One Year in NYC

"And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born

then it's time to go

and define your destination,

there's so many different places to call home." - DCFC

First and foremost I want to thank my lovely Instagram friend Trine Tollefsen, who made this lettering artwork for me to celebrate my anniversary. Yes, I've been in NYC for a year already.

I got here on August 31st 2014 and I have very fuzzy memories of my last days in the DR. I'm not sure if that's because of all the things that were going on at the same time, the stress, or simply because I don't want to remember the goodbyes. Everything was bittersweet during those days, I was excited and eager to leave, yet anxious of everything I was leaving behind. We didn't have a concrete plan, we just knew it was our time to go.

I won't lie, the adaptation process was hard, especially during the winter. When you've been near palm trees and beaches your whole life, the cold is not an easy thing to get used to. Everything changes, your routine, the faces you see, the streets you walk by, the people you hang out with. Everything. Is like I wrote in an Instagram post a few months ago: in this city you need to smile, be passionate, adjust your pace, find your peeps, and blend in, or it will eat you al(one)ive. You become anonymous and there is not a single face you recognize or that recognizes you. It shakes you to the core.

But it is that same anonymity that shifts your ways. You get to reinvent yourself, everything goes. There's no one here to judge you or dictate what you're supposed to be doing or how you're supposed to be dressing. There's no one here to frown upon your new plans or lack of them. There's not an 8-5 desk job constraining you. There's freedom. And that, my friends, is the scariest and most wonderful thing I've ever experienced.

I can definitely say that New York City gave me back my inspiration. I would not be writing on this blog today if it wasn't for the decision to come here. It was all part of the getting lost before getting here that I talked about on my first post. Many people thought it was a crazy decision. Many people disagreed completely with our plans. However, most of our friends and family were and have been extremely supportive throughout this process. For those who supported us from afar and for those who have been here helping us or simply keeping us company, I want to say THANK YOU.

And last, but definitely not least, I want to thank my boyfriend, who made this bearable when it was hard and kept me smiling when sadness hit. This is a journey I wouldn't have been able to make alone nor with anybody else, just you. What a great team we make!

JessieAmo.

#Mystory