A Year in New York

Now that I’m officially moving to South Carolina, I’ve gotten some time to reflect on my year living in New York City - lessons I learned, people I met, emotions I felt. Since this blog is essentially my digital diary, I think it’s only necessary to wrap up my time in my first post-grad home with some thoughts!!

First off, I am incredibly grateful to have been able to move to New York. It was such a privilege to have gotten there in the first place. I feel like I grew so much there as a person learning to enjoy my own company, to trust myself, and to push myself out of my comfort zone.

Putting NYC into words is difficult - there’s so much to say. The city is very fast-paced and can be overwhelming at times, but the opportunities for growth there are immense. With each person I met along the way came different stories/experiences of theirs. With each friend, I learned to look at life through their eyes - all of it exceeded my expectations extremely!

In New York, there’s always something new to see. You’ll never run out of options! The sheer geography of that big of a city was challenging at first LOL, but became easier with time. My favorite days there were the ones spent roaming around neighborhoods, exploring local stores, and visiting parks. Being able to “pop down to the village for drinks,” or “go to Central Park with a coffee,” was always a treat!

Now don’t get me wrong, there were many extremely humbling moments that made me realize how mighty New York is (but I can laugh about them now I promise). Examples include: missing my train stop the first day of work, asking my Brooklyn-born bestie who Aaron Judge was, walking through the heart of Penn Station on Halloween in full costumes, or having way too many close calls stepping on rats!

There were also many high moments that included: working high fashion events and building relationships with designers, living with my second family, meeting new friends, spending holidays in the city, having old friends visit, hanging out with my sister, and having the ability to explore new places easily.

After a short year, I feel like I have more confidence in myself. I am less anxious to start fresh and meet new people - something I’m not sure I could say a year ago. Being able to find a community and wonderful friends in a place as big as New York gives me the confidence to take on South Carolina in the same way!

I’m extremely excited for what’s to come and cannot wait to take you along my second chapter of post-grad life in Charleston!! Based on a few short visits there, I already fell in love with it! Move out is only a few days away - let the countdown to the south begin!