Driving west across the southern perimeter of America, Zack – the Marketing and Logistics Manager – put on Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind. This is important for a few reasons. First, I adore all things Billy Joel. Second, I live in New York City. Third, they mention Riverside – my favorite place in the city and a line I never fail to scream. Zack knows me too well.
I moved to New York City on a whim in January 2016. It was not part of the plan. And yet whether I wanted to or not, I fell in love with the heartbeat of Riverside Park and the way the arch at Washington Square Park glimmers after a night at Fat Cat Jazz Club. New York City became my end all be all. I was convinced that nothing in the world could ever compare to the greatest city of all time.
Then I drove across the country – covering 30 states in 56 days. I visited places that I hadn’t been to in a decade (Chicago), saw places I had dreamed of (New Orleans), and fell in love with cities I had no prior knowledge of (Las Cruces, New Mexico).
When I moved to New York City, I felt like the entire world was opened to me. There was so much to see and do and experience. Driving across the country was the same experience. I feel so deeply pulled to places that – in some instances – I barely spent 24 hours.
New York City has my heart – through and through and through. But now so does San Francisco and Rapid City and Anacortes. And maybe that’s okay. Maybe that’s what it’s supposed to be. Maybe it’s okay to have home scattered across the country. And maybe it’s okay to embrace home in wherever you find it and even more importantly, to embrace home in wherever it finds you.
Love always,
Liz
