Just got home. It was a wonderful week of visiting, good food, laughter, music and hugs. But I realized in the cab from the airport to Manhattan that I'm looking forward to being home in my apartment. One of my cousins kept asking me questions about NYC, intimating that I don't like it. I explained to her that there are many things I love about this city, but she had a difficult time understanding why I don't want to move back to Texas.
And I started thinking, in the cab ride, about some of the things I love about this city. Much of it is hard to put into words...
It's a city where it's not strange to be 37 and not married, and it's not considered out of the ordinary to still expect you'll have children one day,
Where you could be childless, with or without a relationship, and still have a full, exciting life
Where every nationality, ethnicity and cuisine are represented and celebrated
Where high fashion, your own unique fashion and no fashion happily coexist
It's a city where you have to be tough to survive, and having survived, it gives you a confidence that you can get through tough times
It's dirty and noisy and pushy and rude, but it's also beautiful and dazzling and melodic and powerful
And amazingly, it's the city where my English father met my Texan mother and I was born, and it's now home.
7 comments:
That is a great, well-written post! Its been a struggle, but you have really found yourself in NYC. Confidence is sexy! Still, miss you here.
Yeah!
"at's true, all of it. But
we want you back.
Wow, I think you have landed! I am happy to know you feel at home.
Love you where ever you are, M
..Well said,Emily! am happy for you. :)
Aunty Norma.xx
I have fallen deeply in love with this city and my life here and it's for all of the reasons you mentioned- that fact that it's normal to be single in your mid-30s, that you can wear anything you want (high fashion or sweats) and no body cares and the sense of pride one gains by "making" it here.
I say all of this knowing that I am leaving this great city within the next few weeks... moving out West to California. Something I've always wanted to do but the more real my move becomes in my mind the more nervous I get about leaving. I hope never to lose the confidence and independence I've gained here.
New York, New York, it's a wonderful town! Just got back myself and found myself rejoicing at seeing "my Apple" out the window. No matter how wonderful the place I have been, I am always excited about being back here. I understand it's not to everyone's taste (there is no accounting for bad taste is there?!!), that there is no place than can seem lonelier than being in a crowd of millions, but for me, it's the only place to be on a permanent basis.
You seem like you've made a life here and a good one. Family is for visiting not cohabiting.
New reader here.
Great reasons to love this city!
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