When I first moved to the NYC area in 1991, I bought a round trip ticket with the departure date 1 year from when I arrived. I figured if I hadn't conquered living in NYC by that time, I'd have a ride back to LA.
When that year came, I wasn't any closer to being comfortable with NYC. I still had no friends, I did nothing but work 40-50 hour work weeks in the garment industry for very little pay. I was miserable. I listened to two songs all the time, Cat Stevens
"Wild World" and Jim Croce's
"New York's Not My Home"
By November 1992, I was no closer to having met any friends. For the second year, I decided that I was going to make a better effort to do more going out, trying to meet people. There was no internet, there was just well, actually going places and having to meet people. I worked more, got more responsiblity and worked 60-80 hour workweeks. I was frustrated. I even remember one night when there was a large deadline, I had my first date with someone that I had met somewhere and I just couldn't leave the office. I was working in tears. I was miserable and hating living in the NYC area.
One night over the Thanksgiving weekend, I got invited to hang out in a bar in the Village. I met a nice girl server who thought I should sit at her bar on Sunday nights. It was a start at meeting people and making friends.
But one day in 1993, on a trip back from visiting friends and family in LA, I was looking forward to getting back to NYC. It was that moment that I realized that there was a fundamental shift.
Now, when we travel, when I can see the skyline, bridges, or even our apartment building, sometimes I can feel tears almost well up from within me. I feel like I'm finally home.
Do you remember when you finally felt like you fit or integrated where you live?