New Perspective: Missing NYC

Hey all. I'm back! I was traveling between Christmas and New Year's and actually spent the last week enjoying 85-degree weather and blue Caribbean waters in Mexico.

I've written before about how hard it is for me to "re-enter" NYC after being away, but this time, something's different. For one, I've been reflecting on how proud I felt to be able to say I was from NYC when asked while traveling. I could really feel the admiration foreigners felt for my city (one woman asked me if it life here was really like "Sex and the City") and was grateful to be a small part of it.

What is it that non-New Yorkers admire about this city? Could it be the courage it requires to survive and thrive and be challenged by such a city? If Paris stands for beauty, fashion, sophistication, then maybe NYC stands for achievement, determination, courage and ingenuity? Or is it because NYC is THE cultural capital of the United States--not only because it's the US city the world sees portrayed most often in movies and TV, but also because for so many reasons it's the city they think of first when they think of America.

We really enjoyed Mexico. It was an adventure-filled, wonderful trip. We'll miss the warmth, the easygoing vibe and the minimal clothing. We gained a better understanding of and appreciation for Mexico, particularly its history, people and natural landscape, and we were sad to leave.

But when we walked through the door of our apartment on Saturday, I was happy to see my little apartment and sleep in my own bed. And once the laundry was done, the suitcase put away, and the photos from my trip downloaded onto my computer, I felt complete again.

I'm eager to start the New Year and look forward to all the beautiful things this year and this city have in store. I guess slowly but surely I am becoming a New Yorker...each time I leave and return, it feels more and more like home.

Happy New Year, everyone!