New York, Long Overdue

I spent three fantastic, jam-packed days in New York City last month. It was my first time there, my first encounter with the city that, at the naïve and optimistic age of 15, I swore I was destined for. I was worried that my expectations were too high, that seven years of pining for the Big Apple would leave me disappointed once I finally arrived. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Perhaps it was the company, or the (mostly) fantastic weather, or simply the lack of stress resulting from the end of a semester and a job; whatever the case, my short experience in New York couldn’t have been better.

Rather than recount a play-by-play of our activities, I’d instead like to capture the spirit of the city. I don’t think that’s easily done. In fact, authors, musicians and artists have attempted to do so over and over again. Magazines like The New Yorker, for instance, constantly publish articles that attempt to accurate describe some aspect of the city. Many movies and television shows (guilty pleasure Sex and the City comes to mind) treat New York as an unofficial character, as important to the plot and mood as the leading role. Yes, the spirit and charm of New York is nearly impossible to describe. It’s busy and big and loud and exciting and comfortable and serene and welcoming and impersonal all at once. It's whatever you want it to be.

To me, above anything else, New York is inspiring. New York is the pathway to a future I’m constantly envisioning and revising in my head. I felt alive and encouraged there, and that’s exactly how I want to feel when I move there and embark on my career. I consider New York the best place to begin a career. Sure, money will be tight, and finding a place in the job market will be tough, but it’s better to challenge myself with such obstacles now than years later when I’m worn out and jaded. As I learned long ago as a frustrated soccer player, “if it doesn’t kill you, it only makes you stronger.”

For me, New York is just the beginning. I can’t wait to return. For good.