Dear NYC: Thank you for the adventure!

Chrysler Building

Today marks my 10th month in New York City.  Can you believe I've been here that long?!  So close to making it one year.  However, that won't happen this year...

Today also marks the beginning of my last week in New York City.  I will be moving back home on July 13.

As some of you may know, I've been struggling to figure out which coast to live on.  In fact, this struggle initiated way back in October.  I fought to stay here, but after much deliberation, I've concluded that it would be best to move home for the time being.

As much as I have enjoyed living in New York City, I've noticed that my heart is still on the West Coast with my family and friends.  After visiting home at the end of May, it became even more apparent that I should move back to California.  I missed being with my family, but I feel like it's mostly because I was so tired of feeling so lonely in NYC.

That's right. I felt loneliness in a city with over 8 million people, but even though I was constantly surrounded by people, I was often exploring the city by myself (probably my fault for not reaching out to the friends I've made here).

Anyway, when I was at the airport, I cried before boarding the plane to NYC.  The tears just flowed out of my eyes as I thought about my family that I was leaving again.  I had no idea when I would be returning home at that time or what the future held for me, especially since I was not getting any leads for jobs.  Little did I know that I would be booking a ticket back less than a month after returning.

My 10-month adventure in New York City as been filled with amazing experiences and wonderful relationships that I will never forget.  I'm going to highlight some of those in a couple posts, which will be part of a segment called, "Dear NYC."

I did not expect to be here for nearly a year.  Remembering back to when I first came here in September, I only came to NYC to help my Lola (grandma) travel across the country to see new granddaughter.  At that time, I only planned to stay for 4 to 6 weeks, considering the amount of clothes I packed.  But with a job and internship, I was prompted to stay much longer than anticipated.

Throughout my time here, one question kept coming up - "How long will you be here?" I always had the same answer - "I don't know," which was usually followed by an excuse of why I needed to stay (job/internship).  But even though I had some legit reasons for staying, do you know how hard it was to live with such uncertainty?  I was basically taking it one day at a time, hoping for new opportunities.

Ah! But that's all over now!  I feel so relieved that I finally decided where to go.  I already feel 100 times happier, knowing that I will be home during the summer.  Although I may not know how long I'm staying there, I'm glad I don't have to worry about all the expenses I had to worry about in New York.  Although I'm happy for going home, I'm also sad to say farewell to everyone I met here.  It's a bittersweet moment.

Peace out, NYC! 

I hope to return to New York City, but this time it will be on my own terms.  It won't be a spontaneous trip as a travel companion.  It will be well-thought out and planned in advanced.  Time constraints and living situations will be determined.  Career paths will be paved.  It will be a more enriching experience to enjoy the city and time spent with friends, rather than working all the time (because you know how I'm a workaholic).  My next time in the Big Apple, whether it's just a visit or a move back, I will do it my way.

Thank you for the memories, New York! It's been a blast...!

P.S. Look out for the next "Dear NYC" post...