Rodney

The way I see it, your family probably wants you to do well. They probably want you to marry your BF, settle down, get a house, pop out a few kids (that's _your_ choice, of course), live comfy, have a good income and make a secure life.

Now -- how possible is _any_ of that in NYC for you?

So you can be with them -- or you can be what they want you to be... which seems to be what you also would like to be...

I think it's time to have an adventure. And if it doesn't work out, you can always go back. Hell, if it _does_ work out, you can eventually go back -- with sufficient experience gained in the hinterlands to get high-paying jobs in NYC.