New York City is known by many nicknames — “The City That Never Sleeps,” “The Big Apple” and “Gotham,” but to me, it’s always been known as the city I was drawn to for no apparent reason at the time. My entire family was born and raised in rural Virginia, but as a young girl, I always found myself fantasizing about being in the city. I especially dreamt of spending my best days there. By a complete, wonderful chance, a work trip to New York City landed on the very same weekend as my 21st birthday this year.
New York City has always felt like home. I feel as though when one mentions the city, people immediately picture the touristy streets of Times Square with “I love NYC” t-shirt stands and people dressed up in fuzzy, fairly creepy Elmo costumes, but that’s not the New York City I’m talking about. While Times Square is certainly an engrossing place to visit, New York City has so much more to offer. From the stylish streets to the young bars in West Village and the glamorous skyscrapers in Manhattan, New York is anything but straightforward or boring. That’s what I love the most about it.
This year I joined PRISM — an interdisciplinary advertising agency run by Virginia Students, as a copywriter and public relations manager. Earlier this semester, I was invited on the trip of a lifetime to tour agencies in New York with my colleagues. Even better, when I realized the trip would fall on my 21st birthday, it seemed as though the stars had aligned for me, and I’d finally live out the birthday I had dreamt of for so many years.
I turned 21 on Saturday, April 9. Unlike Virginia, New York is rather strict and doesn’t allow you to purchase alcohol until 12 a.m. of your special day, which was fine by me. I began my birthday early, celebrating at the Billy Joel concert live from Madison Square Garden. The next day, I dined at brunch with my friends, bought my first bottle of liquor — 818 Tequila of course — and ventured to the Bronx for a Yankees baseball game. I truly experienced New York in the ways I love most — with so many people and different in every way.
My 21st birthday turned out to be my best one yet. In fact, my trip led me to make connections I never thought possible and land my first internship in the Big Apple. This summer, I’ll continue to live my dream as a future New Yorker as I intern at a health advertising agency.
New York is a special place to be — a place where curiosities turn into multi-million dollar businesses and stars are born. No matter where you wander, there’s always something to do, someone to meet and a new story to be heard. As Leighton Meester once said, “You’re never alone, but you’re always on your own.” That’s why I’ll leave you with this. If something is pulling you to a certain place, go. If given the opportunity to visit that place, take it.