Friends, Facades, and Western Flair

New York is like a friendship that just keeps getting better. It surprises you, changes your perspective, challenges you, and then makes you whole again. 

It is hard to hide in the shadows in this city. For starters, we are all living in pretty close quarters crammed into shoeboxes. So, that means you are bound to run into that guy you wanted to leave in the past, the crazy cat lady living next door, and new friends you haven’t met yet. However, more than proximity, it is personality that makes it hard to hide in this place.

In New York, if you are not unapologetically yourself, you will get chewed up and spit out. That is what I love about this place. With nearly nine million people trying to find their way in life, or in my case, just find their way to the subway, we are all just trying to make it in this big city. There is no time in the hustle culture of New York to be fake. People see through the facades here. New Yorkers are good at sniffing out the real from the fake. 

A place like that is the perfect environment to form true friendships. I have been lucky enough in my first two months here to have experienced this firsthand. I have gotten to know so many wonderful people while living here. Although, the person I have gotten to know the most is myself. Being in a city where you are forced to do things alone, develop an entirely new level of confidence, and feel comfortable in your own skin, brings out your truest self. While living here, I have developed my personal style. I figured out my style lies somewhere between biker chick and Coachella hippie with a western flair. I learned that I feel most confident when wearing boots of any kind. And, if you don’t see me wearing a single piece of leather or denim, or both, call the authorities. That would mean I am unwell. 

Style is a microcosm of the larger picture. It symbolizes my journey to really getting to know myself and what I want. And, I owe much of what I have learned so far to this city. Like I said before, New York is like that friend that knows you better than you know yourself. For me, that friend is Korey Vita. Here is the best way to describe our friendship: If you know me, you probably know Korey, and vice versa. We always have each others’ backs. We always look out for each other. And, we are always messing with each other. Even with me living on the East Coast, our friendship has never wavered. 

To me, that is like my relationship with New York. The city will never give up on you. You can always count on it to be there. If one thing doesn’t work out, there is another opportunity waiting for you around the corner. More than anything, this city gets to know you. It learns about you, and then it helps you realize things about yourself that even you didn’t know. That is what a best friend does, and I feel so lucky to have found a friend in so many people, myself, and New York.