest part about leaving was saying goodbye to my friends, these beautiful people who have been there for me through everything over the past 7 years. They have become my family and the thought of them not being a cab ride away was the scariest part of leaving. In my last weeks I spent every waking moment with them; laughing, crying, and reminiscing on every adventure we had, every apartment we lived in, every heartbreak we endured, every trip we took and every single memory we shared. I am not going to lie, it hasn't gotten any easier...I have found myself randomly crying at a picture, a Facetime, or even a song that reminds me of them. The Friday and Saturday before I left there were so many parties, so many laughs and so many tears. It was not until Sunday night, my last night in NYC that it really hit me that I was leaving. I remember sitting at the dinner table at Otto with my 6 best friends
, looking at them thinking I will always remember this moment. I was surrounded by people who genuinely love and care about me....friends who will do anything for me, friends who I know will be in my life forever.
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| My last dinner in NYC with my besties. |
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| All my girls at my farewell party Saturday night. |
So by now I bet you are wondering why in the world I would chose to leave my friends, my entire life, and the city I love most in the world? Well, back in February I was offered a position with G Adventures, an eco-tourism focused company geared toward active travel and young adults. It was a dream job opportunity- to travel, to inspire others while traveling and to blog about all of my adventures. As much as I loved NYC, my job at FCUSA, my friends and the life I had built, this was a life changing opportunity that I knew in my heart I had to take. I cannot believe the day is here, tomorrow I leave for San Francisco where I will begin my 3 week intensive training program with G Adventures. I am full of emotions, excited and anxious at the same time. I am about to face the unknown head on.
Ever since I took this job I have spent a great deal of time contemplating my life in NYC and how much I have grown from the naive girl who landed in the big city 7 years ago. Unless you have lived through it, you will never understand what it is like to live in NYC at the age of 18, to grow up there, to find yourself and to struggle to make it in the big city. I thought about everything NYC has taught me and how strong it has made me. I decided to compile a list of the top ten things I have learned over seven years. These are simply my thoughts as I reflect on my own experiences so take them as you will....
10 Things I Have Learned to Make it in New York City:
1. Find friends that will support you, inspire you and bring out the best version of yourself. In a city that will push you to your limit you need a group of friends who will lift you up when you are down, support you through hard times and celebrate your successes. I am so blessed to have found such incredible friends who have been my rock in NYC.
2. Realize that we are not invisible, bad things happen to good people. Addiction is real and can effect any one of us. You hear the words "don't do drugs" your entire life and think it will never happen to you. Two years ago I lost one of my very closest friends to the worst drug imaginable. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and think about what I could have done or said. I will forever think about those late nights at the clubs, the lifestyle we lived in Italy and all the what ifs that come with such a tragedy.
3. Do something alone- take a trip, have a meal, go on a walk. After I graduated college and was back in Italy I decided to be spontaneous and take off. I headed to Berlin first, completely on my own. Initially, I was nervous but after my first morning on my own I felt like a new person- a completely independent woman. I could do what I wanted when I wanted and nothing was more liberating than the feeling of independence I gained from that trip.
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| Lennon Wall, Prague |
4. Find a job that you love. When you love what you do you will be successful at it. I didn't think I wanted a corporate job, I didn't want to wear the uniform and sit at a desk all day. Yet, a month in to working at Liberty Travel I was top novice, absolutely loving my new career endeavor. Every morning I enjoyed going into work and ultimately happiness in what you do every day of your life is all you need.
5. Set goals. When I started working at Liberty Travel I had two goals- become a Team Leader (manager) and make it our Global Ball (read more about that in my trip to Asia blog). Within the first year I hit both goals and that feeling of being successful at what I do was completely overwhelming and exciting. I had never been so proud of what I had accomplished.
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| NYCHS at FCUSA Global Ball 2014 |
6. Find an exercise routine that makes you happy. When I was in college I fell in love with Yoga to the People, a free yoga studio (donation based) for students. It not only provided me an exercise outlet, but would also calm my mind. Flash forward to today....it is not secret that I have an obsession with Soul Cycle. I will admit it might not be for everyone, but it is for me and that is all that matters. It mentally and physically challenges me and has made me an overall stronger person. I find peace when I am on the bike at Soul Cycle, so I urge you to find that exercise helps you clear your mind for an hour of the day.
7. Remind yourself why you came to NYC. Sometimes, on those tough days when your landlord decides to raise your rent, or the subway breaks down on your way to work...remember why you love NYC. Take a walk around Central Park, take in the views at the Top of the Rock, or just sit in the village and have the best cup of coffee in the world.
8. Never get too comfortable. I didn't leave NYC because I was unhappy, I was just too comfortable. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone so when you remain in that comfort zone life begins to pass you by. I began to notice my life had become a routine and I needed to make a change, no matter how difficult that change would be. Try something new, take a risk, and leave your comfort zone.
9. Do things that make you happy. It is all about the little things in NYC. Sometimes I found myself hating the city so much, thinking about how much easier life would be if I just moved back to California. I had to find little things, ordering take out pizzas from Otto, having prosecco on the rooftop of Eataly, picnics in the north woods of Central Park, brunching with my friends, sitting in a cafe writing this blog...I found that certain simple activities always had a way of making me happy.
10. Travel as much as you can. I guess this one is pretty obvious, but travel will change your life...so travel as much as you, as far as you can. Stop spending money on material items and just go somewhere. It will open your eyes to the world, I promise.
Tomorrow I embark on a new journey, and exciting new life on the road. I will be traveling from now until October so stay tuned for stories from my adventures as I travel across the USA and Canada as a true professional nomad!
