Moving Mondays: One Year in New York City - The Adventuring Millennial

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a Moving Mondays post. Today, I’m returning to this series to celebrate my “one year in New York City” anniversary.

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that I made a few cross country moves during the past year and a half. In July 2017, I moved from my Tennesse hometown to Seattle, Washington. About 8 months later, I moved to New York City.

In so many ways I can’t believe I’ve been in New York for a year. But it also feels like I’ve been here so much longer than that.

If you are thinking about moving (to NYC or anywhere else) I hope this post resonates with you in some small way. Moving hasn’t always been easy for me.

Sure, it sounds glamorous to say I live in NYC. And there are endless opportunities and entertainment options here. But this process has been filled with challenges and emotions. Reading other blogs helped me navigate through the stress of moving, so I hope my series can do the same for you.

What Dreams Are Made Of

Call it cliche, but I’ve always wanted to live in NYC.

The energy attracted me. Every time I visited, the city felt alive. There is always something to do, see, eat, and explore in New York. I get bored easily and hate sitting still, so this seemed like the perfect place to be.

I wasn’t looking for career opportunities in the city. It wasn’t the means to achieve my goals. New York City itself was my dream.

But I’ve learned that any dream takes sacrifice. Even the dream of living somewhere. And moving to NYC has been full of sacrifices.

Moving means I am hundreds of miles from most of my friends and family. I moved without a specific career path planned out, so I needed to work on my next steps. Plus, daily life in NYC is challenging, expensive, and stressful at times. I share a tiny studio apartment with my husband and cat. We don’t have laundry in our building and our unit doesn’t have AC or a dishwasher.

But right now, I wouldn’t trade New York for the world.

Changes

Moving changed me. New York City changed me. But I’m still me. I’m still the person who packed my bags in Tennessee. I’ve just grown in the process.

In Tennessee, I was comfortable. I loved my life. I had a routine filled with work, school, and socializing. But I didn’t feel challenged. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and see how I handled living somewhere new.

The 8-months I spent in Seattle were tough. I enjoyed them and the PNW is stunning. I have some great memories from that part of my life. But deep down, Seattle never felt like home. During these 8-months I reevaluated what I wanted to do for a career and started to explore different options. I started this blog. I made some friends. Then, my husband got another career opportunity and we packed up and moved to NYC.

Now, 1-year later, I am looking back at the person I was when I moved to NYC. I was a bit naive about the city and incredibly introverted. But, I’m proud of how I’ve changed this year. In Seattle, I really experienced the Moving Blues. When I moved to NYC, I decided to tackle this head-on. I joined MeetUp groups and volunteered and started to make friends much quicker than I did in Seattle.

The main challenge I faced was my career. I went to school for nutrition. But during the 8-months in Seattle, I realized this wasn’t the path for me anymore. As I continued to work on my blog in NYC, I decided to explore a freelance writing career. Trust me, this hasn’t been easy. Moving and completely changing career paths has been tough. But I’ve met some great people in the process and learned that I can do this.

Takeaway

Moving gave me perspective. I am so appreciative for the friends and family back home who connect with me on a daily basis. Even though we don’t live in the same city, our relationships are so strong. When I’m home, it feels like I never left. I will never take a true relationship for granted because I’ve learned just how hard it is to meet people, connect, and develop a lasting relationship when you move.

But, I also wanted to move to get out of my comfort zone. And after one year in New York, I can say I’ve done that. As an introvert, the idea of going to a MeetUp group is terrifying. But after putting myself out there, I’ve connected with some great people in the city.

Mostly, moving to New York has shown me that there is not one right way to live your life. Dreams and goals can change over time. As hard as it feels to let go of a past dream, pushing and challenging myself has only made me grow.

I’m nowhere close to having it all figured out. But this time last year, I wouldn’t have expected to have a network of New York friends, a new writing career and the confidence to break out of my socially anxious thoughts. I am so thankful to have this opportunity to stretch myself. New York may not be my home forever, but it is my home right now and I am still pinching myself that this is my reality.

If you made it through that post, thank you for reading my ramblings. It is so refreshing to put these thoughts down in this post.

Have you made a cross country move or are you considering it? Let me know in the comments or check another other Moving Monday posts:

What You Need to Know Before Moving to New York City