So long, but not goodbye, New York

Today was the first day in four years that I had no reason to go to an office. Its a strange feeling, knowing you’ve arrived at the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. As I prepare for the next phase of my career and the grand adventure that my wife and I are about to embark on, I feel a surprising sense of calm.

I remember being overwhelmed with trepidation when I moved to New York nearly a decade ago. I had spent several years in Washington, D.C. watching the the perils of a fast-growing startup come to fruition before me, meeting some great people and gaining invaluable experience. New York was everything I expected it to be: loud, fast and unforgiving but also full of endless opportunities for anyone driven enough to seek them out. It taught me to be tougher and more adventurous. The adage “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” certainly rings true for me. You must be on guard and alert, learning important rules of survival like the fact that discovering an empty subway car is NOT a good thing and that standing still in the middle of the sidewalk can (and should) get you trampled. 

However, underneath this gritty facade lies a city that visitors and tourists will never know. One where true natives hold taxi doors for one another and (eventually) acknowledge each other in the line for morning coffee. Where everyone complains about the weather but secretly appreciates the seasons because it makes the summer months that much sweeter. Its a place where young people can cut their teeth. Where you can come home to a 500 square foot apartment at the end of a long day and feel like the king or queen of the universe. Even a hopeless introvert like myself cannot help but be swept up and fed by the energy that radiates from its towering buildings and hurried masses.

For someone who deeply appreciates the comforts of home and having a routine, the idea of leaving everything behind to seek something I cannot even define should be terrifying. Instead, I am charging forward with nothing but eagerness, excitement and open anticipation of what’s next. Without the successes, failures, missed subway cars and stolen taxis that have chiseled me into the hardened New Yorker I am, there’s little doubt that I would not be embarking on this journey.

Thanks, New York. See ya when I see ya.