A Letter to My New Home

Dear New York City,

I wouldn't say you welcomed me with open arms. In fact, it was quite the opposite. There are so many people in the city that there's no time to pause, even for a second. After all, you are the city that never sleeps. I was dropped here with a bag and a dream and you said, "Figure it out." And figure it out, I've done (more or less).

You're big. You're concrete. You're crowded. You're noisy. You're nothing like my hometown and yet, you're amazing.


I've been in this city for about a month now, and while I've walked through Washington Square Park what feels like a million times, I still am inspired and intrigued by the same cast of characters: the statue guy, the group of hip hop/parkour masters, pianists, cellists, jazz bands, crepe carts, poets writing poems for whoever will take one, people with British accents making balloon animals for children. Sometimes, you can see the same thing a hundred times and still have the same feeling you had the first time you witnessed it. And I think that's one of the best things about you.

Every time I've gone farther than a mile off campus, I've been able to explore a new part of the city: some of Midtown, some of TriBeCa, some of Brooklyn, some nearby in the cute neighborhoods near 2nd Avenue, and even the Meatpacking District (...okay, maybe that one wasn't on purpose). I can't even wrap my head around the fact that there is still so much more to see in the city that I haven't even touched yet. Your vastness has inspired in me adventure, creativity, and spontaneity - traits that, until I got here, I didn't think could get any stronger.

I'll be the first to admit, it's easy to feel lonely, even when you're packed into a subway car like a sardine. Somehow, the sheer number of people here can make someone feel surprisingly alone. However, despite this, I've had the best time meeting new people and finding the best places for a coffee, dessert, cheap dinner, and everything in between.

So, thank you, New York City, for the most unconventional welcome I've ever received.  I've learned a lot about you, and a lot about myself, in the past four weeks. I look forward to the next four years.

Lots of love,