Let's back track-- I was born and raised in NYC, so I've always been a New Yorker at heart. I loved growing up on the city streets. The city has a lot to do with the person I have become; how I deal with people, things, and most importantly how I view the world. The city has humbled me, motivated me, and continues to inspire me in so many ways. A part of the reason is because there is always so much going on in the city, so much to do and see. Being exposed to a big, big world at a young age has allowed me to keep an open mind and explore every opportunity that comes my way, and I am so grateful for that.
When I was about 8 years old my parents decided it was time for our family of five (plus our dog) to move out of our small NYC apartment to the suburbs in NJ. It was in our NJ beach town that I learned even more about myself, as we were now apart of a small community much different than the big city streets. It was in NJ that I learned how to ride a bike, played soccer in my front yard with my sisters, zoomed through the neighborhood streets on razor scooters, ate cupcakes at block parties, and spent nearly every nice weekend in the summer at the beach. It was in NJ that I made some of the closest friends, friends who I still love to get together with...the kind of friends where a month or so can go by with little to no correspondence only to have everything pick right back up where we left off the next time we see each other.
After high-school ended, it was hard to leave my friends and family for the unknown. I had built a life in NJ that offered me safety and protection and I was scared I wouldn't be able to find something similar at college. After a flurry of applications, deadlines, and college visits I ended up in Colorado, at The University of Colorado at Boulder. I think it took about a month or so for me to realize that I was a. too far from home and b. not meant to be stuck in the middle of the country. Although I made some of the greatest friends (one of which who just moved to NYC!) I needed to make a change. Second semester of my freshman year I applied to NYU and I guess you could say the rest is history.
I've spent the past four years in New York City and couldn't be happier. I love the city but I think what I love most is the chance to escape it every now and then. This past weekend in New Jersey was beyond refreshing. Some of my favorite things included: falling asleep to the sounds of the summer, waking up with the peaceful light, the chirping birds, and the quietness of the suburb mornings, savoring my morning coffee on the screened-in porch, and enjoying my glass of wine with my parents on the front porch outside.
It's not every weekend that I get to escape to NJ so on the weekends that I do, I make the most of it. Here are a few snapshots from last weekend:
No comments:
Post a Comment