It’s officially been a year since I moved to Boston and, while I’m not an expert, I feel like I’ve learned a lot – not just about city living but also about myself.
I was originally born in New York City, but I’ve spent most of my life in a small Washington, D.C. suburb, so I couldn’t recall the city life. All I could remember was that I wanted to keep living it.
I love living in a city with so many different opportunities around me, but sometimes it feels easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. You forget to slow down and take it all in.
That was the first thing I learned once I moved to Boston for college. As Billy Joel once said “Slow down, you’re doin’ fine.” It’s okay to not be a superwoman flying around and being productive every single day. The thought of that is honestly a little scary! Taking time to just breathe in the life you’re living is important for your well-being.
I was 14 the first time I ever visited Boston.
As the train pulled out from Penn Station in New York to head up to Massachusetts, I looked out the window and saw the apartment I spent so many of my formative years in – my grandparents’ apartment.
This past weekend, I looked out of the window on the train back to Boston and saw the apartment again, but this time it was different. My grandparents no longer live there and I’m no longer a visitor to Boston. There was something so surreal about passing the place I once knew and loved to begin a journey to a place I’m only just beginning to fall in love with.
Looking at Boston as another city to fall in love with helped me calm my fears of being alone here. There was so much to do and so much to see that I had to stop letting fear hold me back and just jump right in. Boston taught me how to be fearless in a new way. It taught me to be open-minded and excited about new adventures I could embark on.
After moving to Boston, I became so much more extroverted and I began to do things I couldn’t possibly have imagined myself doing just two years ago. I talk on Boston University’s radio shows and help write scripts for our television shows. I know that I never would have tried these new things without Boston by my side.
I love going to school in Boston and couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. if I ever leave, I know I will carry these lessons with me forever.
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