Unless you want to, of course.
Hi, Friday. This concludes my week in New York. I had a fantastic time here and am super bummed I did not have the chance to see the McQueen show at the Met, but only sets me up for having to come back and checking it out. I know that I am not a New York native, but from the second I moved to New York way back in '93 I immediately felt home, in ways I never felt in Philadelphia. As tough as this city is, it is simply the place where I feel most like myself- my whole worldview is informed from living here for so many years, and I always find it so challenging to go back to Miami, which admittedly never really feels like home, though I love having an extra large apartment in which to fit my extra large wardrobe, made all the extra larger from my shopping adventures this week in between lots and lots of late nights working.
I love that I always feel "right" here- the way I dress (black and flats), the way I talk (directly and profanity laced), and the way I appreciate creativity and inventiveness and open mindedness. I have never understod why people say New Yorkers are rude- every time I come people are beyond nice and helpful and interested in what I have to say. How is it that I ever left here again? And the real question is, how can I come back?
I miss conversations with random folks most of all. Like being in Starbucks this am and talking to a cop about the weird Russian lady who took a sip of her coffee and then gave it back to the barista to throw away. Then somehow our chat turned to Rambo 3 and the cold war. Don't ask me why. It's just the way New York is- the banter is the plasma of this place, and it's tough to live without. And I'm not cool with living somewhere where salesgirls don't know what I mean when I say the dress I'm trying on is too much of a schmatta (the girls at DKNY on West Broadway know exactly what I mean, I'll tell you that).
But I am gratefulI had the opportunity to leave here for a while, of course- it was a huge part of my growth as a human, an amazing experience working for an inspiring company, and an antidote to the admitted anxiety I used to feel in New York from time to time, but I simply never forgot where I came from, and every time I come back here, I know why. Sure I "grew up" in Philly, but for all intents and purposes I really "grew up" in New York- I came out of my shell, finally found people that understood me, exposed myself to the amazing array of stuff this town offers, met my husband, and learned how to work smart. There's an instant shorthand here for me that I miss when I am in Miami, and for that reason alone I can never forget the city that made me who I am. It's funny that after all these years I am still in love with it- but it gives me something new every time I come- whether it's taking a great yoga class in Hell's Kitchen or feeling relieved that Trevi Deli is still on Union Square (always great relief in your old staples still sticking around for some reason), I simply am mad for New York and always will be. And just because I live somewhere else, I'm not going to allow that peculiar town of Miami take any of my New Yorkness away (I tried, it didn't take). The spiritual among you will argue that you are always "home" no matter what as long as you are true to yourself, and that is a true to a point. And I am happier than I've ever been with who I am, but a decent bagel and some people that simply know how to get shit done wouldn't suck.
It's not a sadness at al about going back to Miami, so don't cry for me. I feel grateful that I get to visit and engage with all of my lovely friends- for now that will have to do. But as I shoot through the Midtown Tunnel this afternoon en route to La Guardia, I will gaze at the beautiful skylight to etch its power into my brain, until the next time I see it again. And to always help me remember where I'm from, and how I got here. Big ups to the 212. You killed it this week. I love you with all my heart.
And that's what's up this best place on Earth of a Friday in the MIA. Wherever you're from, love it today would you? XO