Life is weird and it throws you curveballs that you need to adapt too.
It was four years ago in April when I arrived in NYC from spending 2 years in Minneapolis in a city that never truly felt like home. When I arrived back in the city it immediately felt like I was home and knew this was the place for me. Growing up in CT, really just outside of the city, I have been here often but never lived here and let me tell you visiting vs living is two totally different things. Fast forward to now, I moved to a new apartment, in a new area of the city, and ready to tackle this next chapter of my life.
Moving for me is always sad and always has been. I think it stems from when I was younger and we moved a lot before I was in kindergarten and every last day of school I had to tell my friends “goodbye” because my dad’s job could move him to a new state or even country in the matter of weeks. I think moving for me is sad because it feels like you are leaving all the good times behind and makes you realize what you have.
When I think of the last four years, I think of arriving to this apartment waiting for HOURS and sitting on the kitchen floor with my dad waiting for my movers, the first weekend when my friends visited and screaming welcome to NY from my balcony, starting 2 new jobs, creating new relationships, heartbreaks and deaths, a pandemic, and everything that comes with growing up. There have been so many highs and recently so many lows. At the end of the day, this apartment felt like home and became home relatively quickly and I felt like I haven’t had that in quite some time.
I am excited for my new apartment, a new neighborhood, and creating new memories that will make this new place feel like home. I know everyone feels this way and probably have felt like this recently with the pandemic and leaving your previous life behind. Maybe that is it. Am I afraid of saying bye to this apartment and all the joy that came with it in my past life? With the pandemic still going strong (wear your damn mask) and unknown about the future maybe that is why I am sad? Who knows. It definitely is a weird time but I have to remind myself better things are to come.
So how am I adapting? Staying positive and making this new place feel like home. I am going to take my time decorating this space because for starters I’m older and can invest in better pieces as I plan to be here for a bit. I am excited to when house gatherings can be a thing again and I can create new memories with friends in this space. I truly do believe the best is yet to come.
Do you feel this way with change?
Thanks for reading Elle’s Edit. If you have any topics that you would like for me to discuss, feel free to email me at elizabeth.lane.dooley@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you! xo
This post couldn’t have come at a better time! I am actually in the midst of A LOT of change. I work on a college campus and between trying to get ready for students to return, there have been several staff departures from our division. But all that aside, I’m trying to stay as positive and focused as possible to get through it and embrace it.
I love that this post resonated so much with you, Nicole! Sending you super positive vibes, I can’t imagine what people who work for schools are going through. It’s such a hard balance between wanting to follow all safety precautions and wanting things to get back to normal. Stay strong!!!