XLV: Signing off from New York
In March of 2005 I promised that I would keep everyone apprised of our whereabouts and adventures during my 2+ year rotation here in New York. Today, we sign off and head West for new adventures in a new city. We do so with bitter-sweetness in our hearts. There will be so many positives about being back in our native Midwest, and in another exciting city. But it is hard to leave here. I struggle to find the words to properly characterize just how hard; we've been overwhelmed by how attached we've grown to the people and places of this area.
My mom once said, of Rome, that it can be stressful and draining at times, but there is something about it that gets in your blood. New York will forever be one of those places for me. That is as shocking to you to read as it was for me to realize, believe me. I came here possessed with the notion of survival, namely, could I? I leave having to stop myself from calling it home.
The difficulties of living here are numerous and daunting. It is arduous at times just to get from place to place, because of the dense population and extreme demand for already crowded real estate. The cost of living does nothing to help. As William Cole once said "New York is a great city to live in if you can afford to get out of it." And of course there are the people, stereotypically thought of as brash. In fact, the people are hard to get to know, with roots deeply engrained in their neighborhoods and towns. But with time-earned trust, you find that they are some of the most loyal and genuine you will ever meet. Those behavioral barriers they create are defensive, because an overly competitive cycle is part of their daily life. But on the other side of the barrier are people who care for their friends and will do anything for them. We've been humbled by their friendship and their outpouring of kindness and support. We are leaving some incredible people behind and we will miss them dearly.
We will miss the places as well. New York is a vibrant, intoxicating city, albeit overexposed to the rest of the country because of the mass media situated here. Over-hype aside, its tremendous energy creates a place all citizens of this country should visit if the opportunity allows. To listen to the long-time residents, the City gleams in comparison to twenty years ago, when its crime and conditions were a punch-line. The relative safety and cleanliness today cannot be overstated, and history looms at every corner. I've tried, over the past 44 emails, to give you a sense of what some of the sights here are like. My feeble words fail; I encourage you to see them for yourself. I will miss that great city deeply, but I'm comforted by the hopeful prospects of visiting soon.
So with that, we head out. The cars and moving van are packed, so wish us safety and sanity, and we hope to see you all soon.
My mom once said, of Rome, that it can be stressful and draining at times, but there is something about it that gets in your blood. New York will forever be one of those places for me. That is as shocking to you to read as it was for me to realize, believe me. I came here possessed with the notion of survival, namely, could I? I leave having to stop myself from calling it home.
The difficulties of living here are numerous and daunting. It is arduous at times just to get from place to place, because of the dense population and extreme demand for already crowded real estate. The cost of living does nothing to help. As William Cole once said "New York is a great city to live in if you can afford to get out of it." And of course there are the people, stereotypically thought of as brash. In fact, the people are hard to get to know, with roots deeply engrained in their neighborhoods and towns. But with time-earned trust, you find that they are some of the most loyal and genuine you will ever meet. Those behavioral barriers they create are defensive, because an overly competitive cycle is part of their daily life. But on the other side of the barrier are people who care for their friends and will do anything for them. We've been humbled by their friendship and their outpouring of kindness and support. We are leaving some incredible people behind and we will miss them dearly.
We will miss the places as well. New York is a vibrant, intoxicating city, albeit overexposed to the rest of the country because of the mass media situated here. Over-hype aside, its tremendous energy creates a place all citizens of this country should visit if the opportunity allows. To listen to the long-time residents, the City gleams in comparison to twenty years ago, when its crime and conditions were a punch-line. The relative safety and cleanliness today cannot be overstated, and history looms at every corner. I've tried, over the past 44 emails, to give you a sense of what some of the sights here are like. My feeble words fail; I encourage you to see them for yourself. I will miss that great city deeply, but I'm comforted by the hopeful prospects of visiting soon.
So with that, we head out. The cars and moving van are packed, so wish us safety and sanity, and we hope to see you all soon.
posted by Watts at 1:55 PM
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