There’s a reason that NYC is a staple in all media—from movies to TV shows to literally everything. And, sure enough, we hear starry-eyed folks moving to NYC excited for a city that never sleeps and rent that keeps on increasing for a closet size bedroom. It’s cute to have that excitement. I wish I had that excitement.
Spoiler: I don’t. I’m incredibly jaded. I’ve lived in NY almost my entire life; I’m the type of NY’er that will glare at tourists for stopping in the middle of the street to stare at the skyscrapers, and I was an incredibly tired commuter wishing for life to slow down.
ENTER COVID. Stage right.
First let’s start by mentioning that 2020 was a very transformative year for everyone; even you reading, I bet! Well, here’s what went down.
Remember that starry-eyed persona I mentioned earlier? Yep, that was me for a brief second back in January staring at the Empire State Building. I managed to secure a contract position at LinkedIn (aka dream company!) and their offices were in THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING!
That building that appears in Sleepless In Seattle, King Kong, An Affair to Remember, and gosh just so many. Or that building where the Z100 Morning Show comes “LIVE FROM THE TOP OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING” (that has been ringing in my ear since my teen years and I was in the same building! *fangirling*) It’s been a staple in my commuter life and my mom’s; it was her favorite building and just seeing it gave her peace. I now wish I asked her why.
I stared up at that building on my first day and soaked it all in.
Naturally, as my dear readers have known, life is never as easy—less than two months into this dream job COVID hit! And BAM!
Consequently we were all working from home; with a toddler that was glued to my leg, an anxious dog that kept barking, and a husband that was back in college attending classes. LIFE GOT HECTIC. FOR EVERYONE.
It was then that, this starry-eyed gal, shook of those stars and began to plan on living. Tell me why do we wait for life to hit us in the face before we realize we’re holding our breath?
In other words, this pandemic taught me many things that will become a series of blog posts in the next couple of days; but most importantly, it taught me that I was waiting to be ready to leave NY. That was never going to happen.
I realized that without my mom, NYC will never be the same. There was nothing holding me back from picking up and moving—not even my dream company.
We can’t WAIT until we’re ready to do something to finally take that step.
For years, I threw the idea of ever leaving NY out because my mom needed me, especially after cancer became part of our world. I told myself that I needed to be there to help her no matter what.
We didn’t expect to lose her so soon. In many ways, I became detached and the strings that tied me to NYC disappeared. I realized that without my mom, NYC will never be the same; there was nothing holding me back from picking up and moving—not even my dream company.
Enter TEXAS. Up stage left.
There was one thing certain in our lives: my husband and I are NOT city people. For instance, we don’t like the rushing and bustling of city life or that the long commuting hours makes work become a 12hr routine instead of the 9-5. And we wanted a place that has a mix of nature, calmness, and access to a city for the eventual in-person working situations. With his skills in video games and mine in tech, we found a booming place within Austin!
So goodbye NYC and hello Austin!
We have yet to venture far and wide in Austin, however, due to COVID (and the fact that Texas isn’t really complying with the mask situation), but we can already say that moving here has been the blessing we were looking for and a breath of fresh air.
(Side note: Can you believe that Austin and its suburbs reminds be of Ecuador—the big open skies, the hills, the people! It’s a mix of both worlds and I’m absolutely enjoying it!)
Therefore, dear reader, we find ourselves on a journey of healing; we’ve lost five close family members between my husband and I within the last few years. In many ways, our move is a new chapter allowing us to finally turn the page of grief and loss and move forward to a place of living, of watching our son experience life, and of our own continued growth and reflections.
As always, dear friends, thank you for reading and here’s to a 2021 filled with posts on my ever work-in-progress blog.
Wishing you a healthy and safe 2021. Stay tuned for more and see you then!
xoxo
*don’t say Gossip Girl. Don’t say Gossip Girl*
What do you think?