Freedom to follow my own compass, not someone elseโs map.
๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ผ, ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒโ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐.
I moved to New York five years ago. Not because it was my dream, but becauseโwhy not? Living in New York and building a life here werenโt really my dreams.
It was the dream of the world, of my ex-husband, of the version of me who thought she was supposed to want it. And for a while, I made it mine. I built a life here. I stayed. I wanted to belong. I came to this city because it fascinated me. Over time, I shaped my life around the idea that Iโd stay here forever.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐.
And then one day, I looked aroundโฆ and took it off.
And I felt itโ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ.
Freedom to see and accept new opportunities beyond New York.
Freedom to imagine myself working and living in other places -
in other countries, other rhythms, other skies.
Freedom to fall in love with someone who lives somewhere else.
Freedom to follow my own compass, not someone elseโs map.
Itโs not about abandoning New York. I love this incredible city. ๐๐โ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ. About listening to whatโs real and finally letting it point somewhere new.
congratulations with you last (hopefully not) Fearless writing challenge,
i lived myself in NY 51st/6/7 and envy you living in NYC
have a nice Sunday!
Living in New York was always my dream. And it almost came true, twice. But it was never meant to be.
Iโve watched so many friends move there, build a life, thrive. It was like watching a movie where the main characters were everyone but me.
Then my life took an unexpected turn, where my beloved NYC was no longer the final destination.
Itโs still the most incredible city in the world. Itโs still the place that made me discover my different self. Itโs still my first love, the one and only.
But we are good over-the-ocean friends now.
We were never meant to be together.