What Living in New York City Taught Me...

As I head out for my flight to Korea and really say goodbye to New York City (at least for now, unless I get a job here, then i'll be right back),  I can't believe that i've lived here for 4.5 years. It's actually the longest place I've lived in consecutively since  high school in Georgia. That's impressive given that it was never a city  I intended to move to. In fact, my sister lured me here with promises that it would be fun to live near family.... and it totally was until she told me a year later "we're moving to korea!" and then packed and moved in like 2 months, taking my niece away from me...

ANYWAYS.

As I spend my last 50 hours in the city that never sleeps and reflect back on how much i've stretched and grown, here are a few things the city taught me:

1. It taught me to be independent: 
Living in NYC is a whole other beast. It's full of people but it can also be a very lonely city. The island is small but trust me when I say you can go a full several years without ever running into your friend due to busy schedules... so you learn quickly to just do things alone. It's honestly a skill every adult should have and one that I learned to do well and thoroughly enjoy.

2. You should always have a plan B on weekends / Don't flake on people. 
One thing I quickly learned about New York people is that they love to see what else is out there. Maybe it's because the city offers a ton, maybe it's because people just don't know what they want... either way, no plans are concrete in New York. Which means that when brunch that was scheduled 5 weeks ago gets canceled, if you have a plan B it's A-okay because you have an awesome back up plan to do alone (see #1). But also, just don't flake on people.

Just rude to flake.

3. Everything is cheap compared to NYC:
You know when you go to an amusement park and you know you're being overcharged for that soda or food? That's what living in NYC is like, but ALL the time. $80 for a meal? Meh, normal. $13 beers? Sure, why not? But the best part is... yes, you're poor most of the time, but when you LEAVE nyc, you feel oh, so rich.

4. Community is so important:
The one thing people don't tell you about getting older is how hard it is to make new friends. Seriously, it used to be so much easier when you were on the same sinking ship called college. But after college you actually have to have similar interests as other people to be their friend ... like ew, what is that even? But even if it's hard to build relationships, I learned that finding and having community is what will keep me sane.

Me, when I moved to NYC

5. Live near a Trader Joes
Whenever I need to feel extra poor in NYC, I love going to my nearby Gristedes to stand there and laugh at the insane prices. $8 for a box of cheerios? $13 for a pint of Ben and Jerrys? So yes, if New York has taught me anything, it is how amazing trader joes is and how much money you can save living near one.

6. Always go to the bathroom before you leave
One time, i was leaving a friend's house and debated whether or not I could just wait and pee at home or if I should just pee at her place. Thank God i peed at her place because I got stuck in an elevator for over 2 hours. And that is probably the single biggest lesson I learned from living in NYC- you never know what you're gonna get into, so pee beforehand.

7. And lastly, black is best: 
My brother in law makes fun of me for wearing black all the time. He says it's "super new york". I also noticed it was a problem when I was packing my suitcase for trips and literally it looked like i was packing for a funeral. BUT black is sheek, timeless, makes you look slim... and honestly it's the best because when you spill something on yourself no one can tell.

There are definitely 1000000 more things New York has taught me and I'm so thankful to have been able to experience a city so unique and inspiring, especially in my 20s. As a friend once told me, "new york city is a place everyone should at least live once in their life." And i totally agree. Sure, it might break you in the beginning when you feel like a hot mess compared to that person who has a 20 year plan in place, or when you look at your bank account and wonder how just eating out once made you bankrupt... but remember, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!

NYC, i'll be back for ya.
We ain't done yet.