Times like these cause me to stereotypically reflect on the many things I will be sacrificing by departing the City of New York. To milk the cliche, I will tell you about them.
I will be leaving behind fare hikes and hobos; hipsters and friends; a decent, albeit dirty and smelly subway system; and the many thousands of feet of concrete I have walked. I leave behind bars with themes and gimmicks, museums and art galleries unexplored, holes in the wall, dives and diners unexperienced. There are many a-tap dispensing many a-beer I have not yet sampled that will go unappreciated by my taste buds. There are monuments and statues and parks and ponds that, at least with this go-around, I won't get to see.
With all the things I'm leaving behind, there are even more that I can easily say I am lucky to take with me. The appreciation of fresh, unscented air being included on that list.
So much has happened over the last 18 months that has led to some kind of personal growth. New York City played host to more than I could imagine might happen in one place. I've been hired for my first real-world, professional job. And laid off a week before my one-year anniversary due to a painfully bad economy. New York City has seen me grace the sage of a comedy club for numerous open mics and three actual, real shows. For a guy with debilitating stage fright, awkward nervousness and performance anxiety, it was quite a feat. I've met some special people (not the differently-abled kind) who have become close friends and seen others who were close fade into the horizon. Those special people have been there for me during the most difficult times and celebrated with me during the good times. I've been able to experience some of the best that New York has to offer and I was able to do so with the most special of all people, my girlfriend. I've been kicked out of an apartment for not doing my dishes immediately after I used them and managed to find a new apartment and move within a week. In that apartment, I learned more about gay people, terminology and culture from one of the best, if not the best, roommate I've ever had. I've been witness to a great friend of mine take a tiny little dream and turn it into a blossoming reality; and I've enjoyed the amazing music that has come out of it. For 18 months, I made it in the most expensive and, depending on who is opining, one of the toughest places to get by in the US. And the only reason I'm saying farewell is because the last one hired is the first one fired (laid off doesn't rhyme).
My girlfriend was worried that I would be resentful to leave New York City because my dreams of making it here were ruined. I may not have done everything I had planned to do while I was here (mainly get a job in advertising), but to look back on all of the things I've done, experienced, survived, seen, heard, felt, it's difficult to feel like I haven't experienced enough. It's difficult to say that New York hasn't given me enough of what it has to offer for me to be resentful; for me to feel like I didn't have enough time here. We always wish for more time. We always wish we had done things we didn't get a chance to do. We always look back and wonder what might have been if things were done differently. I know I have. But I don't believe that I will look back and say that I didn't get enough. New York has taken more than it's fair share out of me. But if I truly felt like I was getting hosed, I would've left long ago.
This is my adieu, New York City. I'm sure I will miss you much more than you will miss me. I'm sure at some point I will be back. I am fairly young and dreams have a hard time of dying on my watch. That and they have these nifty bus thingies that run between New York and Boston that only cost like, $15, $20. I'm sure it won't be too much of a hassle to visit.
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