2.5 months later and this girl is back in the best city in the world.
As I mentioned last week, I made my way back to NYC to get back to my “normal” life. The real reason why I had to come back so soon was because I am moving to a new apartment next month and have to get my sh*t together before then. I love NYC, always have and always will. This city has been through hell and back especially within the past couple of months but I think we are getting through it, slowly. The key word here is…slowly. I applaud our state government and how they’ve handled this virus and have taken it very seriously from the start. We are taking it slowly and being smart and using data to impact our decisions. It breaks my heart seeing an uptick in the other states that opened up too soon because it is going to hurt more when those places need to shut down again.
Since being back in NYC I actually am pleasantly surprised to see what I’m seeing. When I left the city on April 1st this place was a ghost town and just so depressing. Now there is life and it feels busier and almost alive again. Granted the weather probably plays a huge difference but I can tell that more people are back in my building and ready to get through this, together. I am so proud of EVERYONE who is wearing a mask. It is almost rare to see someone without a mask. And that is how we are where we are…we take this seriously and it is paying off!
I do miss my friends though and going into the office. I took off last Friday to get stuff done and spent the whole entire weekend walking around and enjoying the weather. When Sunday night came it felt like a normal Sunday night and then I realized that when I wake up I wasn’t going back into the office. I have to work from home for a couple more months and there really is no end in sight. It broke my heart a bit coming back to the “new” nyc that isn’t like it used to but we will get there.
Let me tell you, Phase 2 looks good on NYC. Restaurants are finally doing outdoor dining and there are some retail places that are open but only at a certain capacity. Getting the restaurants back and getting the employees working again definitely makes a difference to our economy and the joy that comes with this city. The promise that I made to myself is to support my local businesses that I love. For example, I am going to local coffee shops instead of making coffee at home. Sure this is not great for my wallet but I have a job and have been getting paid the past couple of months unlike these workers. Same with getting lunch/dinner. Instead of going to places with multiple locations I am opting for the family restaurants that rely on peoples service. When it comes to tipping I am tipping EVERYONE at least 25%. It is the right thing to do!
I am excited for the future of this “new” New York but we need to approach it with caution and constantly remind ourselves this isn’t over. Think about the healthcare workers that are STILL working crazy shifts and dealing with this. Wear your god damn masks people and help kill the spread.
How is it where you’re from?
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
